Czech kitchens for property investors

I had a client contact me yesterday who had been charged 437,000 CZK for a small-sized kitchen in a mid-level development. Either the kitchen was made out of pure gold studded with diamonds or the company charging him this amount was make a healthy margin.

I don't deny that property companies have to make a profit for the work they do in designing and installing a kitchen in an investors' property.

However, what I do find questionable is:
(1) charging huge prices and telling investors that such a high standard kitchen is required, when in most cases it is not
(2) once the investor has paid for the kitchen the property company then puts in the cheapest quality materials as possible to make as much money as possible, usually with the idea that the investor doesn't really know the difference and if they do they will probably never come to the Czech Republic to see it anyway. This kind of practice is widespread an immoral.

We have recently been selling a property in a well known development in Prague 7. This investor had gone for the best quality kitchen the property company was offering, and paid over 250,000 CZK for the privilege. When we viewed the apartment the potential buyer said he would have to remove the kitchen if ever he were to buy it as it was so low quality. The cheapest materials had been used for the work surfaces and cupboards, and even plastic handles were installed - all this for 250,000 CZK!!!

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case and is just another part of the corrupt world of property companies ripping off unsuspecting investors.

So any investors out there who need a kitchen make sure you know what quality spec you're signing up for and shop around for a quote, then hold the property company to account that what you bought was actually installed.

[the image in this blog is one example of the cheap and nasty kitchen installed in some apartments - not integrated fridge/freezer, not many cupboards, poor quality appliances, all round low quality]

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