We are currently finalizing our plans and we asked our sales consultant the following about the kitchen:
1) When do we get to design our kitchen?
2) Will there be someone helping us to design it?
He basically said that we can tell him what we want and he will put them in the plan. That kinda shocked us a little as we were expecting someone to go through it with us just like when we did our kitchen renovations. Basically, someone to help us with the layout of the kitchen and the best use of space in the kitchen and also to help us decide things like the number of pot drawers. Does he expect us to tell him exact measurements of all the drawers?
So we asked him if we can have a chat with the cabinet makers that they are using. He said that we can go them(the cabinet makers) but we would have to pay a fee if we want them to help us plan and produce the plans for the kitchen. The plans would then be passed on to the builders.
We are instead planning to get a couple of quotes from other cabinet makers which can also help us with the design. We would then compare the price and then decide if we should get the cabinet makers to do everything for us(kitchen, 3 bathrooms, 2 powder-rooms and laundry cabinets and also a walk-in robe). They would be installing the cabinets and the stone top. Everything else such as the plumbing and gas will be done by the builder.
So the questions are:
1) Is this normal with builders? Do everyone have to take out their pencils and ruler and start drawing their own kitchen up? I am not sure how else to tell the builder what I want other than to sketch the whole plan up myself which doesn't sound right.
2) Have anyone else encountered the same issue? What do you do?
3) Do you think I am going down the right path by getting the "right" people to do the job?
Any other opinions and suggestions are most welcomed.
Cheers!