Shower power: How to negotiate a bargain bathroom suite

Shower power: How to negotiate a bargain bathroom suite

When it comes to bathrooms, whether you are after affordable quality or looking to spend as little as possible, there are ways to achieve a refit without spending a fortune. Using a combination of seasonal sales trends (which are as common as traffic cones on motorways), two different stores and some tried and tested negotiation skills, I recently saved £750 on a quality ensuite bathroom – around 25% of the original cost. With a few hours work you can tap into your resources and watch the prices sink …

Fit for purpose

Your first investment should be a tape measure; establishing available space and what dimensions products need to be is vital.

To help you understand whether an offset quadrant or a mixer manual shower is right for you visit the Bathroom Design Guide website – it explains the pros and cons of different equipment, from mixer showers to cast iron baths.

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Many retailers offer free design consultation. It can be useful to get someone round as they should have a good knowledge of what furniture and other items are available – this can be particularly helpful if you need to maximise space. However, don't let yourself get pressured into signing up for anything on the spot – say you need to think about your options.

If you love gizmos and are technically gifted you could try doing it yourself. Google has a design tool you can use to draw a plan.

Suite shopping

Calculate your budget and assign a price to each individual item. List the necessary items (sink, shower, shower enclosure etc) as well as any extras (vanity unit, towel rail etc) you would like to have. Remember there are additional purchases you need to make, such as a shower waste system and cisterns, that may not be included in the main item price. The budget should be a maximum; the fun is in beating it.

Take your time choosing your suite – there is so much choice and prices vary hugely. Go to the stores and if the brochures don't show the product you are buying take pictures of your chosen items.

Armed with a spreadsheet of prices and your designs, approach the stores ready to bargain.

Maximise your hand

Prepare your patter beforehand. Make sure the salesperson knows you are in a position to buy, but are considering products from a number of outlets.

If you are buying seven or eight items, hold back on mentioning one or two medium/high priced ones as you can add these in later to secure a better deal. As the order increases, so does the attraction of gaining your business from the salesperson's viewpoint.

Good salespeople will ask questions to try to get you to buy more. For example, "Will you need a vanity unit to store your necessities?" If you do, say so – but add that the ones in their store seem a bit overpriced compared to retailer B and ask if there is a possibility of a discount.

If they don't ask about other items, wait until you get a quote for your chosen products and casually ask, as if it was an afterthought, what they would be able to offer if you bought items X and Y from them instead of from retailer B.

More money off

If the store has a price-match policy, search the internet for the best possible price for your chosen item and save yourself even more. I used this to good advantage and got a fabulous shower unit with two shower heads reduced from £699 to £398, as the store in question also promised a 5% discount on the lowest price available.

Finally, establish whether they offer discount for trade orders. You may not have an account with the store, but the person you employ to fit your bathroom could have one – asking them to place the order could save you as much as 15%.

With a printed quote in hand consider your options. Venture into a competitor's store showing them the quote and see if they can beat it. Or if you are happy with the products you have chosen, go home to plan your final round of negotiations.

Closing the deal

Ideally, go to the same salesperson you spoke to previously as you are more likely to get a better deal than by starting a conversation with a complete stranger. Also, it is only fair they get the sale after dealing with you thus far.

Let him or her know you are in a position to buy now if the package/price is right. Say you realise the price is already discounted, but you only have a budget of X amount. Say that if they throw in a triple-corner wire basket and a towel rail you will buy now.

Before you close the deal make sure everything you want is included – for example, that delivery is free.

Go with a pro

You don't want your hard work securing a bargain to be let down by shoddy workmanship, so find a good plumber to install it. Ideally get a recommendation from a friend, but if you can't you should try the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering which lists registered plumbing professionals in your local area. Alternatively, speak to the retailer you bought from, who may have a list of recommended plumbers.

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