People of Reddit, hear my plea!
I have just moved into the Munich area, due to a work deployment, and now have unexpectedly been faced with a uniquely German 🇩🇪 problem….. There is no Kitchen.
Both me and my wife enjoy cooking – and seeing as she will not be able to work whilst here, it is probably prudent to find a decent kitchen- Happy Wife, Happy Life… and all that.
However the flip side to the same coin is that we will only be here between 3-5 years from now, and relocating back out of Germany – thus if we cannot sell the kitchen at the end, then we will have to dispose of it 😕
I have looked at IKEA, which is quoting approx €7k for the attached design (not including installation) – I am loathed to spend that much considering the maximum time we will be in Germany…
Thus my plea:
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What is a sensible amount to spend on a kitchen given my position?
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What other places could I look at to get something of a similar nature to the pics I have attached, at a reasonable price given my position? Can this be ‘designed’?
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What traps/pitfalls/peculiarities should I be aware of in finding/buying/installing a kitchen in Germany?
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Can I run the 3phase (for oven) connection around the room, ie to the other wall, without causing any damage to the rented property?
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Help! 😅
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1q5v7f7
Posted by makingwrongsright
12 Comments
To be fully honest – any help at all is super appreciated 😊
Find used one… You have kleinanzeigen app, we plan to live here longer, but bcs of the moving, buying expensive kitchen in not effective…
You could have the next tenant pay you at least some of the value of the kitchen—the next tenant would probably be happy not to have to start from 0.
Take some time and look through used kitchens on kleinanzeigen. I’ve seen many people give away their old and decent kitchen for free to the first person willing to fully pick it up themselves.
Other than that, it’s not uncommon to sell your old kitchen to the next renter when moving out, in some cases it’s even used as “ransom” to get the flat in the first place.
Look up for ikea kitchen parts on ebay kleinenanzeigen. In Ikea there is also a section with used furniture pieces. Thus you can build up a decent kitchen for cheap.
Moreover, there is a good chance that you can sell a good kitchen for a reasonable price to the next tenant.
Also you need an electrician to connect the electrical devices. Otherwise, if anything happens, the insurance might deny paying for damages.
The oven connection box can only be relocated with the consent of the landlord and by a certified electrician I think. I don’t think that’s something you should try to tackle, since you try to stay in a budget and don’t plan to stay long time.
For a new kitchen of that size the Ikea price is reasonable, you probably won’t get away much cheaper at other stores. Buying a kitchen in Germany at other stores usually involves a lot of negotiating or at least some more or less “shady” tricks; e.g. if you ask for a discount the sales assistent will say “I have to ask my boss on this”, disappears, maybe drinks a coffee and then, surprise, another 10% discount so that you feel that you made a good deal 😉 or statements like “This discount is only valid until the end of the week, so you have to make a quick decision!”
bought a new kitchen once, I hope I’ll never to do it again. Most annoying thing I ever bought 😉
You probably have to work with the way water and electricity/sockets are arranged in the kitchen. If you are not an electrician, you are officially not even allowed to plug the stove top and oven in. So changing the 3phase for the oven is likely a no-no.
Depending on the luxuries you need, there is the possibility to buy a Kühl-Gefrierkombination instead of Einbaugeräte. Same for solo standing oven with stove top and dishwasher and then try to look on Kleinanzeigen for Küchenzeilen. Your local Baumarkt might have some kitchen furniture too.
Additional question: where are you gonna eat? I don’t see a table in your kitchen and chairs
You will be annoyed with a used kitchen that doesn’t even fit the space properly. I would bite the bullet, get the Ikea one and try to sell it to the next tenant before you leave at some low price.
I was there for a similar amount of time and that is 3 to 5 times too long to not live in a cozy place set up to your liking. I draw the line at 6 months, any stay longer And I’m buying and setting up anything I need for a fully functional and comfortable household I can come home to.
There’s a pretty good selection of second hand kitchens at kleinanzeigen.de. Usually you’d have to disassemble, haul and reassemble them but that’s doable if you have a friend or two to give you a hand. Even if you have to rent a van for a few hours you’ll probably spend a lot less than buying new. The only caveat is wiring up the hob (all other appliances are pretty much plug-and-play). Therese days most of them run at 400 Volt, 3 phase. Unless you REALLY know what you are doing you should hire an electrician.
Try looking up cheap kitchens in different furniture stores. Roller, Pocco etc.
There you can find cheap pre-fixed kitchens. You could buy 2 of the same and then start rearranging them to fit your room. There are offers between 500-1500€ most of the time.
Sell the remaining stuff on Kleinanzeigen.