Comparing bathroom stores near Underwood: what to ask before you buy

If you live around Underwood, Springwood, Daisy Hill or Eight Mile Plains, you have several bathroom stores within a short drive. That is good news, but it also makes it easy to compare the wrong things: a price on one item from one store against a different finish, size or delivery terms from another. This guide is a checklist of the questions that make the comparison fair, whichever stores you visit, including ours.

1. Is the product on the floor the one you are being quoted?

A display vanity or mixer may be a different width, top or finish from the one on your quote. Before you decide on looks, ask for the exact product code and check it against the piece you are standing in front of. For tapware, the finish name matters as much as the model: one brand's brushed gold can look quite different from another's under the same light.

• Write down the product code and finish name for every item.
• Hold the finish against your tile or benchtop sample, not just the display wall.
• If a vanity is shown with a different top, ask what the top on your quote looks like and what it is made of.

2. What exactly is included?

Two quotes for "a 900mm vanity" can be very different. One may include the cabinet, top and basin; another may be cabinet only. The same goes for toilets (is the seat included, which trap) and showers (is the rail included, does the mixer come with the in-wall body).

• Vanities: cabinet, top, basin, tap hole position, waste and any legs or kickboard.
• Toilets: pan, cistern, seat, trap type (S-trap, P-trap or skew) and the set-out range. Our adjustable link and set-out guide explains what to measure.
• Tapware: whether a wall mixer includes the in-wall body or only the trim, and whether a basin mixer suits your basin height.

3. What will delivery cost to your address?

Delivery on bulky items like vanities and baths can change the total more than the product price difference. Ask for the delivery cost to your street, whether it is kerbside or inside, and whether you can collect for free instead.

For reference, our delivery rates are published on the delivery and returns page: parcels from $22.95, vanities up to 1200mm wide $159 (wider vanities $189 or $249), toilets from $189, mirrors $129 flat, non-stone baths $249 flat and stone baths $399 flat, with the exact rate shown at checkout. Pickup from our Loganholme showroom is free once your order is ready.

4. When will it actually arrive?

Stock items and made-to-order items run on different timelines. Many vanities, for example, are made to order by the manufacturer. Ask for a realistic lead time for each item and line it up with your trades. A vanity that arrives after the plumber's second visit costs you another call-out.

• Ask which items are in stock and which are special order.
• Ask whether the store will hold items until your trades are ready.
• Check your renovation timeline before you order.

5. What happens if something arrives damaged or wrong?

Ask how damage in transit is handled and how quickly you need to report it. Ask before you pay, not after. Whatever a store's own policy says, your rights under the Australian Consumer Law for faulty, damaged or incorrectly supplied goods always apply.

Our process is simple: inspect everything before you store or install it, and report visible damage, missing items or anything that is not what you ordered within 48 hours, with photos, so we can claim with the carrier quickly. Please do not install a damaged item.

6. Is the product certified for Australian plumbing?

Tapware, toilets and anything connected to the water supply should carry WaterMark certification, and WELS ratings tell you the water use. Ask to see both for the exact product, not just the range. Our WaterMark and WELS notes explain what to look for.

7. Who can answer the technical questions?

A good bathroom store will help you check the things that cause problems on install day: the toilet set-out, the basin waste height, the depth of a vanity against the door swing, and whether a wall mixer suits the shower layout. Bring your measurements and photos, and see who takes the time to check them with you.

8. Do they look after trade?

If your builder or plumber has a trade account somewhere, ask whether they can use it with you, or whether the store offers trade pricing directly. Our trade page explains how ours works.

A simple comparison sheet

For each store, write down: product code and finish, what is included, price, delivery cost to your address or free pickup, lead time, how damage is handled, and who you spoke to. Compare those lines side by side, and the cheapest store on paper is often not the cheapest once delivery and missing parts are added.

Visiting our showroom

Our showroom is at Shop 4, 1 Bryants Rd, Loganholme QLD 4129, off the M1 at Exit 28. It is a short drive from Underwood, Springwood, Daisy Hill and Eight Mile Plains; see getting here from nearby suburbs for directions and what is on display. You can drop in any time during opening hours. Elenni is rated 5.0 from 135 Google reviews. Questions? Call 07 3209 9644.