Comparison guide · Independent
HomeLane vs Design Cafe: how to compare the two quotations
Two design-led brands, two quotation formats. The gap between them usually comes from scope and specification rather than from rate, which is why a rate-only comparison sends most homeowners the wrong way.
Scopewise takes no commission from any vendor, so this page names no winner. It gives you the method, and the same method we use when we audit a pair of quotes.
What each quotation usually looks like
National full-service interior brand
HomeLane
Usually a design-led quotation with modular units itemised and finishes selected during the design session, with civil and services shown as add-ons.
- Check whether loft units and internal accessories are inside the module rate or extra
- Confirm the finish specified per shutter, not per room
- Ask for the exact exclusions list in writing before the advance
National full-service interior brand
Design Cafe
Commonly a package-style quotation with per-unit pricing for wardrobes, kitchen and loose furniture, and finishes grouped into tiers.
- Check what a package tier includes once you go past the sample specification
- Confirm whether furniture in renders is quoted or representative
- Ask how extra square footage beyond a package cap is billed
Quotation formats change over time and vary by designer, city and project. Treat the above as what we commonly see, and verify everything against the document in your hand.
The eight axes to normalise before you compare totals
| Axis | Ask both vendors | Why it moves the number |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement basis | Is woodwork priced on shutter area, carcass area, running feet or per module? | The same wardrobe can differ by 30 percent on paper purely from the basis used. |
| Unit count | Does each quote carry the same number of wardrobes, lofts, drawers and units? | A missing loft or crockery unit is the single most common source of a large gap. |
| Core material | Is the board named by brand, grade and thickness, per module? | BWP, MR ply, HDHMR and MDF are different products at different prices and lifespans. |
| Finish specification | Laminate, membrane, acrylic or PU, and on which surfaces? | Finish moves the shutter rate more than any other single choice. |
| Hardware | Which brand and series, and how many hinges, channels and lift-ups? | Branded soft-close hardware costs roughly double generic, and quotes rarely count units. |
| Services included | False ceiling, painting, electrical points, plumbing shifts, civil work? | These are the items most often outside the headline number and inside the final bill. |
| Exclusions | Is there a written exclusions list, or only what the quote happens to omit? | Anything unnamed becomes an extra later, priced without competition. |
| Commercial terms | Advance percentage, milestone triggers, GST treatment, timeline, warranty scope? | Interiors are prepaid. Terms decide what the project costs after you have paid. |
A three-step method you can run yourself
- 01
Build one scope list
Write every unit in the home once: each wardrobe, loft, kitchen run, TV unit, ceiling area and painted surface. Then tick which quote prices which unit. The unticked boxes are your real gap.
- 02
Convert to one basis
Restate both quotes on the same measurement. If one quotes running feet and the other square feet, convert using the actual height. Only then can two rates be placed beside each other.
- 03
Price the missing scope
Take each unpriced item and apply a market rate for your city. Add it to that vendor's total. The document that looked cheaper often does not stay cheaper.
Or upload both and let us do it
We extract every line, normalise the basis, score both documents out of 100 across eight weighted parameters and price the scope one vendor left out. Your first score is free.