Buying and Importing Chinese Kitchen Cabinets
Are you interested in purchasing kitchen cabinetry from China or a local market?
As far as practicality goes, kitchen cabinets happen to be priceless. They can help you store kitchen essentials while preserving the room’s appearance and atmosphere. As such, the way your cabinets look is important. You may be thinking about a traditional look, or perhaps are more lenient towards modern fashion choices. Regardless, the kitchen cabinets you choose must be meticulously designed and manufactured. After all, such cabinetry can enhance your kitchen’s personality, and subsequently influence the remainder of the home.
The kitchen cabinets you look for should be multifunctional. They need to protect your kitchen essentials, tableware, food, and perhaps even fine china. The more convenience they offer, the more freely you can get things in and out of them. Because storage space is always in high demand, selecting kitchen cabinets that accommodate your needs may be a more complex endeavor than you think.
Why Should You Purchase Kitchen Cabinetry from China?
There are several factors to take into consideration if you are considering purchasing and/or importing kitchen cabinetry out of China.
Here is a list of reasons why kitchen cabinets should be purchased from China:
- More affordable: because of the progressive production systems and budget-friendly labor costs, kitchen cabinets from China tend to be a lot cheaper in comparison to cabinets produced in other nations.
- Easy assembly: many kitchen cabinets from China are exported, so they tend to be produced in a manner that makes them simple to assemble. Many Chinese manufacturers utilize cam-lock mechanisms, in which the sides and face-frame of the cabinet are connected by a hook.
- Beautiful and varied designs: our company can be described as a direct cabinet manufacturer. Our team is always coming up with new cabinetry designs based on popular trends around the world. Besides conventional cabinet design, our company also produces modern Italian-style cabinets. Our rates are based on Chinese currency and are in accordance with international quality standards.
- Made with an advanced manufacturing process: the furniture industry in China uses an advanced manufacturing process. Part of our production process involves the application of information technology. Thanks to innovations in technology, we have found a way to produce highly efficient furniture of high quality at a low cost.
- Investment property-ready: Chinese kitchen cabinetry is ideal for investment properties, giving such units the same feel and look of other types of cabinets, but at a lower cost. They add appeal to any investment property, whether the unit is being rented out or staged to sell.
Based on our experience, most customers would rather purchase kitchen cabinetry from China, whether it be for sale purposes, projects, or home use. Throughout the years, our company has maintained cooperative, long-term relationships with builders in several countries. Our excellent prices and high-end products enhance the appeal of any home, investment property, or commercial setting.
As Far As Kitchen Cabinet Production Goes, What Materials Should You Look for?
A vast array of materials are used to manufacture cabinetry. Any materials used by our company are in accordance with national quality standards.
Solid wood:
This option happens to be very common because it is natural, timeless, and beautiful. Wooden kitchen cabinets offer tremendous value to every home. There aren’t any shortages of wood varieties, and there are many differences in appearance, durability, and costs. High-end cabinets tend to be quite durable and last for years. As such, wood remains one of the best options for kitchen cabinets of high quality.
Particleboard:
Particles or wood crumbs (such as wood shavings, sawdust, and similar types of materials), or plant debris made with non-wood (such as sugarcane, linen, straw, wheat straw, and similar types of materials), which are thermally pressed against each other using adhesives.
Plywood:
This is a wood product comprised of multilayer boards. It is produced by integrating narrow wooden layers together.
MDF:
Because it tends to be much more dense than plywood, MDF (medium-density fiberboard) can be described as a wooden product made with fibers that are smaller than particleboard. MDF has a smooth surface, clean edges, and superior holding power for screws. In comparison to other materials like solid wood, MDF is a versatile and affordable alternative.
Glass surface:
100% waterproof, scratch-resistant, and ease of cleaning are just some of the features associated with this fairly-new door style. Tempered glass is very strong and is capable of covering various materials. It has a smooth touch and a gloss paint effect. Further, glass surfaces can display a matte effect when processed.
Melamine and laminate:
(For E1 Aussie-standard particleboard and melamine coverings). These types of kitchen cabinets happen to be worthwhile alternatives for those on a tight budget. Their surface finishes can be applied right over the original material, such as particleboard. Their purpose is to mimic the appearance of wood. They come in various colors and textures.
How to Buy Kitchen Cabinetry from China
Floorplan of your kitchen:
A decent floorplan can pave the way for a gorgeous and functional kitchen. A floorplan can convert ideas of yours into beautiful visuals, as well as help you determine what you need to do. When choosing or creating kitchen designs, functionality and appearance must be considered. If you have uncertainties about preparing your floorplan, simply download the measurement guide we have put together by clicking here. Follow the form’s instructions to finalize the measurements.
floor plan from our customer
A floorplan for your kitchen that is well-designed and budget-friendly will be much more beneficial to you than you may think.
Usage of cabinets:
How will your cabinets accommodate you? Do your homework about the way they are constructed, as well as their material specifications. Factor in considerations like ktchen style, size, and even appliances.
You will be able to choose from a few different cabinet variations: semi-custom cabinetry, standard cabinetry, and completely customized cabinetry. Semi-custom cabinetry comes with more style options and configurations, giving your kitchen an accurate fit. Standard cabinetry comes ready to assemble (RTA) or preassembled. Some of them come in various color options and styles, limited as they may be. Click here to view our pricing list for retail standard cabinets. Lastly, completely customized cabinets will be the costliest option, but you will get plenty of added features for the price you pay.
There are several user-friendly choices that come with kitchen cabinets today, most of which are intended to simplify your life. Consider looking at our company’s accessories for embedded spice racks, magic corners, wine racks, embedded open storage, and drawers you can pull out. The more features you get, the more you will pay, so you are encouraged to figure out which features you actually care about.
Confirm Quotations and Materials
You need to tell the supplier about any standards your product needs to follow. You will need to determine which regulations are applicable for your order. Explain these requirements to the manufacturer. This is something we can check out for you – we have exported kitchen cabinets to countries all over the world, and as such, we are quite knowledgeable about these types of requirements.
A lot of OEM manufacturers run on the principle of “produced to order.” Their catalogs tend to be somewhat vague and better suited for reference purposes. It falls upon you to provide your supplier with spec sheets. Such information can address various details, including door boxes, shelves, connectors, hinges, cabinet interiors, front frames, door frames, faces, and walls. Here is an example cabinet description:
Cabinets 3D Design Confirmation
Your kitchen cabinetry terms, drawings, sizes, and specs need to be confirmed. Once the design is finalized, your manufacturer will put together drawings that are production-ready, which you will review before approving.
Write down pertinent details in your contract. Doing so will bypass the chances of disputes and substitutions from happening, or being sent incorrect items. Granted, before production starts, our company will mark these details on an electric contract that you will need to confirm.
Production and Payment
After the design has been approved, and the full deposit has been paid, your order will be placed with our Chinese factory directly.
The typical manufacturing time (specifically, from the start of production to the delivery of your cabinets) ranges between 40 and 50 business days. Normally, production time ranges between 20 and 30 business days, based on your order’s size, materials used, holidays, and production schedules at the factory.
Problems to Expect When Importing Chinese Kitchen Cabinets
Quality Concerns
The biggest issue you might encounter upon importing Chinese kitchen cabinets will be with quality. Consider the following scenarios:
- The stock of some panels that certain manufacturers have might be flimsy, and could end up falling apart sooner than later. The finish on several kitchen cabinets might also be weak. Standard hardening agents might not be used.
- The cabinets’ finish might flake off or be marred easily with regular use. Scratches can show up if the cabinetry has a substandard finish.
- Drawer guides and other hardware may be stamped with generic white metal. Such guides can rust easily and cease functioning and/or break off when the drawer carries more than its capable of.
- Wood must be dried or seasoned to a specific moisture content well before it gets processed for cabinetry use. Many Chinese manufacturers bypass this process, choosing instead to create products with unseasoned wood, some of which are still green. This forces cabinet materials to warp, making them unable to hold certain finishes.
As such, the manufacturer you select should exclusively produce cabinets of high quality. HSM cabinets offers reasonable rates, follows international quality standards, is punctual with delivery times, and delivers impeccable customer service.
Postponed Delivery
If an undependable manufacturer is selected, then delayed deliveries can be expected. The contract you sign must address various delivery time commitments. Compensation for late deliveries must be outlined in your contract. As such, set aside more time promised by the suppliers – 60 days tends to be a suitable buffer time.
Keep certain holidays in mind – many factories will cease production 45 days ahead of the Chinese new year. They will resume working 15 days after the new year. As such, 60 days will be missed during this holiday season.
We encourage you to confirm delivery times with suppliers, as different companies have their own policies. Keeping in touch with suppliers about their production processes – perhaps every ten days or so – will be prudent.
Environmental Concerns
Several Chinese factories utilize questionable production processes when it comes to kitchen cabinetry. Lead, formaldehyde, and sulfur are occasionally used to produce cabinets. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has banned these ingredients. As such, we encourage you to find out if the materials used are supportive of the electrical appliances you have.
Where to Find the Best Chinese Kitchen Cabinets
Be certain that the supplier you are working with will not ship you damaged or substandard kitchen cabinets. Endeavor to hire high-quality inspectors who can evaluate the terms you are expected to agree to. Such professionals can conduct a visual inspection and look for damages, as well as usage of improper components or materials. They are also capable of confirming if a cabinet size will match your kitchen’s measurements and surroundings. When you buy kitchen cabinets from our company, we will shoot before/after photos ahead of packing anything. You will also be provided with services for trial installations based on your requirements.
The Chinese cabinet manufacturers you work with should be trustworthy and able to handle both trading-related problems and quality control concerns on your behalf. Choose a Chinese kitchen cabinet manufacturer with a solid reputation. This will ensure that the quality you receive is top-notch. Your kitchen will complement the remainder of your household, so choosing the right kitchen cabinets is a decision you shouldn’t take lightly.
Choose the Best Kitchen Cabinets Manufacturer
Our company also manufactures wine cabinets, television cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and wardrobes. If you are looking for a one-stop service provider, we can also help you with sanitary ware, flooring, bricks, and furniture. You can save a lot of money when all of the things you need for your home are shipped in a single container.
So, if you are seeking a professional team to work with on your design concept, contact HSM today so you can start your journey to turning your home decor visions into a reality.