When you’re involved with new construction or the remodel of an apartment complex, it’s like building or remodeling your own home…on steroids. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with choices. You don’t know which cabinet supplier is right for you.

You might not have to personally live with the consequences of a wrong decision, but multiply a poor choice by the number of units in the building, and it can lead to pencil-busting cost over-runs during build-out.  You might also still feel the painful consequences during the resale or rental phase.

No doubt, it pays to be careful. The bigger the project, the more it pays to consider ALL your options.

One viable option you might not have considered would be to have kitchen cabinet, bathroom vanity and bedroom closets for your project custom-designed and manufactured overseas to save money. This doesn’t have to mean more frustration or more risk, if you choose your supplier with care.

Would it surprise you to learn that the world’s ‘global economy’ is so intertwined that even when you ‘buy kitchen cabinets from China,’ it often means China is buying U.S.-made hardware and accessories for those cabinets? Or that the wood veneer they use may very well come from U.S. lumber?

Years ago, buying items ‘made in China’ generally meant cheap, low-quality knock-offs of U.S.-made products. That still happens in some industries more than others, but things are changing quickly.

To compete in the global market, many Chinese companies have learned that they have to up their game. They can’t compete globally just on lower prices any more. Global customers demand more.

So manufacturers like PA Kitchen have invested heavily in state-of-the-art, German-made precision manufacturing equipment and software to craft their cabinets.  Plus, they use quality controls that rival those in any U.S. company.

“Made in China” now means top-of-the-line durability, utility and beauty.

When you order durable goods from overseas manufacturers, much more is on the table than just saving money. There are many factors for you to consider and the whole process must make sense for your project. Unfortunately, there is no ‘formula’ or litmus test to tell you if buying overseas is right for you.

But here are some things for you to consider when you think about sourcing overseas, particularly from China. Like anything, selecting the right cabinet supplier or manufacturer to work with is all important

1. The larger the project, the bigger potential for big cost savings. This does not rule out significant savings for smaller projects like a few container shipments. You can always email or call to discuss your project with a potential manufacturer and find out where the break even point is.

2. Get several quotes, just like you would if ordering locally. You are checking not just on overall price, but you are seeing how attentive they are to your inquiry. Are they getting back to you within 24 business hours (with allowance for differences in time zones)? Are they pleasant? Do they speak English well, so that you have confidence that you and your order have been understood?

3. Are they willing to give you a production schedule? Give you a tour of their facility? Provide you with mock-ups or actual samples? Help you with the logistics and transportation of your order?

4. Do they have a good reputation in their industry? Do they have a solid financial footing? (This is, again, the normal due-diligence you would do if ordering locally.)

5. Are they willing to go beyond just quoting you a price? Are they willing to design and build to your specs, or do they only offer items from their catalog? Are they willing to suggest modifications to help keep your total costs within your budget? Are they able to send help to your location, to verify your measurements and help calculate your order so everything is done right? (Surprises are great for your birthday; not so much in multi-million dollar housing projects.)

Once you know the answers to your questions, look for hidden costs like the VAT. Ask lots of questions. Add up the tangibles and the intangibles

Saving a little money after all is said and done is probably not worth it if you’ve chosen a Chinese manufacturer that is unreliable…but again, that can be said of any manufacturer, local or Chinese.

However, pick the right cabinet supplier, one who makes communication easy and who will help you at every stage in the process, then ordering your cabinets from China and saving 40% can be a homerun for your project.

PA Kitchen has become a market leader cabinet supplier in China in just a decade. They’ve done it by building a solid reputation for professional, one-stop service, low prices, and on-time delivery of the quality craftsmanship they build into every project they do. They’ve experts at manufacturing and shipping their fashionable kitchen cabinet designs all over the world. Isn’t it time you learn what PA Kitchen can do for you on your next project?