Should i buy my kitchen cabinets from online overseas?

[veto 0]

Hello , a noob here.

i really like a particular cabinet online overseas. Can i ask should i buy a custom made kitchen cabinet from overseas (i will tell them all the measurements.) and get someone to help me to install?

What are the cons of this method? , What problems do u foresee i might face?

Are there installers out there willing to help me to install the cabinets? looks like everywhere i go, all the contractors want me to buy their cabinets, they get unhappy when i say i provide my own cabinet.

Really thanks for your input?

Edited February 25, 2017 by veto

[Jason Day 1]

On 2/25/2017 at 5:45 PM, veto said:

Hello , a noob here.

i really like a particular cabinet online overseas. Can i ask should i buy a custom made kitchen cabinet from overseas (i will tell them all the measurements.) and get someone to help me to install?

What are the cons of this method? , What problems do u foresee i might face?

Are there installers out there willing to help me to install the cabinets? looks like everywhere i go, all the contractors want me to buy their cabinets, they get unhappy when i say i provide my own cabinet.

Really thanks for your input?

may not actual suit for your kitchen.BTW,lots of contractor would no take risk to help install these cabinet.unless，the payment for installation is very high.

[skb 2]

How big is the cabinet you are looking at (2 doors, 4 doors, 6 doors etc). Does the kitchen cabinet come assembled? If not, your contractor will need to assemble it for you, more charges. If yes, shipping probably will be higher. What is the charges for doing such cabinet locally? If is not alot of different, better to get them done locally, for the warranty and usually customized cabinet should be nicer. Shipping from overseas, there is also risk that your kitchen cabinet is damaged during the transportation.

I would recommend you to buy overseas only if you know how to install it yourself, as there will be no additional cost of contractor. You will need the tools as well (wall drill with drill-bit, water-bulb for alignment, hand-drill for drilling screws etc). I have self install a 2 door kitchen cabinet myself (with no help) and is not too difficult. More doors most likely you will need additional help.

Mine is a simple glossy white cabinet. It is quite nice, accept when you open it, there is no back board behind (you can see the kitchen wall when the door is open). The side of the cabinet is also not glossy as the door. Take note of these should you be buying overseas. Nevertheless, I bought white glossy laminate from taobao and paste it over the wall and side, it still looks ok.

[rngks 0]

On 3/1/2017 at 5:02 PM, skb said:

How big is the cabinet you are looking at (2 doors, 4 doors, 6 doors etc). Does the kitchen cabinet come assembled? If not, your contractor will need to assemble it for you, more charges. If yes, shipping probably will be higher. What is the charges for doing such cabinet locally? If is not alot of different, better to get them done locally, for the warranty and usually customized cabinet should be nicer. Shipping from overseas, there is also risk that your kitchen cabinet is damaged during the transportation.

I would recommend you to buy overseas only if you know how to install it yourself, as there will be no additional cost of contractor. You will need the tools as well (wall drill with drill-bit, water-bulb for alignment, hand-drill for drilling screws etc). I have self install a 2 door kitchen cabinet myself (with no help) and is not too difficult. More doors most likely you will need additional help.

Mine is a simple glossy white cabinet. It is quite nice, accept when you open it, there is no back board behind (you can see the kitchen wall when the door is open). The side of the cabinet is also not glossy as the door. Take note of these should you be buying overseas. Nevertheless, I bought white glossy laminate from taobao and paste it over the wall and side, it still looks ok.

11

Hi skb,

 

Is it difficult to mount the upper cabinets up onto the wall?  just drill holes on the wall and mount the screw then up the cabinets? I've done those ikea wall shelving myself. 

 

I am also thinking of diying... alot of those cabinets are actually prefabricated for self-installations these days so i thinking of getting those to fix up on my own.

[mayhem 2]

I thought of this too but gave up the idea as the size may turn out to be wrong and I will need to throw everything away.

[skb 2]

It is not too difficult if you have DIY experience. Below is briefly what I had done for my DIY cabinet.

Basically, I just fixed up the cabinets without the doors, which are top, bottom, left and right planks (no back plank for my purchased) and a horizontal plank in between. The doors can be fixed after the cabinets are up, as this will 1) reduce the weight 2) let you access the back of the cabinet 3) door will be more align if you fixed it later.

The cabinets come with bracket to hold the cabinet, take measurement of where the bracket should be after the cabinets is assembled. After measurement marking is make, drill one or two holes and screw the bracket loosely to the wall. Mount the cabinet on the loosely screw bracket, and screw the cabinet to the bracket. Once it is mount on the bracket, the weight will be on bracket, adjust the cabinet until it is straight (with water bulb), right angle etc before tightening the screw to the wall. The rest of the bracket measurement are easier once the cabinet is supported by the top left/right bracket. Continue to drill the others holes for other bracket and mount the cabinet. Take out top left/right bracket after all other bracket are fixed, and drill the remaining holes which I did not drill earlier and finally mount them back again.

I had previously DIY IKEA billy book shelf (not wall mount type though) for my previous house, I find Taobao cabinet heavier though it is smaller in size). Taobao cabinet wood plank are more solid than IKEA book shelf (knock on them I can feel the difference). My previous Ikea cabinet shelving sink after few years of using. Taobao cabinet looks quite heavy duty and I think it should last longer (still too early to tell as I just mount them few months only). Take note there may be weight difference if your IKEA cabinet is those with not so solid planks.