Kitchens go local

Interior fitting can be an overwhelming project. Soaring budgets, never ending projects and unforeseen setbacks can turn any renovation into a nightmare writes Patrick WEBULE. 

kitchen Cabinet installation can also be a major source of confusion and stress. Not only is the market full of styles and options, the list of local and international manufacturers is huge. Picking cabinets to live with for years can seem an impossible task.

Fortunately, the process isn’t as frightening as it seems. By breaking down the main differentiators between local and imported cabinets, homeowners and developers can start to understand how to build their ideal kitchen. This guide will examine domestic and imported cabinetry and explain some of the major differences and features of each.

Risks of Imported Cabinets

The quality of imported cabinets varies significantly. At the low end, some cheap imported cabinets are poorly built using substandard materials and hasty construction. On the other end, high grade imported cabinets can rival the quality of locally made brands.

Consumers face additional risk from imported cabinets as quality control in some overseas factories may be low.

Another risk is the fear of pirates which makes some importers use the South African route which sometimes can be costly and time consuming. This affects the delivery time on projects that rely on the imported fittings which has a minimum importation period of 3 months; time is crucial for any project, especially those funded by financial institutions with crippling interest rates.

Furthermore, the distance and language barrier can make customer service a difficult endeavour for many. While the price point of some imported cabinets is lower, the quality, service and reliability are never guaranteed.

Bulky items

Imported cabinets vary in quality, cost, and style. Various factors, including the cost of shipping bulky items overseas can contribute to a higher overall cost for imported kitchen cabinets. Overseas companies aren’t as accessible for returns and quality issues as local brands.

Locally manufactured cabinets typically feature greater quality than many cabinets made overseas. The proximity to the manufacturer ensures that customers buying cabinets made locally typically have better access to the source, and a greater chance of support, returns, and customer service than customers who import cabinetry.

Locally manufactured cabinets are made of solid wood, MDF, laminated boards and acrylic depending on the desired style and price. While locally made cabinets might not be the least expensive on the market, buyers have the advantage of enforceable warranties, direct contact with the manufacturer, and world class quality.

Utilizing maximum

Custom made kitchen cabinets are those which are uniquely designed to cater to individual customer needs. Such custom made cabinets could bring about many advantages. One such advantage is being able to make maximum use of small kitchen spaces. Utilizing maximum space especially within the household is becoming increasingly crucial. Therefore in most cases standard kitchen cabinets which are readily available in the market may not serve the purpose of maximum space utilization. Accordingly an individual has the capability and sovereignty to decide on how the kitchen space needs to be allocated for cabinets when the cabinets are custom made.

Another advantage is the liberty to design your own kitchen cabinets to meet individual preferences. The standard cabinets available in the market may not always meet the image in the customers mind. Therefore being able to uniquely custom make your own kitchen cabinets will deliver complete satisfaction in building your dream home.

Having the liberty to select colour combinations, design patterns and glass themes is another benefit of custom made kitchen cabinets since the market may not always make available the widest variety of colour themes, allowing the customer to match various colours and design the kitchen they desire the most. Moreover the concept of custom made cabinets saves customer time since it does not involve hunting for the perfect kitchen cabinets to meet the ideal design, colours etc, to meet individual preferences.

In the recent past, kitchen cabinets have emerged as an integral part of modern homes to organize their kitchen appliances, food items and cooking equipment. While freestanding kitchen appliances have been in the market for many years, built-in kitchen appliances are a relatively new concept. The built-in kitchen appliances integrate many essential kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, hobs, hoods, dishwashers, ovens etc.

Local suppliers have come of age and match the international standards and incorporating this new concept into the designs. The customer can preview the designed kitchen through the use of 3D software. This facility is made available in most professional cabinet making companies locally which allows the customer to make changes till he/she is fully satisfied.

Customized cabinetry has immense storage capacity as compared to readymade or imported cabinetry.  While there are a limited variety of imported cabinets available in the market, the variety for custom made cabinets is unlimited, as every design potentially is a unique culmination of a set of ideas from individuals with unique tastes, preferences and needs. They can be set as high or as low as a homeowner needs them to be, they can be as wide or narrow as desired, and they can also be placed in the most convenient places possible for the home owner, facilitating all activities that take place in the kitchen.

Locally made cabinets deliver a high level of satisfaction and a variety when renovating since the materials are locally available and any modifications can be made on site. Unlike imported cabinets is saves you headache from designing cabinets haphazardly which will not only lead to dissatisfaction.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, each homeowner or developer has different factors when deciding on the perfect cabinets. Price, availability and quality, all influence the product’s attractiveness. Although it may seem overwhelming, taking time to study the manufacturers, styles, and components, consumers can find the perfect cabinets for their budget locally.