10 Questions You Should to Know about Outdoor Furniture Supplier

Whether you&#;re breakfasting al fresco, relaxing by the pool or dining under the stars, there is a style of outdoor furniture to suit your needs. Here&#;s what you should consider and where you can shop the style

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11 questions you need to ask yourself when choosing outdoor furniture

It&#;s safe to say we Kiwis are fans of outdoor living. We tend to design our houses to be as open to the outside as possible, and our decks and terraces are increasingly functioning as outdoor rooms that can be used year-round.

It makes sense to put as much effort into furnishing these spaces as you would a living room, right? Actually, choosing outdoor furniture is a more complicated process as it needs to withstand exposure to sun, rain and cold, as well as the wear and tear of being dragged around the garden. Bearing this in mind, it&#;s best to think about what your outdoor-furniture needs are before you hit the shops.

1. How comfortable is it?

If you want to enjoy your outdoor spaces for as many hours as possible this summer, focus on choosing comfortable seating. Start your research by checking out what your friends and family have tried and tested, and look in magazines and online. Then it&#;s time to do some legwork and try the outdoor furniture you like in-store.

Make a list of pertinent questions such as: is it the right height? Can you (or older friends) get up easily after sitting down? Does it have good back and backside support? Could you sit on these chairs for hours at a stretch? Whether you opt for a sofa, beanbag, lounger, dining chairs or a combination of all of the above, you won&#;t regret putting some time and thought into your choice.

2. Are you sitting or lounging?

The range of outdoor furniture available these days is so huge it will save you a lot of time if you think about the main purpose of your outdoor room before you go shopping, especially if space is limited. For instance, if you love cooking and eating with friends, a table and chairs plus a portable gas heater is probably a good choice. But if you&#;re more into sitting around with some drinks and a platter, rattan sofas might be the way to go. Whatever you choose, make sure you don&#;t go overboard &#; a spacious look is easier on the eye and more relaxing to be in than a cluttered space.

3. Will it fit?

Get the measuring tape out and calculate exactly how much space you have to play with. Then measure the dimensions of the furniture you are interested in and work out the space needed to comfortably move between each item, push chairs out from the table and so forth. No one enjoys a room where there&#;s no space to breathe, whether it&#;s inside or out.

4. Which materials?

Key factors to consider when selecting outdoor furniture are durability, portability and maintenance. Lightweight, low-maintenance chairs made of aluminium, resin or plastic can be moved and stored easily. They also won&#;t need a lot of weather protection. A steel or solid timber table, on the other hand, won&#;t be as easy to move around and will need to be weatherproofed regularly, but you may feel the longevity and solidity of such a piece is more important than its flexibility of use. To avoid a busy look in a small garden, don&#;t buy outdoor furniture that mixes too many materials.

6. Are there any imprefections?

Make sure you thoroughly inspect outdoor furniture for flaws that may not be obvious at first glance. Are there cracks in the welds and paint finish? Has the manufacturer used stainless-steel screws? Is the timber rough or smoothly sanded? What&#;s the frame made of? Sit down on chairs to check for wobbly legs and whether they flex under your weight. A solidly built chair will usually have cross bracing to make it stronger.

7. 

What&#;s the quality like?

Our gardens tend to be smaller these days, which means every element plays a key role. In tiny outdoor areas furniture often occupies the same amount of space as plants, which means both will have a significant visual impact. Choosing the best-quality furniture you can afford is therefore a no-brainer, especially if you like to spend lots of time outside. Buying in end-of-season sales or at secondhand stores can help reduce costs.

8. How can I soften the space? 

Good-quality cushions and squabs are essential for maximising outdoor comfort but they can also add a more sumptuous feel to the space overall. When there&#;s less room for plants to soften the hard surfaces of your outdoor living area, let attractive soft furnishings, shade sails, rugs and umbrellas do the job.

9. What kind of fabric is this?

Always opt for fabrics that have been designed for indoor and outdoor use, ideally all-weather materials that are fade- and UV-resistant. Spills are all too common when entertaining, so it&#;s better to go for cushions that can be unzipped so they can be washed or repaired.

10. Does it need a winter cover?

If you want to leave your furniture outside all year, count on some degree of deterioration; how much depends on the climate. If you have the storage space, you might decide to cover your outdoor furniture during winter, or store it, which will extend its life and give you a wider choice of materials. Remember that outdoor furniture and cushions can take up lots of room.

11. What&#;s the weather like? 

Taking your home&#;s specific weather conditions into consideration before you buy outdoor furniture might sound like overkill but it makes sense. For instance, if your balcony is very windy, there&#;s no point in buying lightweight aluminium chairs that can take flight at any moment. A sunny patio that reaches very hot temperatures may make timber furniture crack, and constant rain can cause mould and dampness in fabric and rattan.

1/6

1 Ibiza teak outdoor sofa, $, from Design Warehouse. 2 Barcelona lounge setting, POA, from Domo. 3 Brix lounge setting, POA, from Domo. 4 Adelphi modular three-piece set, $, from Freedom. 5 Canzo four-piece lounge setting, $, from Mitre 10. 6 Nero four-piece lounge set, $, from Mitre 10.

2/6

1 Pop low seat, $990, from Citta. 2 Skin chair by Calligaris, $259, from Dawson & Co. 3 Retro armchair, $625, from Indie Home Collective. 4 The Urban Chair by Feelgood Designs, $592, from Backhouse. 5 Devonport chair, $329, from Ico Traders. 6 Basket chair by Feelgood Designs, $567, from Backhouse. 7 Adelaide chair, $769, from BoConcept. 8 Helena armchair, $699, from Dawson & Co. 9 Skarpo armchair, $189, from Shut The Front Door.

3/6

1 Sway hammock chair, $79.90, from Citta. 2 Coco egg lounger, $, from Danske Møbler. 3 Hanging rattan chair, $600, from Alex & Corban. 4 Nestrest hanging lounger, POA, from Domo. 5 Tosca daybed, POA, from Dawson & Co.

4/6

1 Pacific extension table, $, from Dawson & Co. 2 Adelphi nine-piece set, $, from Freedom. 3 Hayman dining table, $, from Dawson & Co. 4 Adelphi dining set, $, from Freedom. 5 Havelock concrete table, $, from Freedom. 6 Carmel three-piece setting, $599, from Mitre 10.

5/6

1 Ayla cushion, $39.95, from Freedom. 2 Jelli pouf, POA, from Design Warehouse. 3 Clifton outdoor rug, $199, from Freedom. 4 Round outdoor cushion, $8, from Kmart. 5 Deluxe beanbag, $99.99, from EziBuy.

6/6

1 Wicker relaxing chair, $299, from Mitre 10. 2 Siena bench seat, $499, from Mitre 10. 3 San Diego two-seater, $, from Dawson & Co. 4  Tango recliner, POA, from Domo. 5 Yosemite bench, $499, from Freedom. 6 Siena three-piece pod setting, $, from Mitre 10. 7 Sunai chair, POA, from Design Warehouse.

Words by: Carol Bucknell.

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73 questions to ask your furniture supplier

When buying furniture of your furniture supplier in China its nowhere near as simple as you may think. This is why we have compiled this list of 73 questions you ask your furniture supplier before and after buying your furniture.

General questions to ask your furniture supplier in the initial stage

In general, there are some simple questions to ask your furniture supplier such as the ones below to get a general feel of how things are and if working with them is a good idea or not.

1.Where is your factory?

2.When are you suitable for a factory audit?

3.Before the final payment, we will have a third party agency inspecting before paying if that is okay?

4.Do you participate in any trade shows? (if yes a quick google search will show their name)

5.Have you ever participated in any trade shows before if so when? (same as above)

6.Can you make a sample? (this question has multiple parts to it)

7.Can I pay to your company&#;s bank account? (You can check the company bank information matches)

8.Can I have your address to pick up the sample? (You are double-checking the address is the same, if not red flags are flying)

9.How many employees does the factory have? (This question is important! You can tell a lot about their scaleability, from this. For example, does their catalog have 100s of different types of products but they only have a few hundred staff? Make sure the numbers add up)

10.Do you have an export license? (All of these facts can be checked up on their Alibaba/global sources account)

11.Do you have any customer references from my country? (here you are checking if they are making stuff up or are the real deal, sadly a lot of companies will make up reviews).

12.I want to export to X country what regulations are you able to provide? (You are checking they know your local market regulations instead of just saying yes yes yes)

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Additional check-ups you can do yourself

So in addition to the 12 questions above, there are also certain extra things you can do to make sure the furniture from your furniture supplier you are getting is top quality.

1. Open up google and do a simple search &#;(company name) scam&#;
2. Check all their online directories such as Alibaba, global sources, made in China, Global market and so on and do a site by site comparison. Do they all check out? Are they all the same? Pay special attention to numbers and addresses. If they are different it is again a red flag.
3. A bit harder to do but if you have someone who speaks Chinese go and check the Chinese supreme Court&#;s database. It&#;ll show any company which has been sentenced to a previous fine and haven&#;t paid damages yet.
4. Get a Chinese lawyer to check out the registration of the company. This is a pretty rapidly growing market with more and more lawyers helping importers to do it.
5. Check their references. A lot of Chinese companies make up their references, do a bit of research on what they say and it&#;ll tell a lot about their company.

If you manage to do these check-ups on all of your furniture suppliers you&#;ll be onto the right path of knowing who exactly you are working with.

General questions part 2

Now we understand certain parts of these questions you may not feel comfortable asking, however, this guide is to give you a complete list of potential questions to ask to minimize your risk.

So on we go with some more questions to ask your potential furniture supplier.

Want more information on Outdoor Furniture Supplier? Feel free to contact us.

13. Can you tell me a bit of the background on the owner? (normally well-established companies know quite a lot about the big boss and feel quite a bit of pride telling you about them)

14.How many employees in total? (before it was the factory but knowing the total amount will give a good idea of how many sales, support staff, etc)

15.Please, could you tell me what is your total domestic market sales?

16.What is your total export sales? (This will give you a good idea of their real capabilities, in larger companies sometimes the domestic market can be larger than the export market)

17.What furniture product do you mainly sell to the X market?

18.Which furniture product do you recommend for the X market?

19.Which product do you sell best globally?

20.What is the main furniture manufacturing process for the X product?

21.Are there any parts that are subcontracted out? If so which parts?

22.Are there parts of the product which are half-made here?

23.What is made entirely in the house?

24.Do you accept signing legally binding contracts? (best to get Chinese lawyers involved at this point)

25.Are there any products that you have exclusive agreements within the X geographical area?

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Additional thoughts

We have already got to the 25 question stage so naturally, we want to give you some extra things to think about before choosing your furniture supplier.

In their factory its best to take note of what their main product is. For example, if you are looking to buy coffee tables but the majority of their staff/machinery is based on making sofas then its expertise is sofas, not coffee tables.

So you&#;ve noticed a fantastic piece of furniture in their showroom and want it. Who designed it? Make sure they have the rights to it before buying to save yourself a law case back home.

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Alibaba specific questions

So we are guessing if you are talking to someone on Alibaba via so here&#;s our own Alibaba template take on the initial message. (if you google Alibaba template you&#;ll find plenty of similar samples)

Subject: Would like some more information about (product name)

Dear (name),

My name is (your name), I am representing (company name) we are interesting in receiving more information about (product code and name),

Please could you send a quotation including:

• MOQ (minimum order quantity)
• Images of the product (In addition ask for a specific close up of part the furniture, to ensure they have original images)
• FOB/EXW Price for X amount (most quotations are automatically FOB aka to the nearest port but if you want to collect it directly from the factory specifically mention EXW price)

• FOB/EXW Price for MOQ (to show you how much they are willing to budge on prices)
• Price for a sample (can ask for shipping to be included or not)
• Payment terms
• Payment options accepted
• Production lead time

Thank you

Yours sincerely

(your name, company name)

Feel free to copy and paste this template.

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More questions to ask suppliers 

Back to question 26.

26. What are your sample terms and conditions?
27. Do you have a catalog?
28. May I have your furniture catalog?
29. How many different series do you have?
30. How many years of furniture experience do you have?
31. Can you add our company logo to the packaging?
32. How do you package the furniture?

So far we have had 32 questions which aren&#;t 100% dedicated to just furniture. Don&#;t worry the next bunch is.

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Furniture specific questions

Next up we have another 25+ question which is more specific to furniture and will help you choose the best supplier for your needs.

33.What is the MOQ to work with your company?

34.How many different types of furniture can I purchase from you to put into a single container?

35.What is EXW furniture price?

36.Do you also help with shipping?

37.What price is the FOB price?

38.What is this furniture weight per piece?

39.How will you package the furniture? What care instructions do I need to pay attention to for this furniture?

40.What certifications does it have?

41.Do you have any other company brand names (many furniture businesses have multiple brands under different company names)

42.When was your company established? (The older they are the more established but it also means more fixed rules)

43.Do you have an Alibaba or company website? (their company website on average doesn&#;t give a lot of information but is helpful to learn a little bit more about them)

44.What are your main products? (If there are too many types of furniture its a red flag they are a trading company pretending to be a furniture factory)

45.Can I see some pictures of your company such as your employees, finished products, office, and factory? (take them and do a google reverse image search to check they aren&#;t stock images/from another factory)

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15 more Furniture sourcing questions

Hopefully, you can already see there are a lot of questions that need to be answered when buying furniture from China. If you would like some help why not let Simonsense do the hard work for you?

46. What is your lead time? (How long before it&#;s done)
47. Do you accept customized orders? (check out our other article of OEM manufacturers to learn more)
48. What materials will be used to make this furniture?
49. Are you able to break down those materials on where they&#;ll be used?
50. What is this furniture measurements in ft./in./cm/mm?
51. What is the Cubic meter measurement?
52. Where is your factory? (Get the full address for factory inspects and audits)

53.How many people work here? (Will give you a scale of their capabilities)

54.Have you ever sold to (your) country? If so to who?

55.What certifications does your company have?

56.To what standard quality are you able to make the furniture too?

57.What payment schemes do you accept?

58.Can I get an invoice for my furniture purchase?

59.Do you issue receipts?

60.If the furniture is not up to standard will you issue a refund?

61.Does the price include taxes?

Okay, so far we have covered over 50 different questions to ask, but what about the shipping part? (This is the final bunch of questions doesn&#;t worry, we promise)

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Shipping furniture questions!

So the questions above are more to do with buying furniture from your furniture supplier, as well some more general questions to ask, the final 11 questions are to help you ensure you get the products back home!

First off let&#;s start with 6 generic questions to ask about shipping furniture

62.How long will it take you to package the furniture?

63.What is the timeframe it will take you to ship the furniture?

64.What materials will you be using to package the furniture?

65.From what port will you be shipping the furniture from?

66.What type of container will you be using?

67.What guarantees can you give on the safety of the furniture?

68.Before shipping can I inspect the furniture to ensure it is the quality I paid for?

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Final 8 specific shipping questions

Shipping furniture by itself is a headache and there are some questions which you need to confirm directly with the shipping company you choose.

69. Are you fully licensed, insured and bonded? If they cannot prove this DO NOT WORK WITH THEM
70. How long is the quoted rate valid for? Shipping costs change day by day, most shipping companies will give you a 30-day quote. If you need to ship on the 31st day that price may change. So always be mindful of how long that price is valid for.
71. Are there any extra costs? Sometimes the price is bundled up together, sometimes it is broken down into multiple parts. Either way, there might be some hidden fees they haven&#;t specifically told you. Check before to make sure you know.
72. How to pay? (What type of payment do you accept) Generally, a bank transfer is the most accepted version for Chinese shipping companies but it is always best to check.
73. Are these goods accepted into X country? This should have already been checked by the factory and you but it won&#;t hurt to have one final check before sending them off right?

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Conclusion

Hopefully, after you have read all of those questions you&#;ll be inspired to do more research and hopefully will have a lower chance of being buying from the wrong furniture supplier. To sum up, remember to do your research, and don&#;t be afraid to ask some more difficult questions.

What do you think of our comments? Do you think we have missed any questions? If so leave them in the comments below and we will add them to the list.

About Simonsense

Simonsense is a furniture supply chain management company that specializes in furniture. Simonsen&#;s has had over 10 years of experience in the furniture industry and supply chain market to help their customers find the best possible deal in terms of price and quality. Contact Simonsense today for a free one-hour consultation and see how we can help your business today.

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