Will it hurt resale value?
We found no valuer, lender or industry body that marks a house down because the kitchen was made in China. Valuers look at the finish, the condition and the paperwork. A non-compliant product is the thing that hurts.
The short answer
A well-made stone-topped kitchen values as a stone-topped kitchen. What a buyer's inspector, lender or certifier will catch is missing compliance: a tap without WaterMark, a shower screen without a safety glass mark, or no final certificate.
What valuers look at
- The quality, condition and age of fixtures and finishes. Stone benchtops value above laminate.
- A physical inspection: the Australian Property Institute's rules require one for a full valuation.
- That the work was approved and finished. In Queensland the Form 21 final inspection certificate shows a house was completed and complies with its approval.
What can hurt
- A non-conforming product can stop final certification being issued.
- Tapware a licensed plumber was not allowed to install, which a plumbing regulator can order removed.
- In Queensland, importers, suppliers and installers all carry duties under the chain of responsibility for building products.
What Elje does about it
- Every item's evidence goes into a compliance pack you keep with the house documents. It is the pack a buyer's conveyancer or inspector will want.
- We only shortlist product with current certificates, so the final certificate is not held up by the fit-out.
- The EL code and factory batch are recorded per item, so a replacement door or tile can be matched years later.
Questions
Do I have to tell a buyer the kitchen came from China?
There is no rule that you must volunteer it, and nothing to hide. Most showroom kitchens are made from imported board and hardware anyway.
Does it affect insurance?
Home insurers rate the house and the rebuild cost, not where the cabinets were made. Keep the invoices and the compliance pack for a claim.