Buying Furniture from outside UK

[Sharma263]

Hi everyone,
we recently bought a house in SW11 and now want to furnish it, but God damn the prices of sofas and other furniture are extortionate.
I was wondering if anyone here ever imported furniture from other countries (China or India) to the UK.
If yes, then how was the quality and the process.
any feedback would be appreciated.

Your question makes little sense. Yes, you can buy stuff that is sent from China. Just go on Amazon. Also, most big furniture shops have supply chains all over the world.

What I think you are trying to say is: you think that there is a way of getting better stuff from those countries to the UK at a price that is better than the retail price you get over the regular route.

There isn't.

For one, I suspect you have never lived in Asia or Central-Asia, but there is TONS of shit furniture there too, perhaps even more so than in the UK
Second, between transport costs, finding suppliers, important duties, admin... your individual price is not going to be better than the price of the companies who bring this stuff into the UK as a business model.
Three, if you want the good quality or design furniture, sure, just go to websites of individual sellers in Asia that ship worldwide. This is again though a way of getting more varied furniture, it's not cheaper, and for that expensive you can get high-quality furniture in the UK too.

The people I know who have imported their personal furniture from Asia for cheap, are all expats who had their container - and *thus the moving - paid for them.

Many years back we had a holiday in Thailand and bought some furniture while in Chiang Mai in the North directly from a furniture factory. It was reasonably priced and beautifully made from teak. However not to everyone's taste, all hand carved - you could see it being done (though we chose pieces that were relatively plain 🙂). Photo below of the coffee table - not in bad condition for 40 or so years of daily use!
They organised the shipping (not cheap) and as it was hand-made it counted as "handicrafts" and attracted a lower rate of import duty than normal furniture (this was years back so rules may have changed).
It took months to arrive - part load in a shipping container - but was very well packed and in perfect condition when it turned up.
I can't remember the exact cost, but it was about 2/3rds the price of quality furniture here. The factory is still in business, I see! https://2990-th.all.biz/