Has Anyone Imported Materials from China for a Rental Property Renovation?

Question

I’m currently renovating a rental property and exploring ways to manage costs without compromising on quality. I recently watched a video where Troy Kearns mentioned he could source a high-quality quartz slab for $100 from China, which got me thinking about exploring similar options.

Has anyone here ever imported materials like hardwood floors, countertops, or tiles from China for a project? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience!

Specifically:

• How did you find a reliable supplier?
• What was the quality like compared to local options?
• Were there any challenges with shipping, customs, or delivery?
• Any tips or advice for getting started?

Thanks in advance for sharing your insights!

Randall Alan · Answer

@Adam M.

Who has time to do that, much less the time to wait for a container to come in etc?  And you better do it before the anticipated tariffs kick in!  Lol!

We are all about saving money on flips and renovation efforts.  I bought a brand new in the box $285 microwave off Facebook marketplace today for $35.  We will shop for used appliances where we can when we need one… or pick up used cabinets if we can, or search eBay for something smaller,  but going to the extreme of personally shipping something big in internationally for one-off renovation needs seems like a stretch of reasonable.

Just like you mention, the number of unknowns would not seem to be worth it to me.

Just my 2 cents.

Randy

Zachary Deal · Answer

As others have stated this is unrealistic due to arrival time, cost order issues, and volume to make it worth it. Really only makes sense as @Chris Seveney mentioned if you have a solid, long term relationship with the seller and you are doing a very high volume rehabs

Alecia Loveless · Answer

@Adam M. It’s only easy if you already know how to do it. The learning curve is probably great on importing large quantities or even just large things from a foreign company.

Personally when I’m working on a project time is money and I don’t have the ability to wait around to get supplies.

Maybe if you had a good, secure location to store things you could pre-order stuff you think you might need for your next project(s) and stockpile it.

Chris Seveney · Answer

Yes but in bulk and only sourced from someone I had a very longstanding relationship with. To make a long story short, for one property you are not going to save $ in the long run and realize materials can take 6-16 weeks to arrive.

Adam M. · Answer

Like I said in the post "without compromising on quality". I was talking more about hardwood floors, countertops, tiles and things like that. Troy Kearns said he could get a slab of quartz countertop for $100 and I wanted to see if anyone had experience with that before. At the end of the day a quartz countertop is a quartz countertop no matter where you get it from.

Alan F. · Answer

What could possibly go wrong lol!

Maybe the Taishan drywall Lawsuit with toxic outgassing. Non UL electrical, plumbing &HVAC materials. Toxic paint et al.

Would you want your family living in house remodeled with cheap Chinese s**t?

Adam M. · Answer

Got it - thanks for the insight. Troy Kearns just made it sound like it was an easy way to save money when you're rehabbing. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't out of the loop.

Has Anyone Imported Materials from China for a Rental Property Renovation?

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