Many of us have learned about the convenience of online shopping in recent years. As we return to more traditional, in-person activities, we don’t want to give up on the luxury of making purchases from the comfort of our couches.
The good news is that most industries have seen the benefits of e-commerce and have no plans to close up their online shops anytime soon. This includes the home-remodeling sector, which has retained options for purchasing a number of products over the internet, including kitchen cabinets. In this blog, we’ll explain why purchasing cabinets online is a good idea and how to ensure you have the best experience buying kitchen cabinets online.
Why Buy Kitchen Cabinets Online?
It may seem counterintuitive to purchase something as crucial to the design of your home as a kitchen cabinet set online, but the truth is that it has never been easier to make a well-informed online cabinet purchase that you won’t regret.
Benefits of Online Kitchen Cabinet Purchases
There are numerous benefits to ordering cabinets online as opposed to through big box stores, most of which can be defined by convenience. We go into the primary upper-hands of online cabinetry below.
Comprehensive Cabinet Design Options
While big box stores typically showcase two or three model kitchens, online stores often offer a gallery of their entire inventory for prospective buyers. Because e-commerce cabinet sellers don’t have to pay for a showroom, they tend to be able to provide more options for full kitchen sets. Moreover, their online galleries show real kitchens and provide a more personalized look at your potential cabinets than the standard, boring models that you’ll see in person.
Shipping and Assembly Options
Although some big box stores offer limited ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinet options, their primary market is in pre-assembled cabinets. This means that if you’re interested in RTA kitchen cabinets, you’ll have more options and better luck at an online, wholesale cabinet store. However, that doesn’t mean that online stores are lacking in pre-assembled options—on the contrary, many online stores have an abundant offering of pre-assembled cabinets and have shipping capabilities that big box stores may not provide.
Comfort and Convenience
Arguably, the best thing about ordering anything online is that you’re able to do so in your pajamas or from the comfort of your couch. Instead of having to go in person to a storefront and potentially deal with pushy sales associates who want you to close on a cabinet purchase right away, online stores give you the ability to peruse all of your options before making any decisions. Furthermore, you won’t need to rent a U-Haul or call your truck-owning friend to get online cabinet orders to your door.
Finally, the most convenient part of purchasing cabinets online is that you have everything you need to make sure you’re purchasing the right size and design for your space at your fingertips. You’ll be able to double-check any measurements you’ve made while you’re looking at your potential new cabinets online rather than worry in the store that you may have missed anything.
Debunking the Myths About Ordering Cabinets Online
Myth: Online Cabinets Are Lower Quality
When people think about online cabinets, many still imagine the early days of the internet, where most online offerings were simply too good to be true and almost everything was impossible to inspect before purchasing. Nowadays the internet is one of the premier forms of commerce, and kitchen cabinets are no exception to the typical vetting process of any goods sold online. A good online cabinet seller will provide specific, written specs for each of their cabinets, such as specifying that their cabinets are all solid wood or have soft closing features. Also, many online cabinet stores will offer cabinet samples, which will not only indicate the quality of the cabinet but can give you an idea of what it will look like in your space. Most online cabinet offerings are just as high-quality as cabinets sold in person.
Myth: There Are No Real People to Help Me Online
Just because you don’t see the friendly face doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. Most online retailers have chat functions or phone numbers that are either available 24/7 or during usual business hours. These are professionals who can provide any advice you’re looking for on your next cabinet purchase.
Other Myths
Many speculate that online cabinet retailers make it difficult to return cabinets if there are any issues in quality or shipping. This is simply not true. Especially with pre-assembled cabinets, most online stores will offer return or exchange policies if anything goes unexpectedly.
One issue that prospective cabinet-buyers often worry about is the lack of kitchen designers for online cabinet purchases. Some online cabinet companies provide free design services or software, while others do not, but the important thing to note is that this is the same case for in-person cabinet stores. Kitchen designers are often independent parties who will work with you to find the best cabinets for your need and are usually most helpful for those undergoing a complete kitchen remodel. If you’re a seasoned DIYer or have measured your cabinet space, a kitchen designer is ultimately an unnecessary luxury.
That being said, the measurement of your cabinet space—among other things—is crucial to making sure that your new kitchen looks great.
Do Your Homework
Before you order cabinets online, you need to make sure that you’re buying the right cabinets for your specific needs. Here are some key tips for avoiding a remodeling disaster.
Types of Cabinet You May Need
We’ve discussed the pros and cons of RTA and pre-assembled cabinets in a previous blog, but for those who need a refresh, here’s the gist: both kinds of cabinets are great options depending on your abilities and needs. This decision is one you should have in mind before you begin your cabinet search—the abilities for customization and the labor involved are quite different, and you don’t want to fall in love with a cabinet that you have to put together if you don’t intend to get your hands dirty.
There are also many details that you may want to be included in your kitchen set, like soft-close cabinet hinges or a lazy susan. Sometimes, you can mix and match cabinet boxes and interiors with different cabinet door designs, but with certain cabinet sets, customization is less achievable.
Sizing and Measuring Your Cabinet Space
The following is a step-by-step guide that will help you measure your kitchen space before buying cabinets. This is one of the most important steps in the cabinet-buying process because you don’t want to end up with cabinets that leave gaps in your kitchen or that you have to manually trim down in order to fit in your space.
- Grab a pencil and a piece of paper! You’ll be drawing a floorplan of your kitchen space to make marking your measurements easier.
- Draw the outline of your entire kitchen. Include all of the walls in your kitchen, including both where you do and do not intend to install cabinets. Be sure to draw in any major obstacles or structural features that may make the installation difficult.
- Mark up the outline with any breaks in your kitchen walls. This includes windows, doorways, and those obstacles we mentioned earlier.
- Label your sketch. You’ll want to label each individual wall and each opening or obstacle. We find it easiest to label alphabetically. Record a key of these labels on the sheet of paper you’re using to sketch.
- Measure each labeled section with a tape measure. Be sure to measure from outside edge to outside edge. Don’t forget to measure any of the openings and obstacles that you included in your sketch. Try to be as precise as possible with these measurements, but feel free to round up to the nearest inch if you plan to work with a kitchen designer.
- Copy each measurement into your key—this will make it easier to see each measurement than having to read your diagram.
- Sketch the layout of your new kitchen. Draw where you plan on installing cabinets and include any appliances like refrigerators, sinks, dishwashers, and ovens, that will sit within the cabinets. This will help you visualize what is achievable for your kitchen remodel.
- You’re done! Now that you know the measurements of your kitchen, you can look for cabinets online that will fit your desired cabinet layout. This sketch will ensure that your cabinets fit exactly how you want them when they arrive at your front door.
Online Cabinets with Buy Wholesale Cabinets
Now that you understand how to buy kitchen cabinets online—and how to do so in the easiest way to avoid any hassle—you’re ready to begin your online cabinet journey. We at Buy Wholesale Cabinets are ready to assist you with any and all of your online cabinet needs. We offer quality cabinets at a low price for everyone who needs them, and we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction. Contact us today for a free quote and learn how we can help you create the kitchen of your dreams.
