Self-assembly cabinets

Self-assembly cabinets are commonly referred to as detachable or flat-pack cabinets among manufacturers because they come in multiple pieces rather than individual units.

An increase in labor costs will push more people to opt for self-assembly cabinets. Assembling certain cabinets would require skill when it comes to putting pieces together; If you don’t fix it well, it will break. Out of fear that they could damage the cabinets, many people still avoid assembling more complicated cabinets.

A similar pattern can be found among Ikea customers: people can assemble small cabinets but would request and pay for Ikea’s assembly services for more complicated products like kitchen cabinets.

Self-assembly cabinets come in various shapes, sizes, and prices. Most people associate these packaged cabinets with cheaper prices, as they come with some cost savings. Flat packed cabinets mean less waste, which translates to lower cost. The containers that transport these flat packages are filled to their maximum capacity and this reduces logistics costs such as transoceanic shipping and parking services.

Assembled cabinets come in individual units and can be bulky, making shipping difficult. Plus, you risk damage, unlike their flat-pack counterparts, which are safely packed. Consumers save on service and delivery costs when purchasing self-assembly cabinets.

Cost savings can also come from using lower types of wood found in cheaper ranges of self-assembly cabinets found in hypermarkets or supermarkets. The cabinet is not made of hard wood, so it is of lower quality. The cabinet is generally made of fiberboard with wooden skin surfaces. As a result, they can cost half the price of furniture made from solid wood.

Given the cheaper cost, self-assembly cabinets are not generally expected to last long. For example, cabinets that use fibreboard (bought from the supermarket) can’t really hold too much weight and are practical for a short period of time, maybe a year or so. Also, if the cabinets are exposed to water, the wood will swell and warp or the glued parts will come apart.

While some self-assembly cabinets can last a reasonably long period, problems will arise if the cabinets are repeatedly assembled and disassembled as the joints will loosen. Today, many of the cabinets use medium density fibreboard, which does not need to be repeatedly screwed and unscrewed. The key maintenance for these cabinets is keeping them stationary because moving them can cause the hinges to loosen.

When buying flat pack cabinets, one should look at the type of wood used. You must also accept that there may be problems with quality control. Stores like Ikea and some hypermarkets offer a return policy, which gives customers the assurance that they can exchange the purchased products. If there is a problem, they can go back and change it.

The target market for packaged cabinets is young adults just starting their careers or newlyweds looking to furnish their first home with basic cabinets. Only when they are more settled in life and looking to move to another home do their tastes change for more intricate cabinets, which usually come in individual units.