Homeowners turn to China for finishings

Traders from Africa arrive for the 104th China Import and Export Fair, in Guangzhou city. AFP 

By EVELYN SITUMA

In Summary

• China has become a major shopping point for developers looking for variety in finishing materials0

Allan Otieno, an architect and director at Dimensions Architects and Interior designers Ltd, has made several trips to China to shop for finishes, both for his clients and his house.

According to Otieno, shopping in China is a worthwhile experience that doesn’t just offer a wide range of products but also saves him considerable amounts of money.

“By getting finishes from China, one can save upto 30 per cent of the total construction cost delivered to the site,” says Otieno. This, he adds, includes all travel, accommodation and freight charges.  

The Embassy of China in Kenya acknowledges that more and more Kenyan builders are looking to China when it comes to shopping for building materials and finishes.

“We welcome trade and investment between our two countries,” said Mao Yinzong, the embassy spokesman. Although the embassy says there are many Kenyans travelling for business to China, the figures were not immediately available.

China has become a major stopping point for developers looking for variety and also wishing to save on building and furnishing costs.

“There are all kinds of product ranges depending on the quality one wants. You actually get to choose the quality that suits your pocket,” said Joram Kiarie, chief executive S&L, a mortgage subsidiary of KCB.

The Chinese sell products according to classes or grades - the first letter or number (A or 1) representing the highest quality. The sellers are honest and are quick to point this out.

Joram travelled to China in 2009 and 2010 as part of a team of 100 developers. He says they were amazed at how much the country had to offer. “It was an eye opener in many ways,” said Jorame.

They were mostly stunned by the high population of the Chinese, the size of the city, building materials and technology and architectural building designs.

The group had a chance to attend the largest expo in China – the Canton Fair (China Import and Export Fair) in Guangzhou, a biannual event which attracts millions of people from around the world.

This year’s event will be held in three phases from April 15 to May 5. The event was first held in 1957 and is on its 115 edition.

Repeat visits

Since then, Joram says developers in his team have made repeat visits to China. Each time to buy finishes for. S&L has a developers’ club which comprises of professionals in real estate such as developers and interior designers among others.

The club has 450 members at present and continues to register more clients. KCB organises annual trips for members to various countries to assess development, building architectural designs and also material and machinery offered in those markets.