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When do you need to order, to be in by move-in day?
Made-to-order pieces from Foshan take 4–6 months from first sample to your door, longer for kitchens and wardrobes, and Chinese New Year stops most factories for 2–4 weeks around 6 February 2027. Work back from your move-in date here.
Start with kitchen cabinetry: choose by 22 February 2027 and pay the deposit by 5 April 2027 to move in on 1 September 2027.
- Samples & specification
- Production
- Inspection
- Loading
- At sea
- Customs & delivery
- Installation time
Your dates
| Category | Choose by | Deposit by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen cabinetry | 22 Feb 2027 | 5 Apr 2027 | On track |
| Wardrobes & walk-in closets | 22 Feb 2027 | 5 Apr 2027 | On track |
| Dining tables & wooden chairs | 8 Mar 2027 | 19 Apr 2027 | On track |
| Wooden bedroom furniture | 15 Mar 2027 | 19 Apr 2027 | On track |
| Sofas & upholstered seating | 22 Mar 2027 | 26 Apr 2027 | On track |
| Lighting | 5 Apr 2027 | 3 May 2027 | On track |
| Marble & natural stone | 5 Apr 2027 | 3 May 2027 | On track |
| Porcelain & ceramic tiles | 19 Apr 2027 | 10 May 2027 | On track |
What each step involves
- Samples, drawings and specification sign-off: 22 February 2027 to 5 April 2027 (4–6 weeks for made-to-order pieces)
- Production: 5 April 2027 to 14 June 2027 (7–10 weeks for kitchen cabinetry)
- Final inspection and any fixes: 14 June 2027 to 21 June 2027
- Booking, packing and loading the container: 21 June 2027 to 1 July 2027
- Sea crossing to Sydney: 1 July 2027 to 21 July 2027 (Usually 16–20 days port to port)
- Customs clearance and port release: 21 July 2027 to 28 July 2027
- Delivery from the port to your home: 28 July 2027 to 4 August 2027
- Installation and finishing time before move-in: 4 August 2027 to 1 September 2027
Golden Week 2027: 1 October 2027 to 7 October 2027 (National Day holiday)
Chinese New Year 2028: 16 January 2028 to 10 February 2028 (New Year's Day is 26 January 2028)
Get reminders before each date. We'll email you 30 days and 7 days before each decision and deposit date, and warn you before Chinese New Year.
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Keep it
Everything you work out in these tools adds up in one project: your budget, containers, dates and trip. Save it to get a link by email, or print it.
How we work it out
For each category we start at your move-in date and work back, using the slow end of every range so the plan survives bad luck: your installation time, delivery from the port (1 week), customs and port release (1 week), the sea crossing to your port, booking and loading (10 days), the final inspection (1 week), production for that category (for example 7–10 weeks for kitchens and wardrobes, 5–7 for sofas, 3–5 for tiles) and, for made-to-order pieces, samples, drawings and sign-off (3–6 weeks).
If production or loading crosses Chinese New Year or Golden Week, the whole closure is added: factories wind down about ten days before New Year and take about two weeks after it to return to full speed.
Sources
Rates and rules last checked 15 October 2026.
Questions
How long does furniture from China take?
For made-to-order pieces, plan on 4–6 months from first sample to delivery to a US or Australian home: 3–6 weeks for samples and sign-off, 5–10 weeks of production, a week of inspection and loading, 2–5 weeks at sea and about two weeks for customs and delivery.
When is Chinese New Year 2027, and how does it affect orders?
New Year's Day is 6 February 2027. Most factories stop from late January until about 20 February, and workers return gradually. Orders confirmed in January often don't start production until March.
Can I get reminders?
Yes. Save your project and we'll email you 30 days and 7 days before each date.