Hi guys. We are halfway thru a new house build and in the process of selecting tapware. Whilst I hate skimping on quality (hence why we are already $150,000 over budget), I am amazed at the price difference in tapware. The chinese imported stuff is just so much cheaper it is WELS rated to aust. standards with a 5 year warranty on ceramic discs and a great range. I have looked at a couple of cheap bathroom specialists and found what appears to be identical tapware that we like with different names. There is also about 20% difference in price with one store in inner city sydney and the other in industrial working class bankstown. Neither brand appears to be available at any other store which leads me to believe they are importing identiical product from the same factory but having an exclusive brand name applied.
I would not be surprised if a lot of better brands come out of the same facotory!
So my question is does anyone have any experience good or bad with chinese tapware in "no frills" brands? The price difference is staggering. For 3 bathrooms, kitchen and Laundry, I am looking at $5,000 in tapware alone in the cheap brand. I have priced it in Menther, Dorf, Grohl, etc and am looking at $15,000 to $20,000 just for the tapware! This just seems a bit ridiculous.
My thoughts are that I might spend up on a good kitchen tap that is in constant use, but go for the cheaper taps elsewhere. Sure they might need replacing in less than 15 years but hopefully I can do that one at a time maybe spending more then.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
Thanks