Office Furniture Buying Checklist: What Distributors and Fit-out Teams Should Lock Before PO？

Most delayed containers don't fail at the port. They fail three emails earlier — when someone assumed the desktop depth, the fabric code, or the packing method was “standard.”
If you buy office furniture from China for resale or project fit-out, this is the list we wish every RFQ included. Not because we like paperwork. Because missing one line usually costs more than writing it.
1. Floor plan and headcount, even rough
A photo of a sketch on a whiteboard is fine. We need aisle width, column locations, and whether workstations are 2-person, 4-person, or a mix. “About 40 seats” without a plan usually turns into wrong screen heights.
2. Product scope in plain language
Executive desks, staff desks, conference tables, chairs, pedestals, reception — say what's in and what's out. If chairs are local and desks are from us, write that down so nobody quotes a full package you don't want.
3. Board grade and décor
E0 or E1, substrate (particle / MDF), and a décor reference — our swatch code or your retained sample. “Light oak” means five different prints in five factories. Keep one physical swatch if the project will reorder later.
4. Hardware and edge expectations
Soft-close or not. Metal handle finish. Edge banding thickness. These sound small until a facilities manager rejects a floor because the drawer feel doesn't match the sample they remembered from another brand.
5. Cable and power reality
Grommet positions, under-desk trays, monitor arm readiness. If your electrician already fixed floor boxes, send that drawing. We can cut around a problem we can see; we can't invent it from a mood board.
6. Packing and delivery split
Full container, mixed SKU, SKD for local assembly, or CBU. Who installs? Who receives at the warehouse? Mark fragile items that need corner protectors beyond the usual. Moisture-prone routes need extra wrap — say the destination port.
7. Commercial terms that actually move production
Deposit terms, balance against B/L copy or at sight, target ship week, and whether a pre-shipment inspection (you or a third party) is required. We start cutting after drawings are signed and the deposit clears — not after a “looks good” in chat.
8. Sample path
One desk top and one edge profile beat twenty PDF renders. Freight for samples is usually on the buyer unless a larger order follows; ask us before you assume it's free.
Send the above in one email if you can. WhatsApp (+86 185 1643 1435) works for follow-ups, but the signed drawing and packing list should live in email or a shared folder so both sides have a record.
We'll tell you what we can make in the next slot and what needs a longer lead time. Prefer a short honest answer over a polite quote that slips two weeks later.