A house's worth of fit-out direct, without getting burnt.
Owners, builders, designers, developers and factories all come through Elje, each a different way. The goods always go factory to site, landed prices on every line, inspected before the balance is paid. Pick the way that fits you.
I'll run it myself
Free landed estimate, then the $990 Project Plan. You order direct from the factories you pick, with Assured holding the balance.
$990 plan + 2% AssuredHomeownerHandle it for me
Managed Order: one invoice, and Elje places, chases and consolidates every factory order. Assured included.
Factory price + 10%Builder, designer, architectPrice my client's job
A free trade account. Send the plans, get landed prices under your name, and your client stays yours.
Free trade accountAlready buying from ChinaBring your own factory
Elje Direct: register the client and run the order on our rails. Inspection, held balance, freight. No introduction fee.
0% commissionBusy builderUse the data
Elje Pro: the landed price database, factory scorecards and a white-label selections portal for your clients.
$390 a monthWant to see it firstCome to Foshan
Five days through the factories with your samples and your Project Plan, signing off before you order.
$4,900 a familyDeveloperMany units, one spec
Unit types priced landed, several factories quoting, one inspection regime, staged shipping.
3% of the orderFactoryReach Australian buyers
Elje Verified: audited, scored by code and quoted on our jobs. You cannot pay to rank higher.
Audit + listingFrom approved plans to a fitted house
The route most owners take. You buy direct from the factory and you are the importer. Elje prices it landed, introduces at least three Verified factories per line, books the inspector, forwarder and broker, and with Elje Assured holds the balance with a licensed escrow partner until the inspection passes. Managed Order, trade and Direct jobs follow the same five steps; only who runs them changes.
Send the plans
The approved set, joinery drawings, wet-area layouts and selections. Within 3 business days you get a free landed estimate per line and a 20-minute call.
Samples and the Project Plan
Samples from the shortlisted factories ($149, credited). Then the $990 Project Plan: firm quotes from at least three Verified factories per line, a landed price per line, the timeline, the partners booked.
Order direct, protected
You order from the factories you choose and sign a golden sample. With Elje Assured (2 percent), the balance sits with a licensed escrow partner, not the factory and not us.
Inspect and ship
An independent inspector checks the order against your drawings. The balance is released only when it passes. Our forwarder consolidates, crates to ISPM 15, insures for the full value and books the vessel.
Land and fit
Our broker clears it, GST is paid at the border, and it is delivered to site. Your builder or one of our installers fits it from labelled packs. Defects go through Assured.
A fit-out is decided between approval and lock-up. Elje prices it landed in the first week, before a supplier is chosen.
Each step between the factory and your house adds a margin. Elje removes the steps, not the checks.
With Elje Assured the factory gets 30 percent to start. The other 70 percent sits with a licensed escrow partner, never with Elje, until an independent inspection passes.
What a landed price has in it
Everyone selling China sourcing shows you the factory price. Here is the whole number for a real container of tiles, so you can see where the saving comes from and what you must never leave out.
| One 20 ft container of tiles | AUD ex GST |
|---|---|
| Tiles, 1,000 m2 of 600 x 600 matt porcelain, FOB Foshan | $8,450 |
| Sea freight and insurance, 20 ft to Brisbane | $2,800 |
| Customs, port and DAFF charges | $1,400 |
| Cartage to site | $900 |
| Asbestos test, accredited lab | $800 |
| Pre-shipment inspection | $500 |
| Landed, about 1,000 m2 | $14,850 |
| Per m2, landed | $14.85 |
| Same tile, local trade | $25 to $45 |
| Same tile, local retail | $35 to $60 |
October 2026 published rates. Your landed estimate is priced on the day.
Duty and GST
Tiles, taps and kitchen furniture enter at 0 percent duty under the China free trade agreement with a certificate of origin from the factory. Make it a condition of every purchase order; we give you the clause. GST is 10 percent on the landed value, payable at the border, and claimable if you are registered.
Timing
Stock ranges 6 to 10 weeks door to door. Custom joinery 12 to 16 weeks from drawing sign-off. Add four weeks over Chinese New Year (6 Feb 2027; factories close from mid January to late February) and the Canton Fair weeks in April and October.
What we check before anything ships
Certificates
WaterMark, WELS, slip ratings, formaldehyde and asbestos reports, verified on the registers, never on the factory's word. We show you where to look.
Golden samples
Every item signed off against a physical sample before production. The inspection measures against it.
Inspection and insurance
A third-party inspection before the balance is paid. All-risk marine cover on the full landed value, never the carrier's basic liability.
Payment terms
30 percent to start, 70 percent after the inspection passes, never before. With Assured the 70 percent waits with a licensed escrow partner.