ᐅ Do you buy from a local building supply store or order online?

We are generally not the type of people who need or want to watch every penny, and we understand the difference between cheap and affordable. I also see several advantages in buying something locally, where I can potentially go back to the store, make a complaint if needed, and have a contact person standing right in front of me—compared to ordering something from websites and possibly regretting it later because I tried to save a little and ended up receiving low-quality goods.

However, the budget is of course not unlimited, and where it makes sense, we want or need to save money. And this seems possible at first glance for all the products you want to install or lay.

Especially with doors, the price difference between what I have seen in local specialized stores and doors sold online seems huge. These websites even look reputable and have many reviews. It makes you wonder if it is justified to pay four times as much for a door at the local timber merchant when the product description indicates that the products should essentially be the same…

The same applies to flooring. Prices online for similar wear layers and wood types appear to be completely different from local prices, which seem significantly higher in some cases.

Now we are already considering whether we should order doors online or possibly also three new important windows online and then find someone through MyHammer to install them…

What are your experiences with online versus local shopping?

You can also buy doors at the home improvement store; some even connect you with companies for small jobs. We have water damage and need to sand the hardwood floor and replace the door and frame—there’s really no one eager to take on the job.

We always start by browsing specialty stores or trade fairs, and then order online whenever possible.

This way, you are mostly on the safe side and also save some money.

I bought weatherproof paint including consultation at a specialty store. Everything seemed fine at the time. There, 10 liters cost almost €170 (about $180). When I later saw that the same paint was available online for just under €100 (about $106), I ordered it there and returned the paint to the specialty store. Certainly not the most courteous approach, but a nearly 70% higher price is quite significant, and I didn’t want to pay that. I wouldn’t have minded a reasonable price difference at the specialty store, just not such a high one. This is just one example. For other trades (e.g., flooring), I will compare prices very carefully.

Just before the beginning of May. The building supervisor calls. The fascia boards are ready, as are the soffits. Painting time. There is scaffolding up now. No gutters installed yet, so it’s never going to be easier. Around 10–12 liters (about 2.6–3.2 gallons) are needed. I picked up five large cans of weatherproof paint at the local building supply store. 12.5 liters (3.3 gallons) should be enough for two coats. And it was, one can was left over. The price was 33 each. The exact same product was available on Amazon for 25. But we needed the material almost immediately. I was a bit annoyed but then told myself, 40 more euros, whatever, it’s worth it to get it done, and the house costs so much already that 40 really doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, it’s often the case that online prices for identical goods vary greatly. That’s why I like ordering from those shops. Karsten

It depends. Many materials are cheaper at building suppliers than online, especially heavy goods. You shouldn’t compare hardware stores with building suppliers.

We bought all our interior doors online and installed them ourselves. That worked out very well. I would do it the same way again.

I wouldn’t make a big fuss over just a few dollars.