ᐅ Do you buy from a local building supply store or order online?
Created on: 13 May 2017 14:18
M
Mizit
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?
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?
Changeling schrieb:
That’s true, the wholesaler told us the same. But if the contractor then adds a 200% markup, that unfortunately doesn’t help me as a private individual.I understand that the equity is not passed on one-to-one; it’s fair that they include a reasonable margin. However, their main earnings should come from their service.
In the end, the total price has to be right. Honestly, I don’t care how much of that is labor cost and how much is material markups.
C
Changeling23 Jul 2018 07:24Nordlys schrieb:
Buying online and having contractors install on an hourly basis doesn’t work. No one does that. They either want the entire job or they walk away. The current market allows them to enforce this.I have now contacted several companies and already received quotes for door installation, much faster than expected, and there will probably be more to come—so it’s not really accurate to generalize like that.
The savings compared to the quote including materials would be enough for me to buy a small used car—and that’s not a decision I need to think twice about.
G
Grantlhaua24 Jul 2018 08:41We hired all the local craftsmen from the village. We simply know them personally and are partly friends with them, so sometimes I can order a part online that, for example, the heating technician installs on a labor basis. It didn’t matter if the craftsman was 500€ more expensive than one located 40 km (25 miles) away because I know he’ll be there within 2 minutes if any problem occurs with the heating, roof, or something else.
Overall, we made sure all the companies were locally based and that we had a good relationship with their staff.
But to get back to the original poster’s question: I would never buy windows and doors online. Permanently installed components should always be sourced locally, while relatively easy-to-remove items (such as fittings, kitchen appliances, etc.) might be worth buying online.
Overall, we made sure all the companies were locally based and that we had a good relationship with their staff.
But to get back to the original poster’s question: I would never buy windows and doors online. Permanently installed components should always be sourced locally, while relatively easy-to-remove items (such as fittings, kitchen appliances, etc.) might be worth buying online.
Grantlhaua schrieb:
We used all the local tradespeople from the village. We simply know the people and are even friends with some of them, so I can order a part online, for example, which the heating engineer installs on site. It didn’t matter if that tradesperson was 500€ more expensive than someone 40km (25 miles) away because I know they’ll be there within 2 minutes if any problem occurs with the heating, roof, etc.
Overall, we made sure that all companies are locally based and that we have a good connection with the employees.
But to get back to the original poster: I would never buy windows and doors online. Fixed installed components always locally sourced; relatively easy to remove items (fittings, kitchen appliances, etc.) maybe from the internet.I think the same. Our carpenter is allowed to order and install interior doors, blinds, and windows. But the front door comes from a very good online supplier. I know that I get selection and quality at a "normal price" here. I definitely save 2,000-3,000€ (about 2,200-3,300 USD) just on the aluminum front door.
We also use exclusively local tradespeople.
Our plumber did not charge a significant markup compared to online prices for the materials, and the carpenter installs the doors; the price was also completely reasonable compared to online prices.
So far, this approach has worked very well for us!
Our plumber did not charge a significant markup compared to online prices for the materials, and the carpenter installs the doors; the price was also completely reasonable compared to online prices.
So far, this approach has worked very well for us!
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