ᐅ Which building materials should I buy online or directly from a contractor?

Hello everyone,

I am always in favor of supporting small trades. However, when it comes to building a house, we are (unfortunately) dealing with much larger amounts, so we are considering what to buy from craftsmen or local suppliers and what can be purchased online at a better price. I hope we can find a good balance.

I’m interested to know what you would definitely buy from a supplier and which items you believe help save the budget when ordered online.

Off the top of my head:

• Ceiling spotlights
• Interior doors
• Building materials
• Tiles
• Parquet flooring
• Sanitary equipment
• Wood for stair treads

I’d appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

Almost everything is cheaper to buy online... but the question remains who will install it and how the warranty is handled.

For example, it is pointless to purchase plumbing fixtures cheaply and then install them without any warranty coverage...

Mycraft schrieb:
It doesn’t help, for example, to buy the plumbing fixtures cheaply and then install them without any warranty...

Why does this persist so stubbornly?
The contractor cannot exclude the warranty on their work. If they don’t want to accept it, they cannot take on the job. The supplier provides a warranty on the materials.
In the event of damage, however, you can end up caught in between and face extra effort.

That’s why I wrote: Who is going to install it then?
The plumber can certainly provide a warranty for their work, which covers up to the wall surface. Now the homeowner buys a high-end shower panel “cheaply” and has a friend install it or does it themselves.

If the house floods six months later, who is responsible for the damage?

Mycraft schrieb:
If the house is flooded half a year later, who is responsible for the damage?

The home contents and/or building insurance. They will send their adjusters to determine whether the fault lies with the materials or the workmanship and then recover the costs from the party responsible.

Finding a reliable plumber is already challenging, and when they insist on installing their own materials, negotiation skills are required. Their quote is often a mixed calculation, and the remaining costs may become more expensive.