Buying in the sales
Fancy bagging a bargain for your site in the January sales? Follow Duncan Hayes' advice
Buying building materials in advance of them being needed is a tricky business – you must make sure you are purchasing in sufficient volume and have a dry and safe place for storage until you need them. On most sites this is just not practical as stored materials are prone to damage. What’s more, if you’re buying your building materials from a merchant using a tradecard, such as the Buildstore Tradecard you’ll be benefitting from trade prices, so any sales bargains will need to undercut this saving.
What offers the best savings?
“Think big,” says Clare Bates, showroom project manager of Focus DIY. “Core building materials and products with high price tags can offer the best savings, so think kitchens, bathrooms and large items, such as solid wood doors.”
If you’re heading to the large DIY sheds for a sales bargain, choose your time well and research what you plan to buy in advance. Prices tend to be higher than builders’ merchants in the first place, so check that discounts do actually represent a real saving, especially if you have to store them and risk the possibility of damage.
If you aren’t too set on a specific model, but know you want a contemporary white bathroom suite, then it will definitely pay to hit the sales in January and store it on site/in a spare room until you need it. Stock clearance and end of lines can save you a considerable amount of money, and many of the large stores also have specific days in their sale period when there’s a further deal for a set time on stock across the store – think ‘double discount’ – and this can offer a real savings advantage.
Fiona Berry, marketing manager for online store Big Bathroom Shop says: “In the current climate, everyone’s searching for the best value without wanting to compromise on style and quality. At Big Bathroom Shop our sales represent excellent value, and what’s more self-builders can reduce costs significantly by purchasing several suites at once. Our autumn sale was a massive success as we offered up to £300 off selected suites, and all our suites include taps and waste fitting, as well as the bath front panel.”
One drawback of buying in advance is that anything that ‘functions’ such as white goods, appliances or toilets can’t be tested until it is hooked up and running – by which time you almost certainly won’t be able to return it as faulty. As always, buyer beware and check nothing is missing when you get your goods home.
What to buy
Kitchens – if you are planning to do your kitchen yourself then you can get some fantastic bargains, from doors to carcasses. Watch out for end of line bargains – they offer good savings but you won’t be able to buy the odd extra door or trim if one of yours gets damaged. Carcasses are more forgiving, as they’re concealed and tend to be universal to a store’s range, so it’s easy to buy more later. Kitchen cupboards come flatpacked, which means storage is easier, but store them flat on an even surface, in a completely dry environment and away from heat sources, such as radiators, to prevent warping.
Sinks and taps – real savings can be made here, and taps especially have some incredible discounts, with the added benefit that they’re easy to store – turn to page 76 for some inspirational models.
Bathroom suites – sanitaryware is great to buy in advance as big discounts offer the chance to get the suite you want at a fraction of the price. Storage is an issue as items tend to be bulky and can be prone to damage if knocked.
White goods/appliances – if you’re planning on buying electricals early in your build you’ll need to ensure that you’re not going to change your mind before you’ve even got halfway to installing them. But it is possible to get great deals on a range of cookers and appliances as new models mean that last year’s stock is cleared out.
Tiles – you can get huge savings by snapping up sales bargains, but you must ensure you have sufficient quantity in case they are being discontinued, so always buy more than you need. You should always slightly over estimate anyway for breakages and cuts but think to the future.
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