Mark Ramuz says: I often pick up some great stuff from eBay – including over-ordered materials such as insulation. Another internet hotspot you can try is Gumtree (www.gumtree.com), which has a classified section containing lots of bargains. Local papers are handy, as you can often pick up some tools from those retiring or leaving the building trade. Most specialist second-hand tool shops focus on older tools with an antique value so, while interesting, probably aren’t what you are looking for.