Building Materials Everywhere
The days of purchasing all your building materials from a local supplier are long gone. Sure, some contractors and do-it-yourself types actually do purchase all or most of their building materials and supplies locally. But they are quickly becoming the exception.
In tough economic times, many people are choosing to stay put. Some don't have any choice in the matter. Necessity is causing contractors and individuals who are updating or remodeling to look for the best price, bargains, and deals. So it was a natural to start looking to buy building materials online via the Internet.
National chain stores like Home Depot have an online presence. You can actually purchase online and have your building materials shipped to you. This is great for people who don't live at a location convenient to one of these stores. But a lot of folks are purchasing online and going in for pick-up. They like the convenience of shopping with their fingertips via computer for all their building materials and supplies needs. What they say is that it is both efficient and saves them loads of time.
Still, many sellers have sprung up over the Internet that do not have a physical location where they sell products. You can do a quick search for "building materials" and you're likely to get over 30 million results. So, obviously there's A LOT of interest in building materials and building supplies online..... a lot!
Online Building Materials Lingo
When you do an online search of building materials, you're going to hear and see some buzzwords that are becoming a lot more frequent over time. Things like surplus, seconds, auction, reuse, liquidators, salvage are words that you can look up in most dictionaries to see what they mean. Just know that what they really mean when it comes to building materials is not necessarily what actually is. Of course, this is probably true with most everything. So, my first tip plays into this. Here it is:
Tip #1: Buyer Beware. Just like in a bricks and mortar business, it is up to the buyer to know what they buying. I'm not advocating being cynical. Trust people; just cut the cards. For example, some people have set up "salvage" operations but sell products that they've purchased direct from manufacturers or other dealers. They wouldn't be doing this if they were not making money. Remember, it's okay to ask questions. If a seller won't answer your questions to your satisfaction, move on.
More Building Materials Tips
Tip #2: Do Business with a Reputable Seller. I always advocate doing business with someone or a company you've either heard of or is recommended to you by someone you trust. This is no less true when it comes to building materials! Just because someone says they're selling you a certain brand of brick or stone, doesn't make it so. You've likely heard a few horror stories along these lines. Auction sites online, like eBay are good places to do business. They have checks and balances built in to protect buyers and sellers. They've been around for awhile. Chances are you've already heard of them. You get the idea here.
Tip #3. Know the Return Policy BEFORE You Purchase. I don't need to explain this one. Just do it! Some sellers actually have a no-return policy. Know that before you purchase your building materials online.
Tip #4. Get Specific Delivery Dates BEFORE Completing Your Purchase. If you're a contractor working on a deadline and you find out after the fact that you've ordered building materials online that will not be delivered to you for 6 to 8 weeks, that could cause a problem. It's a particular problem if you have a penalty clause in your contract, right? Even if you're not facing a deadline, it's good to know when to expect your building materials.
Tip #5. Do the 3 Bid Rule. This is so simple to practice online. Yet most people don't do it. Don't be impatient. Take the extra few minutes to always shop and look at 3 different price options or price points or bids. In other words, if you're looking at pewter hardware for cabinets and doors, find 3 bids for comparable products online. Don't settle on the first one you see because it sounds really good. It might be! But do yourself a favor and get 3 before making a final decision. Don't leave YOUR MONEY on the table.
Okay, you do these 5 things, and you're going to most likely have an excellent online experience shopping for and purchasing your building materials for that next project.
Sustainable Kitchen Building Materials—ConcreteNetwork.com
If you'd like more general background information and interesting pictures, you might want to check out Wikipedia's article by clicking on the link I've provided at Building Materials.