Is it me or have the prices in certains sheds for building materials become
extremely competitive against the builders merchants?

As an example, I priced up some materials for a job (plasterboard, cls
timber for studding, plywood sheets etc). The whole lot came to approx £192
at B&Q when an equivalent price from a local merchant was £258 (ok it did
include delivery but they are just round the corner).

Have merchants become more expensive or is there some hidden discount I`m
not tapping into ?!

John

what do you mean by hidden discount?
Yes often builders merchants do offer a discount, sometimes quite high
Are you willing to spend hundres or even thousands of punds per month, every
month to get that discount. Open an account and ask for say a monthly credit
limit of £5000.00. Use it up towards that level each month then come back
and say what discount you can get

John wrote:
Is it me or have the prices in certains sheds for building materials
become extremely competitive against the builders merchants?

As an example, I priced up some materials for a job (plasterboard, cls
timber for studding, plywood sheets etc). The whole lot came to
approx £192 at B&Q when an equivalent price from a local merchant was
£258 (ok it did include delivery but they are just round the corner).

Have merchants become more expensive or is there some hidden discount
I`m not tapping into ?!

John

Certainly B&Q at the larger branches is trying to attract the building
trade.
Trade places like Jewsons will give discount but you usually have to ask for
it.
Maybe it helps if you go in scruffy buider type clothes and sound like you
know what you're talking about.

My experience is that you need to phone to get a price before you enter the
Builders Merchant premises. You seem to get 20% off automatically, then you
can negotiate down from there. You could try and get them to match the B&Q
price?

Colin

"John" wrote in message
...
Is it me or have the prices in certains sheds for building materials
become
extremely competitive against the builders merchants?

As an example, I priced up some materials for a job (plasterboard, cls
timber for studding, plywood sheets etc). The whole lot came to approx
£192
at B&Q when an equivalent price from a local merchant was £258 (ok it did
include delivery but they are just round the corner).

Have merchants become more expensive or is there some hidden discount I`m
not tapping into ?!

John

"John" wrote in message
...

As an example, I priced up some materials for a job (plasterboard, cls
timber for studding, plywood sheets etc). The whole lot came to approx £192
at B&Q when an equivalent price from a local merchant was £258 (ok it did
include delivery but they are just round the corner).

BanQ warehouse are competitive with the local merchant
who was been taken over by Travis Perkins even if the
name hasn't changed yet. TP prices allow them to give
a 20% discount with batting an eyelid.

In article , Colin
writes
My experience is that you need to phone to get a price before you enter the
Builders Merchant premises. You seem to get 20% off automatically, then you
can negotiate down from there. You could try and get them to match the B&Q
price?

Colin

Seconded, when spending 100quid plus I have phoned around for prices
and when it's down to the wire, bashing them over the head with, 'but at
B&Q warehouse they're XXXquid'. The stock reply to that is, 'but our
battens (or whaterver) are straight and not rotten before you get them', and
they're right, some of the timber is ****, not a straight piece among it and
covered in mildew. In the end, the price was similar to B&Q (warehouse),
but the quality was far better and the delivered for free at 8am, ready for the
working day.
--
fred

"BillR" wrote in message
...
John wrote:

SNIP

Maybe it helps if you go in scruffy buider type clothes and sound like you
know what you're talking about.

Not exactly, you just need to talk a load of crap and have a tape clipped on
your jeans.

dg

"dg" wrote in message
...

"BillR" wrote in message
...
John wrote:

SNIP

Maybe it helps if you go in scruffy buider type clothes and sound like
you
know what you're talking about.

Not exactly, you just need to talk a load of crap and have a tape clipped
on
your jeans.

dg

Have you been watching me? This is scary!

In article , John wrote:
Is it me or have the prices in certains sheds for building materials become
extremely competitive against the builders merchants?

As an example, I priced up some materials for a job (plasterboard, cls
timber for studding, plywood sheets etc). The whole lot came to approx £192
at B&Q when an equivalent price from a local merchant was £258 (ok it did
include delivery but they are just round the corner).

Have merchants become more expensive or is there some hidden discount I`m
not tapping into ?!

I've found exactly the same thing and it can take ages to get stuff from
bm's.
Last time I was buying wood at a bm's they quouted 1.17 + vat per m. I
got them to price match a quote of 0.88 incl vat, which I got from a wood
merchants.
Neil

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:46:37 +0000 (UTC), Niel A. Farrow wrote:

In article , John wrote:
Is it me or have the prices in certains sheds for building materials become
extremely competitive against the builders merchants?

As an example, I priced up some materials for a job (plasterboard, cls
timber for studding, plywood sheets etc). The whole lot came to approx £192
at B&Q when an equivalent price from a local merchant was £258 (ok it did
include delivery but they are just round the corner).

Have merchants become more expensive or is there some hidden discount I`m
not tapping into ?!

I've found exactly the same thing and it can take ages to get stuff from
bm's.
Last time I was buying wood at a bm's they quouted 1.17 + vat per m. I
got them to price match a quote of 0.88 incl vat, which I got from a wood
merchants.

I reckon generally that the quality of timber from a BM is far superior
to the sheds, but there is something of an urban myth about BM's being
cheaper than the sheds. As with all things, you have to be prepared to
do your homework and haggle a bit to get a decent price.

"Wanderer" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:46:37 +0000 (UTC), Niel A. Farrow wrote:


I reckon generally that the quality of timber from a BM is far superior
to the sheds, but there is something of an urban myth about BM's being
cheaper than the sheds. As with all things, you have to be prepared to
do your homework and haggle a bit to get a decent price.

After just getting back from Thurso (20 miles from John-O-Groats) I agree
with you.
The local DIY/builders merchants were very competitive with my local prices
(Lancashire).
Amazing, since the petrol prices were at the other end of the competatition
:-((

Dave

I've found that the BMs may initially seem pricy, normally give an automatic
discount (especially if you've been in a few times (also remember to chat
with them)) but most importantly, their quality is far and above what you
get in the sheds. I find that I normally pay less than the sheds, sometimes
I pay about the same, but I always get better quality.

"John" wrote in message
...
Is it me or have the prices in certains sheds for building materials
become
extremely competitive against the builders merchants?

As an example, I priced up some materials for a job (plasterboard, cls
timber for studding, plywood sheets etc). The whole lot came to approx
£192
at B&Q when an equivalent price from a local merchant was £258 (ok it did
include delivery but they are just round the corner).

Have merchants become more expensive or is there some hidden discount I`m
not tapping into ?!

John