buying from trade only shops !!

jc808

howdens will let you buy from them

Ebe_Scrooge

I'll echo what others have said. Jewsons and TP certainly sell to the public. Some years ago I was doing a lot of work in my garden - landscaping, building walls, laying a patio, etc. I was looking at about £2500 worth of materials. Went to Jewsons, looking through their catalogue for the paving slabs etc. ( the missus wanted expensive ones, typical ! ). Anyhow, long story short - the manager at Jewsons gave me a quote that was about 50% off the "catalogue" price. I then went to TP ( which was conveniently about 2 miles away ), and the manager said "We'll always best Jewsons", and knocked 5% of what Jewsons had quoted me.

So yes you can buy from these places, and yes it's worth haggling. But as others have said, builders can often get better prices purely because of their repeat custom.

Ianwzzz

As a cash customer I always use Jewsons and Buildbase and get good prices, I've given up with Travis Perkins as they have never given me a good price and try pushing cash customers to use Wickes instead, who are very limited at what they stock.

Furts

Ianwzzz wrote: »

As a cash customer I always use Jewsons and Buildbase and get good prices, I've given up with Travis Perkins as they have never given me a good price and try pushing cash customers to use Wickes instead, who are very limited at what they stock.

I have approached my local Jewson on a number of occasions, in the quest for sensible prices. My enquiries have failed so I have given up with them.

I have am happy to recommend Travis Perkins, Buildbase and local merchants, but for the average person Jewson is a waste of time.

snowcat75

I used to run both a build base account and a Jewsons one, Our local Jewsons became an absolute shower of !!!!!, thats not to say they all are, but branches are only as good as there managers.. Local Jewsons is now flats.

TBH Builders merchants IMHO are very much of muchness, building trade is flat and there bend over backwards, building trade is good and they hardly want to know you.

I get nearly all sundry type stuff, from the likes of screwfix, ironmongery dirrect, B&Q tradepoint (again screwfix), and wickes, Iv a friend whos a general builder, but trained as a joiner and fits allot of Ikea kitchens and says there equally as good as Howdens etc.

Always worth a shop around.

Furts

snowcat75 wrote: »

I used to run both a build base account and a Jewsons one, Our local Jewsons became an absolute shower of !!!!!, thats not to say they all are, but branches are only as good as there managers.. Local Jewsons is now flats.

TBH Builders merchants IMHO are very much of muchness, building trade is flat and there bend over backwards, building trade is good and they hardly want to know you.

I get nearly all sundry type stuff, from the likes of screwfix, ironmongery dirrect, B&Q tradepoint (again screwfix), and wickes, Iv a friend whos a general builder, but trained as a joiner and fits allot of Ikea kitchens and says there equally as good as Howdens etc.

Always worth a shop around.

I second this. Jewson are dreadful, and even worse if you open an account there. Then you can really get into deep dooh dooh. So forget their self build web approach, and encouragement to open a self build account - you will be shafted.

Also, never buy tools, screws, nails, handles, locks, paint etc. from a builders merchant. They rely on builders using these items as impulse/necessity/convenience sales. Hence the prices can be extortionate - but in fairness the merchants are in business to make money.

Always carry as reference items; a Screwfix catatalogue, a B&Q Tradepoint catalogue (be aware the prices do not always duplicate Screwfix - they are the same company but the range always changes, and some prices are POA - very frustrating), a Toolstation catalogue, and an Ironmongery Direct catalogue (who are almost always running price promotions, currently 30% for me - I do not know what others get)