Buying the Materials

Thur Oct 21 2004
Apart from the concrete and blocks - there is plenty more stuff to be ordered . I had a list drawn up by a local builders merchant. I just handed in the house plan and they came back with a full list of exactly what I would need with the price for each item! No charge no obligation to buy. All handwritten. Not sure if you would get that in the UK - but then again I have never tried!
My builder has said that I can still try shopping around and may get some things a bit cheaper - but for convenience it is probably easier to stick with one reliable supplier for the majority of the building materials. So I paid my €2000 euro deposit and can now start ordering materials as I need them. The "office" was a bit of a mess - everything was on paper - no sign of any computerised ordering system here. But you get the personal touch from the main man (Joe). I might get prices for some of the more costly things like roof tiles from some other suppliers. Ireland is booming now for builders and probably for builders suppliers - so there is probably plenty of competition out there - if I look.
Builders merchants are all over the place - and if you have the time you can get cheaper prices by shopping around. But - if you haven't got the time - a recommendation of reliability and speedy delivery is worth listening to.