HOW TO BUY MATERIALS
Building, by the simplest possible definition, is arranging the right materials in a particular way to achieve the building you want. It’s not surprising then that the ‘materials’ part of the equation becomes a key focus point almost from the minute design begins.
There are three main routes to sourcing materials:
● Builders’ merchants and trade suppliers
● DIY and other such retailers
● Secondhand via auction and other trading entities.
In practice, while online auction sites and salvage yards are excellent sources, the prices they offer depend on the number of interested parties and what they are willing to pay on the day. As such, I would consider these outlets for ‘opportunistic’ procurement only; that is, if an item crops up at the right time and the
