Buying building materials

• If you employ a main contractor to undertake your selfbuild on a fixed price, then you will not be involved with materials selection unless this forms a part of the contract— ie. choosing kitchens and bathrooms and finishes.

• If you are more involved with the project management, then you may well spend a lot of time phoning suppliers and going back and forward to builders merchants. Start by taking your plans around several local merchants — many have selfbuild specialists — and ask them to prepare a quotation based on your plans.

• Open accounts with local builders merchants. It makes negotiations much easier, and it helps with the record keeping. Haggle to get the best discount.

• Open an account with a tool hire shop.

• Use the internet. It’s especially good in tracking down fixtures and fittings like bathrooms, light fittings, plumbing gear, ironmongery.

• Bulk materials (bricks, blocks, timber, plasterboard) are much cheaper ordered in quantity. Make sure that you know what quantity to order, and that you have somewhere on site to store them. Bricks and blocks may well require a digger or rough-terrain fork lift to unload and to place in the correct position.