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Can I save money buying my own materials?

 Did you know that the average house has more than:

8000 bricks, 1000 meters of electrical cabling, 12,000 nails?

The average Australian home is 231m2. This has dropped recently from 250m2 in 2015/16 when Australia had the biggest houses on average in the world.

So, it’s safe to say we enjoy large homes and there are hundreds of materials that go into building a home and there are thousands of material options to choose from.

So, can you save money purchasing your own materials?

Yes. No. Maybe. It depends.

Each material used when building a home must pass Australian Standards and when using the materials, they must comply with the National Construction Code.

Not only are there so many materials to choose from. There are also different brands of that material which have different levels of quality.

It is a bit like going grocery shopping, you can see there are 30 brands of the same muesli bar. Some like to eat one brand, others like a totally different one. You understand what I mean.

Different builders and other trades (plumbers, plasterers, bricklayers etc.) will usually have a brand they prefer to work with. Remember this is their livelihood and their name on the sign. Some builders don’t want to use the cheapest products because they are liable if what they built, doesn’t last past the structural warranty stage of 6 years.

Its fair enough too when you think of the risk involved.

Think of it this way,

If you want to go out for a special dinner you pick a reputable restaurant. You go there and order, they cook, give quality service, quality meal, you pay and you leave happy, with a full belly!

You can’t turn up with your own meat and vegetables that you got on special, and expect the chef to turn out the same high quality meal. (Imagine that haha!)

A good chef will use their knowledge and experience and take their time selecting produce to ensure your meal is good quality, and they leave you satisfied. They are a reputable restaurant after all.

But what about kitchens, bathroom items, appliances etc.?

Sure, you might be able to save some bucks here and there.

However, a professional builder will have good suppliers that can usually beat any retail sales price!

Plus, if something goes wrong with a vanity, bath tub etc. and it’s not an installation fault, you are left trying to chase up whoever you bought it from.

Had you purchased for a good price through the builder you have the one point of contact. Phone the builder and they can chase it up for you.

No headaches for you sounds a lot better doesn’t it?

If your purchases happen to get held up in manufacturing and end up holding up the project for the builder, this can affect the project completion date which if it happens to be the clients fault the builder has the right the claim damages if it is written into the contract.

Sometimes it is ok to purchase a few items for your home, but ask your builder first, they may be able to get you a better deal, or have more information about the quality of the product you selected.

I strongly advise you speak to a professional builder first.

If you would like to speak about your future building project please head to our contact us page and email or call. you will get a guaranteed response within 24 hours!

As the old saying goes, “The only mistake you can make, is not asking for help”