sourcing fixtures, appliances, tile, etc. for renovation

Hi,     I’m about to begin a full renovation of my four story brownstone, and am currently in the process of hiring an architect and contractor.  I plan to redo 4 bathrooms and kitchens, do some mechanical upgrades, and change the layouts of two of the units.  I would like to source my own materials (fixtures, appliances, tile, flooring, etc.) rather than letting my GC buy everything – I’m assuming that I would save money by cutting the GC out as the middleman.     Does anyone have any opinions about sourcing their own materials for renovations vs. letting their GC buy them?  Any suggestions on good vendors for materials, particularly kitchen and bathroom fixtures?  I have a decent sized budget, and want to get high quality materials, but obviously I’m looking to save money where I can, so I’m interested in finding fair-priced vendors.  I am also very interested in energy-efficient appliances and fixtures, as well as environmentally-friendly materials where possible. Any help is greatly appreciated!! –breadbasket

breadbasket

in Brownstoner Renovation 12 years and 10 months ago

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Suzanne | 12 years and 9 months ago

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I had a great experience with Park Slope Plumbing Supply in getting my bathroom fixtures.  My only regret is I did not find them until towards the very end of my research, when they would have been very helpful in setting me straight from the beginning.  Both the salespeople on the floor (Bob and Lissanne, if I remember correctly) knew their stuff, but nobody was pushing anything.  I am also very price sensitive, and was surprised that the prices they gave me were about the same as the cheapest places online.   It’s a small place and can be busy.

bklynpwds | 12 years and 10 months ago

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We just finished a renovation where we did some sourcing to save money and it worked out well.  We discussed this issue with the contractor we hired beforehand which made all the difference.  We sourced our faucets with Val at George Taylor Plumbing on Franklin Street in the city.  Val was incredibly helpful and really knows here stuff.  I saved some shipping costs by picking up the parts myself.  I sourced our washer and dryer from Karl’s Appliance in NJ.  I worked with them 10 years ago when we bought all of our kitchen appliances from them, and went back to them this go-around without hesitation.  I ordered door hardware from Simon’s Hardware, and shutter hardware online from Whitechapel Ltd.  I sourced sinks/toilets but my contractors prices were very close and we felt it was better to get these items from their local supplier since they had a long-standing relationship and it would be easier to deal with should we have a problem. We wound up ordering one small powder room sink from Faucetdirect.com because they had an unusual size that we needed readily available.  It shipped from CA and worked out fine.  We got a credit for the sink bought from the contractor’s local supplier.  Having a good relationship with your contractor is key.

mousta | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I second the AJ Madison or even AppliancesConnection.com. Prices are very good on both sites for appliances and delivery is usually pretty fast.

builtinstudio | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I do also prefer using local showrooms for the same reason above, and am still extremely hesitate to recommend online shopping for fixtures but I have also had clients save money by using online sources.  A couple that seemed to work out pretty well are homeperfect.com and qualitybath.com.  For appliances, especially for Brooklyn projects, I recommend AJMadison.com.  They have showroom in brooklyn and I have always found their customer service to be very helpful.  For Tile I recommend NemoTile, they have a great showroom in the city and even if they don’t have something you are looking for in the showroom, chances are they can get it.  Good Luck, Gary Eisner, BuiltIN studio

greenmountain | 12 years and 10 months ago

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Breadbasket (of all things) wants to “cut out” the GC.  It is as if the project is not collaboration after mutually beneficial negotiation, but competition.  Breadbasket, is asking “anyone” for “any help” which would be “greatly appreciated,” but I suspect replies about direct, often-repeated experience from contractors will be discarded like so many stale rolls in the basket. Good luck getting all of these fixtures, appliances and materials compatible, coordinated, and positioned esthetically and mechanically – and at the cheapest possible price, shipped long-distance, not to a distributor, but just to you, and sometimes rushed.  If towards the end of the job, it turns out you got a bargain, but it doesn’t quite fit or work as you expected, please don’t blame your contractor. Where possible, I rely on local suppliers with whom I have long relationships to advise me and provide such items with reliable customer service to my client, through me.  My client pays about what they would from a local specialty store, not Ikea or Home Depot.  When a client visits my supplier’s showrooms, they see and handle the items they are considering and can discuss choices with professionals.   Many local stores are closing, because clients go look and then buy on the internet. As an installer, I prefer to order materials on behalf of clients to reduce the much larger cost of mistakes.  I regard the extra cost of materials from local showrooms with knowledgeable staff as far less than the extra cost of mistakes.

masterbuilder | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I encourage my clients to buy finishes, fixtures and appliances directly.  I help coordinate for sizing and square footage, etc.  It lowers my overhead and saves the client money.  I prefer to make my income by building as opposed to shopping.  My clients tend to find the bargains themselves or here and there they share insider tips.  Anything specialized – like mechanical equipment – we do buy.

brucef | 12 years and 10 months ago

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Don’t forget Ebay, we have sourced an awful lot of fixtures. We have even gotten ideas from looking at other items sold by the same seller.