Illustration: Alison Seiffer
What You'll Learn
In 1996, when my wife and I remodeled our house in northern California, shopping for plumbing fixtures, lighting, tile, appliances, and other accessories consumed our evenings and weekends for months. Last year, when we did a similar job on our new house near Washington, D.C., we managed to find all the items we needed in half the time, with a wider selection, less driving, and discounts totaling more than $10,000.
The difference? The Internet.
Online shopping for building materials, barely heard of five years ago, has come of age. Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or a professional contractor, you can find a vast array of brand-name and specialty construction products from online vendors who offer aggressive pricing, fast shipping, and excellent customer service.
But you have to be a savvy shopper, because you don't want to lose all of your savings to shipping charges or, worse, discover that the 300-pound stove you ordered won't fit through the kitchen door. Following are some online buying tips, as well as pitfalls to watch out for.
The difference? The Internet.
Online shopping for building materials, barely heard of five years ago, has come of age. Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or a professional contractor, you can find a vast array of brand-name and specialty construction products from online vendors who offer aggressive pricing, fast shipping, and excellent customer service.
But you have to be a savvy shopper, because you don't want to lose all of your savings to shipping charges or, worse, discover that the 300-pound stove you ordered won't fit through the kitchen door. Following are some online buying tips, as well as pitfalls to watch out for.
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