DIY or Disaster? On Purchasing Your Own Fixtures for Remodeling Projects

It’s natural to want to save money on your remodeling. So when clients embark on a new project, I’ll sometimes hear questions like this:

“Can I just buy my own fixture and have you guys install it? I can get a great deal on this one, and it’ll be cheaper that way.”

Our short answer is, “Sure thing.” But the longer, more detailed answer is that we tend to discourage the “buy-it-yourself” approach. Here’s why.

Catching Problems Before It’s Too Late

When you go out and buy a fixture on your own, it’s easy to miss serious defects that professional remodelers have learned to catch over time. That might mean a chipped bathroom sink or a problem that goes beyond surface-level damage.

A professional remodeler, however, is going to have strong and pre-existing relationships with suppliers – which helps to ensure that you get defect-free fixtures. If a problem does occur, we can simply call the supplier and get the issue taken care of without hassle. After all, they want to keep a longstanding customer happy.

In the meantime, we continue work on the remodel unimpeded, as we’re able to smoothly coordinate deliveries and returns and keep the project on track.

Saving Time, Preventing Stress

If a homeowner has bought their own fixture and discovered a problem, though, this can throw a wrench into the process, requiring that they find the receipt, return the product, purchase a new product (if what they want is still in stock), and transport it back to the home for installation – all in conjunction with the contractor’s schedule and availability. That can be quite a challenge, and any cost savings may be outweighed by the time lost.

All of this is a lengthy way of saying, it’s usually best to let your professional remodeler purchase the fixtures. There may be some small additional cost, but what you’re getting in return is more than worth it: a dedicated team that will handle any issues that may arise, stress-free, while keeping your project moving ahead.

For more useful information, check out the Northwood Construction’s blog.