You can make good savings on materials self-building

With each set of sample plans, we produce we write up a material estimate. In this document, we estimate the quantities of each material you’ll need to build the room.

The prices we have gathered are probably high

When quantifying the materials, we head to the internet to cost out each element. Now, we know that the internet is the place for a good deal on many items when it comes to building materials we think the prices are a little high, and there are better deals to be had talking directory to a supplier.

Buying in bulk you’d expect some discount

With the quantities of timber and sheet materials, you will be using you can expect to be able to go into a builder’s merchants with your material list and negotiate a trade like discount, particularly as you will paying for it now rather than on account.

Don’t be afraid to hustle for a good deal. It is certainly worth taking your material lists to all the big builder’s merchants and asking their best price. Also, check out your local independent sawmill/builders merchants. You can often negotiate a keen deal with them on orders of this size.

For example, we have just been buying Cedar for a job here at Garden Room HQ. We priced our job up using the Silva Timber website, they are known for their cladding, and we have used them many times over the years. We found though that by sending our cutting list directly to sawmills we got a better deal. We ended up ordering from Millworks and saved 22% compared with the price we got from the internet, a saving not to be sniffed at!

Our build estimates help you create a realistic budget

Given this, we feel that the prices quoted in our estimates are probably on the high side. They are useful none the less as they will help you create a realistic budget and decide on aspects you might need to cut back on or where you have room to upgrade a material.

If you use our guide as an estimate for your budget and you negotiate good deals, leaving money in the pot – that’s a win-win!

The internet has its place in garden room building

While we feel that you will get a much better deal on timber and sheet materials by talking to builders merchants and sawmills, we would certainly look to the internet for some materials.

For instance, if you are thinking of UPVC doors and windows there are some good deals to be found online. Lots of window companies have listings on eBay where you can specify the size, style and colour you want and they make and deliver them to you – the prices are very competitive.

The internet is also a good place for sourcing elements like the roof covering. EPDM the popular option for garden room roofs is available in kit form online. These kits include the membrane, adhesive and the kerbs for a competitive price.

So, while the estimates we include with our sample plans are a useful tool for budgeting and seeing where the key costs are in garden room design, we are sure you could build the room for less money if you shop around for your materials.