www.byggigen.se or www.blocket.se if you want used materials. Sometimes new stuff pops up on Blocket too.
In my experience, there's not much room for negotiation on timber. We got a discount at the local lumberyard, which made the price comparable to Byggmax prices.
When it came to drywall, Byggmax was unbeatable - until Bauhaus recently discounted 240 panels (I use them as ceiling drywall).
As for OSB, K-rauta has been the cheapest with a price of 119 SEK per sheet.
Insulation, basic doors, and other odds and ends are usually well-priced at Byggmax.
I mostly bought screws and nails at Biltema and Byggmax. I think Biltema is slightly cheaper for screws.
Dried wood flooring on Nackagatan in Söder has good prices on wood flooring, but the best price I got was through contacts.
I've bought paint here and there, but I have contacts to buy directly from manufacturers.
Conclusion:
I've bought a lot of materials and have become more frugal each month. After a year of building, you start to get a hang of where to look. There are several ways to tackle the problem:
1) Search for the lowest price at the stores around Stockholm.
(e.g., Byggmax, Biltema, K-rauta)
2) Start a business, open an account with wholesalers, and buy directly from them.
(e.g., Ahlsell, Alcro, Malmbergs, Beijer fasad och betong)
3) Use contacts like your brother's friend's cousin...
(you know what your network looks like)
4) Shop by mail order.
(e.g., Tumstock.se, Rinkabyror.se, skanskabyggvaror.se, bygglagret.se)
5) Shop abroad.
(drive south with a large car - haven't used this channel though)
6) Buy processed building materials from other parts of Sweden - labor and premises are EXPENSIVE in Stockholm.
(windows, exterior doors, stairs, kitchens, etc.)
In my experience, there's not much room for negotiation on timber. We got a discount at the local lumberyard, which made the price comparable to Byggmax prices.
When it came to drywall, Byggmax was unbeatable - until Bauhaus recently discounted 240 panels (I use them as ceiling drywall).
As for OSB, K-rauta has been the cheapest with a price of 119 SEK per sheet.
Insulation, basic doors, and other odds and ends are usually well-priced at Byggmax.
I mostly bought screws and nails at Biltema and Byggmax. I think Biltema is slightly cheaper for screws.
Dried wood flooring on Nackagatan in Söder has good prices on wood flooring, but the best price I got was through contacts.
I've bought paint here and there, but I have contacts to buy directly from manufacturers.
Conclusion:
I've bought a lot of materials and have become more frugal each month. After a year of building, you start to get a hang of where to look. There are several ways to tackle the problem:
1) Search for the lowest price at the stores around Stockholm.
(e.g., Byggmax, Biltema, K-rauta)
2) Start a business, open an account with wholesalers, and buy directly from them.
(e.g., Ahlsell, Alcro, Malmbergs, Beijer fasad och betong)
3) Use contacts like your brother's friend's cousin...
(you know what your network looks like)
4) Shop by mail order.
(e.g., Tumstock.se, Rinkabyror.se, skanskabyggvaror.se, bygglagret.se)
5) Shop abroad.
(drive south with a large car - haven't used this channel though)
6) Buy processed building materials from other parts of Sweden - labor and premises are EXPENSIVE in Stockholm.
(windows, exterior doors, stairs, kitchens, etc.)
I have to once again praise this fantastic forum and its inhabitants!My latest idea is to buy switches in Germany.
However, the webshop doesn't want to ship to Sweden, so once again I had to contact everyone I know (both peripheral and close) to find a German who can receive the goods and send them on to Sweden.
The switches are somewhat special, which is why the price is insanely high here in Sweden, but in Germany (where these are manufactured), they cost a third of the price here.
Which ones am I talking about? Stainless steel Jung switches (www.jung.de) and it's Treotham (www.treotham.se) that is the general agent in Sweden.
However, the webshop doesn't want to ship to Sweden, so once again I had to contact everyone I know (both peripheral and close) to find a German who can receive the goods and send them on to Sweden.
The switches are somewhat special, which is why the price is insanely high here in Sweden, but in Germany (where these are manufactured), they cost a third of the price here.
Which ones am I talking about? Stainless steel Jung switches (www.jung.de) and it's Treotham (www.treotham.se) that is the general agent in Sweden.
I continue to give tips as no one else joins in.
Noticed that you get a 20% discount at Flügger if you're a member of the Villaägarnas Riksförbund. That's quite okay if you don't have contacts in the paint industry.
There are more such discount agreements that I have rarely used myself...
Through HSB's membership, you get a discount at Måleributiken in Alvik, and THAT I have used at least.
Noticed that you get a 20% discount at Flügger if you're a member of the Villaägarnas Riksförbund. That's quite okay if you don't have contacts in the paint industry.
There are more such discount agreements that I have rarely used myself...
Through HSB's membership, you get a discount at Måleributiken in Alvik, and THAT I have used at least.
Oops, sloppy of me not to include the address - here it is:
http://www.elektro-scheid.de/shop/
Remember that you need to assemble the switch with three parts, base/chassis, toggle, and frame.
In this way, you have the same chassis regardless of external properties - modularity.
With the help of the product PDF from Treotham
http://www.treotham.se/pdf/grossist/E-nr_rostfritt.pdf
I’ve learned that the base for a simple toggle, for example, is called 506U, costing €3.31.
Then you have to buy an ES 2990 (be careful not to buy any other toggle as there are many different ones), price €5.14.
Last but not least, take the frame called ES 2981, €6.32.
Note: Toggle and frame are stainless steel, if you want the LS 990 model, you need to order a brochure for the product number - or learn German :-/
Total €14.77 for a stainless steel switch that costs 395 SEK in Sweden.
EDIT!
Initially wrote the wrong prices, NOW these are the prices for the stainless steel unit!
http://www.elektro-scheid.de/shop/
Remember that you need to assemble the switch with three parts, base/chassis, toggle, and frame.
In this way, you have the same chassis regardless of external properties - modularity.
With the help of the product PDF from Treotham
http://www.treotham.se/pdf/grossist/E-nr_rostfritt.pdf
I’ve learned that the base for a simple toggle, for example, is called 506U, costing €3.31.
Then you have to buy an ES 2990 (be careful not to buy any other toggle as there are many different ones), price €5.14.
Last but not least, take the frame called ES 2981, €6.32.
Note: Toggle and frame are stainless steel, if you want the LS 990 model, you need to order a brochure for the product number - or learn German :-/
Total €14.77 for a stainless steel switch that costs 395 SEK in Sweden.
EDIT!
Initially wrote the wrong prices, NOW these are the prices for the stainless steel unit!
When it comes to screws and nails in slightly larger batches, there is a company in Skövde that is very cheap. They are called Swerotec.
Bought drywall screws 32mm there for 56kr/1000pcs.
Bought drywall screws 32mm there for 56kr/1000pcs.
I don't think Swerotec has a website, but their phone number is 0500-471600.