Tips for ordering hardware, fittings, fixtures, furniture and appliances.

I know it can feel very overwhelming with so many choices and who to order from, you aren’t alone, a lot of clients put off shopping for things that the project schedule relies on. Whatever you decide, try to order everything asap and ask for a delivery time, don’t just expect the retailer to have everything you want in stock or that the shop will place your order to their wholesaler as soon as you walk out the shop door.
Shops usually don’t keep a large amout of stock, especially when it comes to hardware, fittings and fixtures. Eg. Door handles, hinges, sinks, tapware, lighting switches.

Here in Tassie, to keep their own admin, staff and shipping costs low, some shops wait until they have several orders then they order from their wholsalers on the mainland. Eg. A shop will place all their orders for the week with their wholesalers on a Friday. Ask the shop management if this is what they do.
We didn’t realise that some shops have their own delayed delivery systems and on one occasion our own order was the first to go into the shipping container on the mainland but we had to wait for the whole shipping container to be filled with shop orders before the shipping container was sent from the mainland and our own order could be delivered in Tasmania. We waited months when our delivery should have taken 7-10days.

Be aware that all hardware isn’t created equal. I’ve seen clients buy hardware online (eg. from amazon & etsy) but the product photos online aren’t a true representation of the prodect they have bought. So what seems like a bargain isn’t. Some online companies from amazon and etsy are brilliant.
We now buy all our hardware online from an independent Australian company that has excellent customer service. What some shops don’t realise is that repeated poor customer service doesn’t make for loyal customers.

All this is a round about way to say, keep these things in mind when ordering so your job doesn’t unexpectedly stop while waiting for a delivery.

Cheers,

Michael Van Heel
Bespoke Carpentry.
Huon Valley. Kingsborough/Channel. South Hobart.
Quotes. Delivery. Install.
Statewide collection.