Where did you buy sinks, toilets etc?

[CalvinHobbes]

Ok so nearly at the roof stage but trying to think about the toilets, showers, loos etc. I might start collecting soon lol. Anyway, any suggestions?

[ProDave]

Do you want low price or top brand?    The answer will be different.

[Bonner]

Internet sellers, Aqva for example. I shopped around and bought from the place with best price. Fine if you know exactly what you want. Go to one of the glossy showrooms to decide first.

[Crofter]

I've only ever bought cheap stuff from the DIY sheds. I'm aware you can spend more but I'm not sure what you get for your money?

[CalvinHobbes]

Thanks, I have a lot to get but I would be prepared to spend more on a good quality toilet because i know they take less effort to keep clean. Not so worried about the sink except it would look odd if they didn't match in terms of whiteness. 

Also looking at base units. Plumbworld seems good but I read on the ikea their last for 10 years.

[Conor]

We got ours from bathline (Haldane fisher). Good quality stuff and got the price way down from the first quote, something like 40% lower 

[dpmiller]

being on the wrong side of the small pond massively kills choice, very few GB suppliers will ship.

 

Bathline, Beggs, PTS. Plus there are a few smaller more merchant-y guys too. VP Jebb in Belfast, Stevensons in Bangor, there's another small wholesaler in Kilroot.

 

I deliberately aimed low and ended up dealing well with Beggs, although I wouldn't darken their door normally for plumbing bits...

[crispy_wafer]

Currently doing the same, manomano keep coming up, but generally the products are shipped from abroad so depends on your appetite for risk(damage, and dealing with) - I've puchased things like mounting frames from them, James hargreaves clearance...,  heatandplumb . com, ebay, welove . co.uk, even wickes have vitra or villeroy boch in stock.

[jayc89]

Only really done the downstairs W/C so far;

Plumb2U for Geberit frames

The Cornwall Tile Company for Rak pans

Wall and Floor for floor tiles (but more because they were the only place I could find what we were looking for)

 

We were also quite limited on places to get the wall tiles and basin from as we wanted something quite specific.

 

Ikea for a pretty basic cabinet that we're going to spray paint and use as the basin unit

All first fix stuff came from my local BM as they were far cheaper for HEP stuff than anything I could find online. 

[Conor]

1 hour ago, dpmiller said:

being on the wrong side of the small pond massively kills choice, very few GB suppliers will ship.

 

Bathline, Beggs, PTS. Plus there are a few smaller more merchant-y guys too. VP Jebb in Belfast, Stevensons in Bangor, there's another small wholesaler in Kilroot.

 

I deliberately aimed low and ended up dealing well with Beggs, although I wouldn't darken their door normally for plumbing bits...

For context, bathshack would have been the cheapest local company in the past. We used them before but not impressed with their quality/prices this time round. Soaks, Neptune, and all those other places in Boucher take the piss with the prices. Never considered Beggs.

[ProDave]

Well I just shopped around.  Trying to complete a house with a non existent budget focuses the mind.

 

I bought 2 back to wall WC's for £50 each oddly enough being sold by an on line UFH supplier.  The plain ordinary close coupled WC was from Wickes, after an argument as it had two price stickers on it and I insisted I would only pay the price of the lower one.  After the argument the assistant removed the "wrong" lower price sticker.

 

Looking for an on worktop basin, and first looking at the "bathroom" shops and seeing 3 figure prices, we found one in the orange DIY shed which by the time they took off the loyalty card discount cost us £28

 

These are the sort of offers you stumble across and buy them when you find them, they won;t be repeated.

[nod]

We bought Rak toilets and matching sinks on our first build good price and excellent quality 5 years on the quick release seats look like new 

[OldSpot]

I bought a sink from Vieffetrade and they sell all manner of things.

They're based in Italy but buying from them was quite a bit cheaper than in the UK - even when shipping was included.

I was sligghtly concerned but the comms from them were really good and it arrived after a couple of weeks. It was well packaged on a crated pallet and was sent via air freight to us.

[Gill]

Plumbworld for most of our bathroom /kitchenette granny flat items.

I had one issue with a missing part from the wc and their customer service was spot on. Quick phone call to a person, apology for issue and replacement sent over in two days.  Not getting messed around for weeks if things go wrong was refreshing. 

[Ferdinand]

For shower screens and trays, usually Amazon or Ebay - or outlets of shops or traders on Ebay. Quality is important but brand not particularly for screens, but yes for trays.
 

The difference is huge between such and retail on shower screens.

 

For shower panels brand first then outlet second. Large variations and quality of install is very important. You can now get good quality with no ply, and can expect a 20-25 year life if done properly.

 

For grab handles etc Croydex are reliable. From Screwfix usually. If they get wet, textured plastic or some sort of grippy-when-wet cover - *never* chrome grab handles in a shower.

 

For showers I go with MIRA for electric, or more generic if gas. Usually deals are around.

Always shop around, and savings of 20-50% are common across the same item.

For wall storage cabinets I shop around and go for ones made entirely of stainless steel. Another one with huge variation from one shop to the next.

 

My experience with iKea is that the metallised legs on their vanity units develop rust quickly, so I am imagining the one in my bathroom two to be Corten steel, grinning and bearing it for a few more years. 

 

I do not have a current handle on taps - I am this week replacing a whb monobloc mixer which I think was a Bristan, bought from Wickes at admittedly half price, but which is leaking around the bottom after just 7 years, so a Trade Rated one from Screwfix will be going in as a replacement to avoid pfaff (rented property).

 

If you are dedicated to a single well-advertised well-known prestige brand, you will probably get your nuts roasted on the flames generated by your bank account being burnt down. Have several quality options, then look for a deal.