Architects, builders and consumers alike may differ in opinion when faced with the need to choose a supplier. No matter if you are looking for a supplier for something relatively trivial, or for something a whole lot more serious, the long term implications of making the wrong choice can hang over you. So if you’re faced with a decision about which structural timber supplier you should choose, hopefully this article will help you narrow down the sorts of questions you need to be asking and the things you need to be looking for to make sure you make the right choice.
Price
On many projects, price is most definitely a crucial factor. While no client has a bottomless pit of funds, a growing number do appreciate that paying a few extra pounds here and there in the short term makes great sense in the longer term. Price is almost sure to be a driving factor in which structural timber supplier you choose, but more often than not, it pays to pull back the curtain on price and see what is included in the price ticket. You’ll often find that by paying a few extra pounds you get great advice and products that helps you save a fortune in the long run. That’s why it’s important to look beyond the numbers.
Choice
To the untrained eye, structural timber is similar no matter where you buy it. That said, anyone who works in the building industry knows that the difference between the cheapest and the best can be day and night. Choosing a supplier that gives you a choice of products and designs means that you can get creative with your project without breaking the bank.
Quality
Quality is on most people’s lists of must haves, but quality is a feature that’s hard to put a value on. At Ochil Timber, quality is always high on our agenda because we know that our reputation tomorrow is based on the quality we supply today. Quality at Ochil Timber means stringent quality checks during the manufacture process through to the quality of service we deliver day in and day out. In our minds, quality should be in one of your top 3 criteria when you make your choice of supplier.
Service
When you’re choosing your structural timber supplier, you should test and try before you buy. Pushing for great service right at the start of your relationship is a really clever move. Test your possible suppliers - ask them questions, set them challenges and see how they respond. After all, if they don’t step up to the bar pre-sale, they’re highly unlikely to meet your expectations post-sale.
Innovation
Tradition is really important, and is at the core of everything we do at Ochil Timber, but we’re constantly on the lookout for better, more efficient, more effective ways to do things nonetheless. That doesn’t mean that we reject the things that are tried, tested and proven. It means that we’re keen to make things work better and are constantly doing all we can to bring you innovative solutions. In our view, the availability of innovative solutions shows that you’re dealing with a forward-thinking company.
Choosing a supplier for any major build component isn’t easy, but if you’re on the lookout for a structural timber supplier, please get in touch. After all it costs nothing to chat and we’d love to help you make the right choices for your project.