Do you buy at the local specialty store or do you order online?

We also hired all the craftsmen who live in the village. We just know the people and are partly friends with them, so I can also buy a part online that, for example, the heating engineer installs on an hourly basis. It didn’t matter if the craftsman was 500€ more expensive than the one who sits 40 km away, but I know he will be there within 2 minutes if there is any problem with the heating, roof,...

500€ is a lot of money for us. When I calculate how long I have to work for that so that 500€ remains as profit (i.e., after all costs!), I prefer to save and simply take the one from the neighboring village – 40 km is no distance, for me that counts as absolutely regional.

I don’t pay extra just for "if something happens," I consider that just as pointless as those many thousands of insurances that are forced upon you – unnecessarily expensive and in the end, you haven’t gained anything. If something really happens, they don’t have time anyway or something like that.

I would never buy windows and doors online. Permanently installed components always regionally, relatively easily removable ones (fittings, kitchen appliances, ...) then maybe sometimes online.

Doesn’t make sense to me, whether permanently installed or not. But I buy brand products, which are therefore equally good everywhere, from the best provider (e.g. certain door models). The quality doesn’t differ here. Installation can certainly be done by a local professional, as long as he doesn’t charge 500€ more than his colleague.
Things that cannot be bought in one piece (e.g. custom-made furniture, or interior finishing, masonry, etc.) – there I would absolutely choose someone local. But that’s not what this thread is about.

Today I could once again be sick of the local specialist trade.

I need 2 glass panels or wood for a lowboard and a sideboard, 2.4m x 0.40m and 1.6m x 0.4m in anthracite.

So, to the wood specialist market: no, we don’t have that size....
Then I went to the carpenter who was very helpful, gave me a sample catalog but the price was about 400 euros+.
At Hornbach, 44 euros per m2 for CPL board plus edge bander 4.99 per meter.

My favorite is glass though, so this morning I called the glassmaker, the first response was well, for 1-2 m2 I don’t set up a machine and well it will be expensive, about 300 euros per panel plus transport etc.

So I used Google search.

Found a company in Berlin, 8mm tempered safety glass edges polished and bevelled, for 310 euros for both panels. 25 euros delivery to us. Delivery time 3-4 weeks, for 35% surcharge delivered in 2 days.

So by now the specialist trade shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

I don’t support anyone there anymore.

PS. if anyone has a tip for me, bring it on.

But the front door comes from a very good online provider. Here I know that I get selection & quality at a "normal price". Definitely saving 2-3k€ just on the aluminum front door.

Which online provider is that?