Finding tiles from other manufacturers / sample selection for builders

Hello everyone,

I am completely new here and happy that such a forum exists!

I am currently selecting samples for my house, specifically the tiles. The developer has chosen two large tile specialist stores for us to select from. In my view, the Mercedes! We have been to the first one, we liked some tiles, but the price is sometimes above the developer’s limit. In the living room, we chose Italian tiles, the Ciliegio. For €58 per sqm. The price is hot, the budget is exhausted! Are there similar tiles with this wood grain pattern from other manufacturers? Do you know anything?

Does anyone know if you can choose your own tile store with the developer that fits your budget? For example, you could also buy tiles in DIY stores, which are much cheaper and visually similar.

From my point of view, selecting samples is a bit strange, because we go with a max. price to select tiles, we are told normal retail prices by the tile specialist store. Then the tiler of the developer gets the selected tiles and probably pays much less because he buys in large quantities. He keeps the discount and we have to buy the expensive tiles from the specialist store. Is that normal?

I hope I was able to explain it understandably.

Thank you

Hi,
I feel the same way. We are currently in the process of choosing tiles and sanitaryware, and the construction company told us that the tiles specified in the contract for the hallway and bathrooms, as well as the sanitary fixtures, will not be installed or mounted by the construction company if you "buy elsewhere," i.e., not from the sampling companies (very expensive!), but for example from the hardware store or elsewhere.
Of course, I could have the entire house tiled by the construction company and thus keep everything in one hand: too expensive.
Does anyone have experience with this topic? Is it correct that the construction company is allowed to act this way? After all, nowhere is it written that I MUST take tiles and sanitaryware from the sampling companies.
Thanks for reading and for your answers!

The thing with the tile sampling is a tricky matter. We were also told upon inquiry that they do not want to install hardware store tiles. They referred to the warranty, which in the end is not entirely unfounded. So in the end, there is only one option: bite the bullet, make compromises, and try to stay as close to the budget as possible, which is also not so easy. At least not when, like us, you have specified not only the price (30,- / sqm) but also the size of the tiles (25X33 wall and 33X33 floor). Anything outside these dimensions generates extra installation costs. Diagonal installation of BF: extra. Installing borders: extra. Installing mosaic: extra... This all has a bit of a "Gschmäckle" to it... After the first tile selection alone, we were over 2K in additional tile costs, without any installation costs that would have been added. Since, as mentioned, this already gives a slight impression of a rip-off, I then did the exact opposite and strictly chose only from the program that fits the budget and mostly is even below it, so that there are credits. If the general contractor insists on maximizing their profit by force during the sampling, you can sometimes turn the tables and let them feel that it can be done differently. Normally, I am not attached to money and am happy to spend more, but when I notice that someone wants to maximize their profit at my expense by force, I become stingy. Only then might they change their business strategy for the future, namely when they realize that by pursuing maximum profit, they might end up earning less than if they had accommodated the client a bit and not charged for every little thing.

Hello Häuslebauer40, thank you for the response! Regarding the warranty: I do have it too when I have the bathroom and floor installed or laid separately by a craftsman I have commissioned. I will gather information in the next few days, compare prices, and take a closer look at the contracts again. I will report back as soon as I have learned more. I really don't like it at all when customers are taken for fools.

If you build with a general contractor, you can basically forget about comparing prices.
I've been through that already. Proper tile laying companies don't want to install DIY store materials either.
And the main problem is: if you remove tile and sanitary work afterward, you never get credited as much as it’s actually worth, and it’s far from enough to have the trades done by a professional company. It only makes sense if you can manage that in EGL.

Hello,

I've been through that already. Proper tile installation companies don’t want to install hardware store products either

That is also understandable, provided it concerns "the lowest price category" in the constructionmarket. If the builder goes to a constructionmaterials specialist store, (almost) every tiler will have no objection.

And the main problem is: if you remove tile and sanitary work afterwards, you will never get credited as much as it is actually worth and it won’t be nearly enough to have the trades carried out by a craft company.

That I cannot generally accept; this assessment may apply to your BU. As far as we are concerned, I can assure you that what is listed at the front in the offer will also be credited in the end in case of removal from the contract.

On the other hand, it is indeed the case that – if the tile trade is removed – it can hardly or not at all be carried out by another tile company at a price-neutral basis. This is partly due to the purchasing advantage and usually due to the size of the contracted tiling company and its labor costs. If the tile trade is to be removed, it is advisable to do so only if the work is actually carried out later in EL. According to all experience, the builder then does not save on the cost of the tiles, but he saves the labor costs by virtue of his own installation work.

Kind regards