Hardware Store, Specialist Shop or Hire: Where to Go

For renovation projects, what's often missing is the material, the tools, or sometimes the time. Knowing which supplier is right for which job saves you unnecessary trips — and often considerable expense.

The new shelf needs putting up, the bathroom could do with a fresh coat of paint, the decking needs replacing. The first instinct is almost always to head to the nearest DIY store. Often that's the right call — but not always.

DIY stores, specialist retailers, tool hire companies and tradespeople all cover different needs, and the differences are bigger than many people assume. This overview shows when each option is the better choice.

DIY stores: the all-rounder for everyday jobs

For the vast majority of DIY projects, the DIY store is exactly right. The range covers everything that regularly comes up around the house: paints and varnishes, fixings, tools, plumbing accessories, electrical items, garden supplies and building materials in household quantities.

The strengths:

• Everything in one place, without multiple trips

• Long opening hours, usually including Saturdays

• Small quantities with no minimum order

• Advice for common, standard questions

• Extra services such as cutting, paint mixing and tool hire

The limitations:

• For larger material quantities, specialist retailers are often cheaper

• For specific requirements, the depth of advice is limited

• A broad range comes at the expense of choice within each category

What to look out for at your local DIY store:

Not every branch stocks the same range. Especially with timber, tiles and sanitaryware, branches of the same chain can differ significantly. Check availability online or by phone beforehand — it saves a wasted trip.

Also look out for the service counters: timber cutting, paint mixing and key cutting aren't available everywhere and often have their own opening hours, shorter than those of the store itself.

When it's worth using a specialist retailer

Once quantity or quality requirements increase, specialist retailers become worth considering.

Builders' merchants

For cement, sand, gravel, screed, insulation or bricks, you'll usually get a better price at a builders' merchant — and you'll have the goods delivered rather than transporting them yourself pallet by pallet. For anything from around half a pallet upwards, it's worth comparing prices.

Another advantage: builders' merchants offer practical, experience-based advice. If you describe what you're planning, you'll often be told that a different material would suit better — a level of advice you won't get from a self-service shelf.

Timber merchants and sawmills

For solid wood, larger sheet cutting or specific timber types, a timber merchant is the right place to go. For decking boards and structural timber too, quality and choice are usually far better than what you'll find on a DIY store shelf.

Tile merchants, plumbing suppliers, electrical wholesalers

These businesses traditionally work with tradespeople, but many now also sell to private customers. Just ask — the range is typically many times larger than what a DIY store carries.

Tools: buy or hire?

The most expensive decision in DIY is often buying a tool for a one-off project.

Rule of thumb: If you're likely to need something fewer than three times, hire it. If it comes up every year, buying is worth it.

Where you can hire:

• DIY stores with their own hire service — handy, since material and tools come from a single trip

• Specialist tool hire companies — bigger choice, often better equipment, usually cheaper for multi-day hire

• Tool libraries and repair cafés — available in some towns, often for a small fee or membership charge

Always check when hiring: whether the hire charge is calculated by the hour, day or working day. A Friday afternoon to Monday morning slot is charged as one hire day by some providers and as three by others. Also ask about deposits, insurance, and whether consumables such as sandpaper or drill bits are included.

Cutting services: underrated and often decisive

Many projects don't fail because of the material, but because of transport and precise cutting.

Most DIY stores offer a timber cutting service, often free or for a small fee per cut. The benefit is twofold: you get exact measurements with clean edges, and the pieces fit in the car.

What to look out for:

• Bring a sketch with all the measurements, not just a list. Misunderstandings over cutting are the most common source of frustration.

• Factor in the saw blade width — when making several cuts from one sheet, a few millimetres are lost with each cut.

• Ask about the tolerance. DIY store cutting is rarely millimetre-precise; for visible furniture parts, a joinery might be the better choice.

Glass cutting, edge banding and key cutting are also services many stores offer but rarely advertise prominently.

Disposal: the forgotten part of the project

Every renovation produces waste — and disposal is more strictly regulated in Germany than many people assume.

What you should know:

• Rubble doesn't belong in household waste. Recycling centres often accept smaller quantities for a fee; for larger amounts you'll need a skip.

• Bulky waste is collected by most local councils on request, often free of charge, usually with several weeks' notice required. Book early.

• Leftover paint and varnish counts as hazardous waste and belongs at the hazardous waste collection point or recycling centre.

• Old timber is classified by contamination level; treated wood must not be disposed of in the same way as untreated wood.

• Suspected asbestos in old flooring or roof panels: this is where DIY stops. Removal is restricted to specialist firms and subject to strict regulations.

Hiring a skip: For bigger projects, a skip is worthwhile. Check in advance whether you need a special permit to place it on public land — in many councils you do, and the application takes time to process.

When you should hire a tradesperson

Some things aren't a question of skill, but of regulations.

Don't do it yourself:

• Electrical work beyond swapping a socket — work on the household wiring is restricted to registered electricians

• Gas pipework — always a specialist firm, no exceptions

• Structural changes, such as openings in load-bearing walls

• Roof work without fall protection

• Asbestos and hazardous material removal

Borderline cases where advice is worthwhile:

• Plumbing: connecting a washbasin is doable; working on rising mains is not.

• Heating: replacing a thermostat, yes; anything beyond that, no.

• Window installation: technically demanding, and mistakes often only show up years later as damp damage.

For rented properties, there's an added factor: structural changes need the landlord's approval. Get this in writing before you start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the DIY store more expensive than a specialist retailer? For small quantities, usually not — the DIY store is often cheaper there, since specialist retailers set minimum order quantities. Above a certain volume, the balance shifts. It's worth comparing prices once the material value reaches around 200 to 300 euros.

Can I buy from a wholesaler as a private customer? Increasingly, yes. Many specialist retailers have set up their own areas for private customers. Just ask directly — the answer is often more positive than expected.

How do I find out whether a tool is available to hire? Call ahead. Online availability listings for hire equipment are rarely up to date, and popular items such as floor sanders are often fully booked at weekends.

Is DIY store cutting worth it compared with a joinery? For straight cuts on sheet material, yes. For visible furniture parts, mitre cuts or special shapes, a joinery is more precise and often the better investment in the end.

Conclusion

The right place to go depends less on the project itself than on its scale. For everyday jobs, the DIY store remains the most practical solution — everything in one place, with no minimum quantities. Once it comes to larger material quantities, specific qualities or specialist advice, the specialist retailer has the edge. And for tools you only need once, hiring is almost always the more sensible choice over buying.

What many underestimate: the cutting service and disposal often determine whether a project runs smoothly. Both should be planned for before you buy the material — not afterwards.

You'll find DIY stores, builders' merchants, tool hire companies, joineries and tradespeople in your city in the directory at Die Besten der Stadt.