I looked into joining them when I started building...Things you have to keep in mind - if you go to one of their "events" you must join that day or you you have to wait a year or two before they will let you join. I didnt much care for that tactict so I declined. I have heard both good and bad about them - if you are finishing a house, they may be a good route for you

I don't think you need to pay to get a good deal. It will require extra time to shop around. I have seen some negative posts about Direct Buy but don't know first hand. I would look for reviews to see what some of the members say.

We are Direct Buy members, we paid that enormous buy in and I though that we would never recoup it, but we will and then some. I've already priced out the light fixtures, flooring and appliances and that alone will cover the cost of membership and then some.........and we haven't even started on the furnishing. When you say your builder left you with only half the house built, it would be more helpful if you could elaborate..........is it dried in (windows, exterior doors, roofing and house wrap)? Or is it roughed in with your electrical run (minus fixtures), plumbing rough in (minus fixture) and is your drywall up? If you're at the finish stage (i.e. dry wall up, wiring pulled and in the boxes, plumbing stubbed out) and your subfloor and underlayment down.....in short you need to paint, tile, carpet, and trim work (base board, crown molding, hang doors, hardware) to finish up the house and get you CO, then Direct Buy might be a good source and help you save some money. If you're still in the rough in and still need inspections for plumbing, electrical, and hvac, then you're probably going to need to find another contractor.

Thanks so much for your thorough reply. He left the house 'dried in' and HVAC installed in the middle of the room, and sump pump broken. Can I ask what the cost range may be for joining? I'm assuming you are in the US, so fees will prob be higher in Canada.

Kathy, I think our buy in was somewhere around $4200 plus $145 annual membership fee. While it might be advantageous to "buy direct" when you start buying fixtures, tile, carpet, flooring, appliances,, etc, etc..... I'm not sure they carry things like wiring, electrical system components, copper tubing, insulation, dry wall....... you might check with them when you make your mandatory orientation visit (where they make the pitch and give you the one day opportunity to sign up (hard sell).........you might still be buying your basic building supplies from your local big box....I'll check tonight to see if they do have building materials that you can buy direct on the online site. To be honest, I never asked about those items.

Gosh, I didn't think it was that much. We'd need all cabinets, appliances, window furnishings, area rugs, flooring and such. I may need to get some quotes first before I seriously consider DirectBuy, as it sounds like I'd have to commit on the spot. My brain hurts already and we haven't even starts yet!! Thanks for all your help STK!

Wow... how much would a person have to spend to make that buy-in worthwhile?

Actually we knew people in our old neighborhood who bought their kitchen cabinets their, that alone paid for the membership and then some, and they just kept going from there.

But if they don't have the cabinets you are looking for, or the flooring, fixtures etc. then might not be worth it.

Thomas, can you elaborate on some of the manufacturers. I am looking for cabinets, wood flooring, tile, lighting, a whirlpool/air bath, sinks, faucets, everything for a complete remodel. It would be helpful to know if they carry any brands I am interested in.

Had some clients opt to buy their own materials from Direct Buy. We installed the interior doors. We had a terrible time with the interior doors, poorly hung, latches that didn't line up with strikes...good doors...bad workmanship for a pre-hung unit. They tried to get their kitchen cabinets there and the tile, but just couldn't get the help they needed to get it done. If I'm supplying material...I provide support on the front end with advice, oversight and years of experience. Then on the back end, I provide a warranty. Direct Buy closed their local outlet....my clients paid almost $10K (with their wasted buy in) for half that amount worth of doors. I think STK is a rare and incredibly well informed consumer.

Instead of going with DirectBuy, buy from the US, or at least get quotes from the US and try to get local retailers to match their prices. Canadian retailers need to be pushing back on their suppliers/reps/manufacturers. It's ridiculous that we pay up to 30% more than the US. A lot of building supplies, appliances, and furniture are made in the US and are therefore covered under NAFTA so you will not have to pay duty on them. Funny, it usually costs less to buy Canadian-made merchandise in the US than it does to buy the exact same Canadian-made merchandise in Canada (ex. lumber). Canadian retailers will try to scare you away from buying in the US-- their scare tactics are usually bogus. The only thing that might be true is that some warranties don't cross the border, however the savings are usually worth it.

Agreed, mnhughes. There is no reason for the price disparity here in Canada, it's ridiculous. Especially now when our dollar is so often at par or better at times.

Thank you mnhughes and kimdee24. I'm in Toronto so going to Buffalo may be an option for my appliances. Not sure how I can haggle for materials and cabinets with Cdn suppliers. I may have to do more homework.

Google it. There is plenty of info out the. (It's mostly a scam)

General rule of thumb: if the sales pitch is as heavy handed as a time share pitch, it's likely as big of a scam as a timeshare is. Not that some people don't benefit from a deal like that but for most folks, they end up ripped off.

Any time a first meeting is closed with " you have to buy now or miss this great one day/first time discount" you can know its probably not a good deal. If it was they wouldn't have to worry about their client taking time to educated themselves.