Power and hand tools; fixtures and fittings; knobs, knockers and doorbells. Lighting, electrical, plumbing and decorating.
Probably the best known DIY suppliers here are B&Q, Wickes, Homebase and Screwfix.
Wickes has a decent range for DIY and smaller building companies, in most trades including electrical, plumbing and heating as well as tools and fixings, but not all of their stock is available to buy on the internet. You can view most of it, but only buy some of it. Homebase has a much larger number of DIY and light building products available online, but is aimed more at the home DIY enthusiast than the small builder.
B&Q have a huge range of 35,000 products, including kitchens and bathrooms as well as tools, outbuildings and other DIY materials in plumbing, electrical carpentry and other trades. Everything can be viewed online, where you can also build project shopping lists. You can then check stock at your local store. About 6,000 of the 35,000 products can also be ordered online for home delivery. Unusually and very helpfully, if you register you can even design a kitchen online using their kitchen planner.
Screwfix has a bigger range of most tools and fixings and everything is available online. Their deliveries are very quick (next day if you order before 6pm) and free for orders over £50 (otherwise from £5). Definitely worth a look. Tooled-up are quite similar in many respects and are worth checking for price comparison, but they do charge for all deliveries and are not as quick as Screwfix. Their power tools are often cheaper than Screwfix, but work out about the same by the time you add delivery charges. If you are buying more than one power tool at a time, Tooled-up can be cheaper than Screwfix, even allowing for delivery.
Look out, too, for the Screwfix clearance specials, which can be very cheap indeed.
If you want bigger tools, such as industrial or agricultural equipment or tools for the bigger workshop, you will probably find what you want at Northern Tools and Equipment. They also do a huge variety of the more traditional ranges of hand and power tools and frequently offer better prices than Screwfix or Tooled-Up. They are not as quick as Screwfix and some of their products are sent direct from the manufacturer. You also have to be careful to compare total prices including delivery, which is charged, but certainly worth comparing with the more obvious suppliers for most tools. Northern can even supply tools from America if they meet UK standards.
Some of the DIY suppliers supply tools and equipment across most trades, but specialise in one or more product ranges. DIY Tools is an example. They add 'shops' specialising in things like knobs and knockers, doorbells and outbuildings, including greenhouses, sheds etc, to their fair selection of tools, fixings and accessories for the bathroom. They also usually have a discount code, so it is worth checking. Check Maplin, too, for a few small electrical, craft and hobbyist tools.
Several of the suppliers including B&Q, Screwfix and Homebase sell switches, power sockets and other electrical equipment but the specialists are Neweysonline, part of Newey & Eyre, a major electrical wholesaler. If you get your order in by 8pm they will deliver next working day, free if the order is over £50.
Even more specialized are hotfloors, who sell electric underfloor heating that is made in Scandinavia, where they have been experts at doing this sort of thing for a long time. We have searched around and have chosen hotfloors for besthighstreet because we think you you find their quality and prices hard to beat.