Buying a Stone Fireplace on eBay
eBay can be a great place to buy a Stone fireplaces. Many of the fireplaces put up for sale and auction can be amazing bargains!
Some manufacturers and importers use eBay to sell off fire surrounds that may not be quite suitable for resale in high street shops. This may be as small a problem as the shade of the stone colour, or a darker or lighter veining or a slightly different detail as compared to a showroom models on display. Dealing with hand made natural stone fireplaces, this kind of thing is inevitable due to the natural variation in quarried stones.
Other sellers save on the cost of retail premises and only sell on eBay. They need to trade on low overheads and low margins to be competitive. This means that you can bag a great bargain and save hundreds of pounds on the high street price.
It is however important to know exactly what you are buying a who is the seller, you need to ask both the seller and yourself some questions!
Before placing an order or a bid you need to know the following:
1. About the seller. Has the seller got a good track record? This is important! Check his or her feedback, see how long they have been trading on eBay. If you are not convinced, see if you can arrange to pay on collection or delivery. That way you get to inspect the goods before parting with your hard earned cash.
2. Is the seller an importer or is he a manufacturer, you may get more choice of size and specification from a manufacturer.
3. Is the fireplace made from real, natural stone. What type of stone is it? Is it a British stone or imported. British stone fireplaces are very desirable. Many fireplaces are imported from Portugal and I can attest that Portuguese limestone is a superb stone. Does the seller offer stone samples, this is not essential but can be nice.
Tip: Cast stone is NOT real stone! Cast stone fireplaces should be cheaper than the real thing.
4. Check the dimensions of the surround. Mark out the size on the wall where it is to be located. Take into account the depth of the mantle shelf and the hearth. Is this surround big enough, or small enough for your room and does it fit your chimney breast?
Tip: Try mocking up the fireplace using bits of wood and cardboard, this may be a fag, but it will give you a better idea of size and proportion.
5. Is this fireplace suitable for the type of fire you are going to install with it?
Tip: Fireplaces suitable for real coal or log burning fires need to be made to a higher specification. May need a deeper hearth and have the hearth cut into three pieces. (to aid expansion) Some fireplace may need to be slabbed ( backed with fireproof concrete) to cope with solid fuel.
Can the supplier prepare this surround for solid fuel?
6. What size has been left for the fireplace opening? Will the new appliance you are thinking of buying fit?
7. Why is the seller selling this fireplace on eBay, remember many sellers retail exclusively through eBay. Others only sell rejects or end of line designs, if this is the case check out the details. Has this particular fireplace been repaired or altered. This could be very minor and not necessarily a problem, and may be a good reason you are bagging such a bargain!
8. Does the fireplace come in one piece, if so how heavy is it? If it is in pieces make sure you know how many pieces, you don't want to buy a kit!
Tip: Stone fireplaces usually come in eight or so pieces, one hearth two legs (or jambs), a header, a mantle shelf and three slips. On some designs there may be one or two more or less pieces.
9. How is the fireplace fixed? Are fitting brackets supplied and are they pre-fitted to the stone?
10. Check on the delivery cost and details, stone fireplaces are heavy and can be quite fragile.
Using this check list you should be able to pinpoint the perfect eBay stone fireplace for you.
So go on, Bag a bargain now!
Installing a natural stone fireplace is really a job for an experienced installer. You can find these advertising in your local paper or in Yellow pages. They will usually charge much less than a high street shop.
If however you feel confidant about doing it yourself, read up the advice available on this site and on the internet before taking the plunge!