Hello!
Petrovich Trade House is a construction hypermarket that's pretty well-known in St. Petersburg, but not so much in Moscow. When my family and I decided to tackle some home renovations, we did our research on the local construction hypermarkets. Many of them have online stores, loyalty programs, and a wide range of products. But, as we soon found out, it's just impossible to buy everything you need in one place.
Petrovich warehouseI'll be sharing the nitty-gritty details of our shopping and renovation experience, including the challenges we faced, how to deal with defects, and the return process.
So, Petrovich, what's on the agenda for today?
Today's agenda is to check out the current promotions. What sets Petrovich apart from the competition, and what makes it worth visiting?
1. Petrovich points. Having a Petrovich card is a real plus, but you need to accumulate 20,000 rubles' worth of receipts to get it. That means buying products at full price.
Petrovich loyalty programTo join the loyalty program, you need to pay for products without discounts. But once you have the card, you'll get not only discounts on all products but also points. The points system is pretty straightforward: for every 4 points, you can exchange them for:
gift certificates from major retailers
I love that you can pay with Petrovich points up to 100% + 1 ruble per item
You can even use points to pay for delivery and lift services.
Points don't get credited right away, it takes a few days.
Invoice envelopeBut if you paid with points, they get burned when you return the item.
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2. Competitive prices on the market. Despite the unique bonus program, prices are sometimes lower than in other stores.
Petrovich fan club :-)3. Huge selection. You can find everything from materials for rough finishing to finished materials at Petrovich - electricity, plumbing, facade materials.
4. Super cheap delivery, unloading, and lift rates. They're unbeatable in this regard. I've never seen such low prices and fast service.
5. Convenient online store. One of the most complete and well-developed ones, I'd say the same about the app.
6. Their logistics complex, which minimizes delivery issues as much as possible.
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➸ On material quality.
Petrovich is a big hypermarket, and some items are even produced in-house - we bought tiles for our kitchen, and the packaging said:
«Made in China on order for Petrovich Standard»
I remember when we were doing the rough build, we'd buy a ton of materials from there. After saving up enough, we'd get a card and exchange the points for materials. The drywall, cement, electrical, and other materials for the rough build were fine, but things got interesting when it came to the finish build.
☘ Flooring.
The flooring in the kitchen was great, no complaints there. I wanted a white floor tile in the hallway, but now I'm crying over it – it's almost impossible to find nice white floor tile that doesn't have any imperfections. It's either got water spots or a glossy finish. My idea was to cover the hallway, bathroom, and toilet with white floor tile. We finally found some at Petrotex, but I still didn't like the texture, and my husband convinced me.
flooring in the kitchen, laminate in the dining areaThe white floor tile turned out to be a disaster in every way. My husband laid it himself, did a great job, no air bubbles, on a heated floor. After laying it, even before sealing the gaps, one of the tiles cracked. It was really disappointing. A few months later, the same tile cracked all the way across the wall, where no one walks and the door is even stuck. I've had a personal nightmare taking care of this tile!
crack/split in the tileTaking care of this tile has been my personal hell!
I tried to clean this tile, but it was a nightmare. Cleaning 5 square meters of floor took an hour, and it barely came clean. The tile has a smooth, textured surface, and any tiny speck of dust gets stuck in it like it's been polished for years. I even tried using white spirit to clean it, but it was a losing battle. I ended up just wiping it down like the rest of my floors, and I'm done with trying to make it shine.
crack☘ Laminate flooring.
I bought laminate flooring in both brown and white. The brown one was pretty pricey, but it had defects – there were cracks in the pack. We didn't bother returning it, since about 5 planks out of the whole order had issues (that's almost a whole pack). Luckily, we had some extra. The white one was a more affordable option, and it's a decent laminate. However, it's super delicate. We used it on the floor in one room and also to cover one wall.
☘ Doors.
We bought some cheap doors, and they felt like cardboard. The installation was straightforward, but if you need a partition between rooms, you might want to look elsewhere. If you're looking for doors, get them from a different place.
interior doors☘ Shelving in the sauna.
But here's the thing - my husband ordered a top-of-the-line MDF panel. This is supposed to be one of the best, knot-free options. He asked the sales manager about knots, and the manager said that there would always be some, but they'd be fewer in number. Check out the photo with the "few knots". How many knots do you think are in a lower-grade panel, then?
knots on the MDF panel from Petrotex in the saunaSince the panel comes packaged with only the top and bottom planks visible, it wasn't possible to assess the product in-store. But once we opened it up, it was clear that there were a lot of knots. My husband started assembling the sauna, but things quickly took a turn for the worse - the planks were warped and twisted. He spent hours wrestling with the wall, and eventually decided to return the panel. However, since he'd already opened all the packaging to inspect it, the store refused to take it back at first.
The MDF panel from Petrotex, riddled with knotsDon't be afraid to stand up for your right to return a low-quality product - push it to the end.
My husband got pretty worked up and started yelling, but luckily Petrotex values its reputation and didn't want to deal with the negative reviews. They ended up taking back the entire order, minus the parts that were already assembled, and refunded our money.
For comparison, here's a photo of a panel we bought from a different store, at the same price.
Plywood bought from another supplier☘ Artificial stone.
We also bought the stone and grout for the final finish in the bathroom and kitchen. The stone was of good quality, and the price was one of the cheapest on the market. The installation was done without any issues, and I have no complaints. The color palette is good. We also bought the stone for the living room wall under the TV. I've included a photo in the review about IKEA (at the very end).
Artificial stone in the bathroom➸ Based on my personal experience, my recommendations for materials are:
✅ The tile selection at Petrotex is vast, but the quality is not the best
✅ The rough material selection is excellent, with a wide range to choose from
✅ When choosing the final finish, pay attention to the quality, don't order online, see it in person. The color often doesn't match the monitor and in person.
✅ I wouldn't recommend buying sanitary ware there, although our toilet is from Petrotex. My husband likes it, but I don't like the level of whiteness, it's a bit yellow.
✅ The only minus when it comes to wood is the quality! It's only suitable for rough finishes
✅ It's not always the case, but it's worth considering that we bought the cheapest option. If you have the means, choose a more expensive product, it's usually of better quality.
✅ If you've bought five rolls of wallpaper and used four, you can return one. In home improvement stores, the extended return period is a lifesaver. It's way better to grab an extra roll and return it than to risk not finding the right one later.
✅ For products like doors and plumbing fixtures, I highly recommend buying from specialty stores. The quality is noticeably better.
Petrovich's loyalty program➸ On the cost of renovations.
When you're in the middle of a renovation, you'll likely hire a team of contractors. According to the rules, the project manager should provide a detailed estimate, but be prepared for the fact that it's impossible to accurately calculate the cost of materials. There are several reasons for this:
1. Not all the work is included in the estimate. And as the saying goes, "work equals materials."
2. You change your mind and decide to paint the walls instead of putting up wallpaper? That's going to cost you twice as much.
3. Natural inflation. Prices tend to rise during the summer months, and since renovations can take anywhere from a few months to a year, the costs can add up quickly.
4. In any case, there will be additional work, and it's best to budget an extra 20% for contingencies.
5. You might not be able to find the materials you need in the quantities you need them, and you'll end up paying more.
6. When buying a property that needs renovation, make sure to include a clause in the sales contract stating that the property is being sold "as-is" and requires renovation. This way, you can claim a refund of up to 13% of the renovation costs, but no more than 280,000 rubles. Of course, this only applies if you're working officially and paying taxes in Russia.
The Top League from PetrichorThese extra costs will give you a headache, mainly financially. If you decide to do the renovation, make sure to factor these points into your budget so you don't run out of money mid-project. Even if you're doing the renovation yourself, without a team, it doesn't change the points above.
We budgeted N for the renovation, but when we added up all the receipts, we ended up with N*2. And we were doing the renovation ourselves.
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➸ How to Save Without Sacrificing.
1. Buy materials in winter, preferably in January. It's the dead season for construction, and there's a shortage of customers in hardware stores. It's better to buy ahead of time and save money than to overpay. Buying in bulk won't hit your wallet as hard.
2. If you're not handy, hire a trusted team. This will definitely save you money on redoing your mistakes, re-buying materials, and time you could've spent elsewhere. And leave the plumbing to the professionals if you don't want to flood your neighbors.
3. The penny-pincher pays twice over! This old adage is more relevant than ever. Buy with a buffer and be prepared to return it.
4. Don't be afraid to return items and check with the store about their return policy.
Important! If there are items with a warranty in the receipt, and the store takes it back, make sure to get the receipt back and ask them to make a copy. You have a warranty on the receipt!
5. Painting walls is cheaper than putting up wallpaper, but you can also paint wallpaper...)
6. I've dug deep to find the best deals, and now we've got exclusive discounts.
7. Don't assume the cheapest option is always the worst. For instance, laminate flooring is just as good as the more expensive alternatives.
8. Don't rush into it. Rushing can have disastrous consequences, like installing wallpaper on damp walls, which can lead to mold growth. You'll end up spending a fortune on mold removal and a new renovation.
9. I'm sure this isn't news to anyone, but buying on sale is always a good idea. There's nothing wrong with choosing a material with a discount. We bought laminate flooring at half the price. I was on the lookout for deals, and if there wasn't anything available, I'd just wait.
After all, we followed tip #1 and bought everything in advance.
pencils and paper, very convenientFriends, home renovation is a massive and super relevant topic. I've already written a lot, but I've got a million more thoughts. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I love anything related to construction and renovation. I've made Petrich my go-to for this, and I highly recommend them!
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`’☆, ,,★,,,..☆’..`★`’☆, ,,★,,,..☆’..`★`’☆, ,,★,,,..☆’..`★
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IF YOU NEED THE DISCOUNT CARD NUMBER, MESSAGE ME IN PERSON. PETRICH'S "HIGHEST LEAGUE" CARD
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My reviews of home goods:
IKEA – my home away from home
The Samsung washing machine with auto dose was a game-changer for me.
I was blown away by the Moulinex bread maker - it's a real find for anyone who loves baking.
My Mounfield built-in mini dishwasher has been a revelation - the first time I used it, I was amazed by the results.