Cheapest Materials?

Question

Where do you normally go to get supplies to do a rehab?

I'm still trying to find where to get less expensive supplies like Flooring, cabnets, countertops, paint and the like.

I don't have a contractors license or such, and have been told by a few people there's plenty of places out there that have deep discounts on supplies.

Account Closed · Answer

The big box stores rarely have the best prices or the best quality.

There is a lumber yard that most of the contractors use for their lumber. They deliver and it is all good and I don't have to waste my time picking through it, trying to find straight boards that aren't split or damaged.

Plywood comes from a different lumber yard.

Roofing comes from the roofing supply store where the roofing contractors by their roofing. I get better stuff, more selection, fast roof top delivery, and the material isn't damaged. Plus they hae all the niggledy little parts and trims that are needed. The big stores don't even carry ice shield.

Lowe's has the best prices on carpet, vinyl, and appliances in my area.

For kitchen cabuinets, I would ask a local cabinet builder to give me an estimate for "landlord" cabinets.  I'd rather pay him to make me cabinets out of pine plywood than to pay just as much for the pressed sawdust junk from the big box stores, with some asembly required. (and I can repair and re-paint almost any cabinet, so I don't buy new very often)

Countertops, a local business can usually give you a much better price on corian.

I get better tile at the tile store. Color Tile is often good, but some of the other guys will have super deals on their small lots remainders. I only use porcelain, but the big box stores run good sprecials on cheap ceramic, if it happens to be the look and durability you want.

There's a local discount wood flloor place that sells prefinished hard wood flooring with good selection and good prices, but raw hardwoods, I go direct to the mill (which would only be for top of the line, to pay for all the finishing when pre-finished is so easy.)

Some of these guys, I can call and order and I'll get just whay I want delevered. That makes up for some of the time of driving around to shop.

A for driving around: just the right material can make a world of difference over one that is "almost as good, but not quite"

Do it once, do it right.

Adam Logan · Answer

Hardwood floors Lowes 1.78 a SF machined oak.  10% off coupons help.

Tubs tile, showers, cabinets can be painted for a very reasonable price by people in my line of work, in a day.

I Never replace cabinets, I fix themand laminate them in wod venner and have the doors made custom.  Here is my secret link http://www.sierracabinetdoor.com

Cheapest BY FAR.  Made in Mexico, he ships them in and out from TExas.  ike 10 types of wood and you design yourself with 25 possibilities.

Vanities:  Paint them.  Use melamine home dept aint and a auto spray gun if possible. replace anything broken it will be hidden by paint.

Appliances:  USED

Tile:  Now I paint them and just get the cheapest money can buy, even mismatched colors.  Before I got it at a supply shop up the street.  50 cents a sf and up.  Typically, your gonna pay a buck or more for decent tile no  matter what.

Pergo:  Same place.  .69  cents a foot.

Cabinet pulls, ceiling tile, pool pumps, crown molding:  EBAY!  Lots of knock off fake products that look real.  25 cents a foot for platic crown, .99 a sf metallic painted ceiling tile, even the real thing was way cheaper.  Solid nickel cabinet bar pulls were like 8 each, 12 inches long.  For expensive decorative stuff, check ebay for alternatives.  Also, a good alternative to ceiling tile is ceiling tile textured WALLPAPER. probably 20 cents a SF at lowes.  Looks good as a wainscot too.

Paint:  WAL MART!!  9.99 a gallon for color place paint.  READ CAREFULLY;  ITS MADE BY SHERWIN WILLIAMS!!!!  Good paint for theprice!  Better than ANY glidden.

Doors:  Flea market.

Garage doors:  Used in newspaper

Tools:  Harbor freight, or online at NORTHERN TOOL!  Cheapo knockoffs that last long enough to let you not care when they break.

Best investment EVER:  Graco airless spray paint gun.  5 gallon bucket design.  600 bucks Home Depot, the outside of a house was done in 2 hours, the inside in an hour.

Or, pick up an HVLP gun and 4 stage turbine compressor and learn to paint your tubs and such.  I did, now its my business.  Theres your best material place there.  50 bucks to redo a tub TOPS, 200 for a counter tops, 100 to repaint your cabinets tops, probably 20 cents a SF to do tile tops, BUT its not as easy as it sounds, it really takes skill.  You can use midwest chemicals for the chemicals, about the best. The gun will cost around 900-1200 for the kit, both the hose, turbine and gun.  But, the gun will pay for itself inone jobIF you can paint without runs or dryspray in your paintjob.   They will guide you on the phone to kind of tell you what to use at midwest.  I don't recommend te risk unless you canrent anhvlp rig and see if you have the inborn talent to paint, because most people cant just pick up one and paint a tub.  Counters are easier though, cabinets are hard like a tub.  Most likely you will try it once and never do it again without guidance.  Its so hard to do a tub, I STILL get runs time to time, luckily I can fix them with a little device i rigged up.  But on a scale of 1-10 its probably a 8-9 in difficulty as a beginner.  And, the chemicals are so TOXIC 3 minutes around the fumes without a respirator and you will be struggling for air for 2 days.  It can kill you!  Not like rust oleum, this stuff is NASTY.

Eric Foster · Answer

Yes, you probably can get discounts at certain places…

Larger items like carpet and cabinets you could shop around. Other than that… I go to Home Depot.

I have found that all the extra time and effort “looking” for the best deal doesn’t really help that much, and for me, is not worth the effort and extra time.

Im ok knowing that I paid an extra $1000 or so for supplies and materials, but was able to make it easier, while not spending days shopping around and driving in circles picking stuff up.

I would rather use that time looking for my next deal, instead of trying to save a couple bucks.

Account Closed · Answer

If you are rehabbing, not a rental, you can make killer oak butcher block counter tops out of raw oak flooring.

Phil * · Answer

95% of materials I get from Home Depot / Lowes.  If I want decent Door knobs I goto handlesets.com or there network of home improvement sites (www.faucetsdirect.com, lightingdirect.com, ect ..)  Ive got some really nice but cheap cabinet hardware from Ocean State Job Lot (discount store).  And I've baught some things on eBay.

J Scott · Answer

By the way, if you ever make purchases at Home Depot for more than $2500, go to the Contractor's Desk and ask about the "Pro Bid Desk."

Basically, they will take your materials list, send it to the corporate office, and give you back a discounted total price for your materials.  Generally, this discount will be somewhere between 15-40%.

For example, I went into HD earlier this week with a $2900 order (retail HD prices) for doors and windows for a couple projects, and ended up paying about $2100 for the order, for about 25% discount.

J Scott · Answer

I have a materials list that is mostly Home Depot.  This allows me to give my list to my contractor and he only has to go to one place to purchase most of the materials (saves both of us time and money vs. having to run around to different places).

For some things, find a specialty store.  For example, I have a carpet store where I get all my carpet, and the owner gives me good deals because I keep coming back.  My contractors can walk in there, mention the carpet is for me, and get the good price -- the store owner knows what brand/color/style I use, so there's never any confusion.

For very inexpensive appliances, try Best Buy.  You can get a set of stainless steel (the fake stainless) for about $2000, which includes tax and delivery -- this includes fridge, oven, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer.

For paint, set up an account at Duron or Sherwin Williams, and send your contractors.  The account should list the colors/brands/types of paint you use, so there's never any confusion for the contractors.

Do the same for flooring (find a good specialty store and negotiate)...since a good % of my costs are flooring, some negotiation and long-term relationships can go a long way.

Terry Sprouse · Answer

If you really want to get the cheapest materials, you should shop at the Habitat for Humanity stores where you can find good materials for bargain basement prices.

I have purchased new-looking kitchen cabinets, doors, dishwashers, toilets, etc. for a fraction of the cost of Loew's and Home Depot.  The materials are donated by contractors who have removed them other properties.

Here is a link to find Habitat stores in your area.
http://www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore.aspx

Me Chan · Answer

If you go to homedepot moving and lowes moving sites you can request them. You can also get them when you do your change of address online via the usps website.
If you sign up with lowes's and homedepot's websites you will get coupons occasionally was well

Aly W. · Answer

I've bought those coupons on eBay as well. Lowe's and Home Depot will honor each other's coupons.

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