Low-cost materials

[Stephon Blackwell]

Where do you get the best low-cost, high quality materials for your projects? Do you often recycle unused materials from previous projects?

I've heard from a few posters on scam.com that if you're a rehabber, DirectBuy is a good place to get low-cost materials. Is that true?

Do specialty stores usually have the lowest prices or are you able to get more for your money at big retailers such as Home Depot and Lowes?

[Frank Adams]

Direct Buy??? I thought they were a high initiation fee scammer outfit.

My best sources have been the ReHab stores of Habitat For Humanity, yard sales (particularly higher end subdivisions) and close out sales. Knowing that I had a fair amount of places with small 4' X 6' entryways, 6' X 8' bathrooms and 8' X 12' kitchens, I was always picking up leftover ceramic tiles for next to nothing. I'd stick them in my garage until the need arose.

Knowing that I had a re-roof coming up I bought a 50# box of roofing nails for $5 at ReHab store, as well as mismatched (oops) paint for next to nothing.

Where we lived in Houston there were no yard sales allowed except for a HOA sanctioned ($10 permit) once a year. I bought a $2 toilet, a $1 towel rack set and a free sink top and faucet for a 1/2 bath I was adding to a rehab I was working on.

There was also a guy in the subdivision getting ready to do his kitchen and had one or two of his old cabinets sitting outside. I called a buddy who I knew would want them and he got the entire kitchen cabinet set up for FREE. He ended up using them within a couple of months!

Frank