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The following are tips and links regarding home remodeling. I do not get kick backs or referral commissions of any kind for these recomendations . . . although I am open to the idea . . . :-)
These are simply products, businesses and services that make renovations and resale more cost-effective and efficient - and that means more dollars added to your bottom line:
yes, it is mostly a scan-design, modern-style mega-store but there are some great products that make a renovation project look like a million bucks without spending a fortune. I specifically recommend their cabinets, hardware and motorized drawer glides that can give a rich look and feel with a low price. There is a learning curve with their cabinet assembly and intsallation, but their video is very helpful. I really like their stock item double bowl, apron front percelain sink. This $300 sink looks like the ones you will pay $1000 for anywhere else, and they work very well with do-it-yourself, pre-fabricated granite countertops. (See Pic.)
I like the big HD for most of my building materials and garden supplies. I am not as thrilled about their in-stock cabinetry choices but the hardware (hinges) on their cabinets are the best of the big box stock cabinets. Their faucet and sink choices have improved in the last couple years and their lighting and appliance selections are a lot better than they used to be. I love the stainless steel range hoods that most HD stores have in stock. They are sleek, modern and very affordable! Check out this unit for $350. Another strong point for Home Depot is their tool rental counter. When I need a specialized tool like a floor sander or a concrete saw, I rent one. Their rental counter is convienient and efficient. They are open the same hours as the store so you can pick up a tool at 8:30pm if you need, and return it the next night after working all day. The best thing about The Home Depot though is their financing. They have a great 6-12 month no-interest/no-payment plan attached to their credit card. Any time you spend $300 or more on your HD credit card, they automatically process the going promotion (6 or 12 months) and the best part is that if you are not spending $300 on a visit for lightbulbs and paint brushes, you can simply buy a gift card to bring the total to $300 or more and the whole thing gets deferred! Sweeeeeet! Then on return trips, you use the gift cards for small purchases. Make sure to pay the balance before the term ends to avoid getting whacked with a nasty interest charge! Another cool thing about the Depot is that they will deliver to your driveway for about 50-60 bucks. Also, make sure to sign up on-line for occaisinal 10% off coupons or get a friend who works there to tell you about the friends and family 10% off weekends that happen a few times a year.
I prefer Lowe's over the Big Orange warehouse for lighting, knobs, appliances and cabinets. Like the Depot, they also have cheap delivery and some occaisional 10% discount coupons. I apply on-line for the "moving coupon" every time I get a new property. Their credit card no-interest and deferred payment plan is not automatic and you have to watch your bills close! I have had 3 or 4 statements that showed full interest charges when I had used the deferred program offered in the store. A quick call each time to Lowe's credit services straightened it out, but it's anoying.
This on-line company in California specializes in pre-fabricated granite countertops. That means that they have already fabricated the edges and polished the front and side of a slab. Make sure to look at their specials and shipping discounts. With one helper and an $80.00 (Work Force) 4-inch blade wet saw from Home Depot I have installed MANY granite countertops. They give a kitchen or bathroom a fantastic, expensive look for about 75% less than custom granite. Home Depot is trying to compete in this space with their new "Granite-To-Go" displays. This is a great start but Home Depot only has a couple color choices and only one edge style. I always prefer a flat-polish edge if I am going to do a kitchen with angles. In larger cities in the US, you can find pre-fab granite importers where you can actually pick out the slabs you want and take them home that day. Look in the yellow pages and ask around. I detail the do-it-yourself granite counter process in my Maximum R.O.I. Renovation DVD. This is a great way to spend a dollar and make back three!
Sears is my favorite choice for in-stock, nicer appliances. When I am renovating a nice home that has a more selective audience, I like Jen-Air and Kitchen Aid. These are respected brands when you don't have the budget for Wolf, Sub-Zero or Viking. A few times a year, Sears will run specials where they give 20% off if you buy 3 appliances. They also have some great prices on close-out and model clearances. Sears also has good tools and a good return policy. Sears sometimes offers 6 or 12 month no-interest promotions.
This chain has many locations throughout the country and an on-line store. Their tag line is "...Quality tools at the lowest prices..." In reality It should say, "Mediocre tools at the lowest prices." If you are going to do a lot of renovating I would recomend buying better brands at better stores. Harbor Freight is a great place for tarps, gloves, bits, files and pneumatic fittings. They have lots of cheap, Chinese power tools that do the job, but will frustrate the serious remodeller. If you only break out your toolbox a couple times a year then Harbor Freight might have some great solutions for you. I have a metal chop saw I bought there for 50 bucks that has really helped on 3 different projects but it is not a daily driver! I also have a compressor and a few pneumatic tools I purchased there that work well for my limited needs. It's great to have the tools but I'm glad I didn't pay big money for such infrequent use. I have also had some tools stolen and I'm sure glad they were not DeWalt.
This organization has gotten some bad press if you look for a while on-line but I have had good experiences with them. They recruit college-age young people to bid jobs, hire other students and paint houses. (good article here) In the summer of 2007 I had 2 different crews paint two of my investment homes. I haggled with them on price (I got $800 - $1000 knocked off each bid.) I also got personal refferences that were quite happy with their work. The crews were friendly, eager young people that seemed to know what they were doing. They did my jobs at the end of summer so maybe that helped with their experience level. I was at the job sites every day and I pointed out details and special concerns as they came up. The end results were great and the paint was a good quality Sherwin Williams exterior product. I would deffinitely use them again and would watch close, as I do with all my subcontractors. The total cost was about $4,000 for each house including materials. I Chose the 2-year warranty instead of the 5-year, so we'll see how the job holds up over time. See my Renovation page for before and after pics.
I obtain a home warranty on every property I buy or sell. If I purchase a home or condo and the seller won't pay for one, then I buy it. I also pay for one when I sell. This is one of the best investments you can make! A $300-$400 warranty will cover repairs on most of a property's systems like plumbing, heating and electrical and most appliances. There is usually a co-pay of $50 or so, but what a bargain! I reccomend First American because they have been the easiest to work with when I need a repair. They pay their subcontracted technicians well enough that they have many service providers willing to help in each area of the country. Alliance Home Warranty is actually a part of First American and they are good too. I have also had good experiences with RAM and American Home Sheild. I tell people to avoid AON at all cost. They were a nightmare to deal with the only time our paths crossed. One of their few service providers told me that they don't pay their technicians well, although they charge about the same as the other warranty plans. They have a hard time finding service providers which translates to bad service for the policy holder.
Ross Dress for Less (now in 27 states) has made a name for itself in the close-out clothing industry. This site is not about fashion, and although I have gotten some sweet deals at Ross on snowboard clothing and surfboard shorts, I highlight the store here because they have cheap decor. When selling a house, especially in a flat or down market it is important to appeal to the broadest range of buyers. A vacant, plain home is a tougher sell. Home builders spend thousands of dollars for interior designers to make their homes look more inviting. With a few towels, nick knacks and window treatments, a house can sell faster and for more money. I do not spend lots of money or time on "staging" a house for sale. (See examples on the Decorating for Non-metrosexuals page) You don't have to create a model home but it has to have some defined spaces. On a $500K house I might spend $1,500 and use a couple items from my own home like a leather chair or couch. Very often, nice details (like a small, writers desk with a lamp and a book) can take a buyer's eye off negative details like small rooms or dark spaces. I usually take the decorator items to the next home I have for sale but sometimes a buyer will ask for the decor in the purchase contract. It's all negotiable to me and if I haven't spent a fortune, I don't mind letting go. Once I had a buyer insist that a condo purchase included "all the furnishings." It was a good offer and all the furnishings combined had only totalled about two thousand bucks. The furnishings made the sale and I made plenty of money. T.J.Maxx is a compettitor with Ross and has similar quality close-out stuff that helps homes appeal to buyers. Again, for examples, see the Decor page.
This is another good store for cheap staging. They have good-looking, inexpensive furniture that might not hold up to serious family wear and tear but it does the trick to help sell a home. My only complaint is that they don't take American Express (milage points dude!!!) Big Lots also has cheap art prints, frames and other stuff to create a designer look without breaking the bank.
Target does a better job than Wally World or K-Mart (Kame-a-Part) at putting together bed, bath and other decorator items that look good and don't cost too much. Their stuff is a bit more expensive than Ross or Big Lots but can help your properties look good and sell faster without paying design store prices. For non-metrosexual dudes or women without design taste this is a great way to stage a house because Target groups components that work well together so you don't have to think about it. I have taken some jokes about my "decorating" in the last few years - not that it's bad. It's just that I'm a guy. All I can say is that if it means a quick sale and a few extra thousand bucks in your pocket, even macho guys can suck it up and buy some curtains, candles and fluffy towels.
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