What Products Do You Guys Recommend?
Is there an item that you just go and buy from Ikea, Home Depot etc to fix up all your rehabbers? Post it here!
For example!!
It could be a certain kitchen setup that is cheap-but lasts along time from Ikea!
Or it could even be a light fixture from Home Depot that you just have to have for your projects. These are both examples...just list what it is and where you get it from.
Im asking because i went to Ikea yesterday and there was this great bookcase...$34!
i thought this would be perfect for a rental unit..this other guy bought 5 of them! It looks good, and best of all..inexpensive.
So lets see what you guys can come up with and recommend
[addsig]
Dear Fixer Upper,
Never follow the path of others. Check the area and decide accordingly. Plain and simple is always best.
I built a simple glass and woody modern house on stilts looking over the wasteland of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles.
For its open house I put nothing in it but a Charles Ames Chair and Ottoman. On one wall I put a large painting which looked like four daubs of paint by a slightly retarded four year old. I also turned on the audio and played a little Four Seasons very functional and very modern.
About ten minutes latter in comes this musican unshaven, dirty, still had a little of his makeup on. I think he trys to look like a cat. Famous for smashing his guitar at the end of every set. Looks around and says, "I'll take it." No question of price etc. Next day his business manager deposits the full purchase price in escrow.
This musical misfit never learned to read music, had no concept of Vivaldi or anything else. Plays at such high Amps you get an earache. But he loved the house.
Needless to say I came by about four months latter. The house was full of junk, noise and dirt. He still loved it.
Go Figure. Lucius
Depends on if a rental or flip
If a flip has to look good but dont care about the quality. If rental to keep than care more about how long it would last.
A bookcase I would consider furniture and dont supply.
Rentals
Delta faucets last and easy to get repair parts. Single handle parts fit tub, and bath & kitchen sink
Pittsburg bone white paint contractors grade. Good price & coverage. Premixed from factory. Any premixed paints have more pigment & cover better than store mixed. More consistent for touchups & leftover can be used on another job.
Hey,
Cabinets are always from HD. I forgot the name of the cabinet fronts, but they are the cheapest ones. I buy nice big heavy handles. Tenant breaks a cabinet, I can replace everything easily.
I buy light fixtures when they are on sale or at the end of a line, if I need them or not. They don't wear out. You can get really nice stuff for about $5, that was $40-$90.
I always put in ceiling fans in the bedrooms. You can get ones with lights, for about $40.
Big, brass light fixtures work best for me.
If I am selling, I put in a garbage disposal ($40)
WHat about those places that carry surplus items?
Are there deals to be had there or what?
Im talking about stores which sell products that were supplied to them by contractors/builders after the project was complete and had extra tiles/cabinets etc etc.
I always look at the "Handyman Outlets" located in the burgs surrounding my home where I can find all sorts of things that used to stock the shelves of outlet stores for incredibly cheap prices. Sometimes that requires a little more time spent looking through a box that is still on its delivery pallet. My most recent find was stainless drawer pulls, each package with two pulls and screws, with the Ace price of $3.95 still attached for fifty cents. At that price you can afford to buy extras. One problem with these types of places is that stock is constantly rotating and they don't always have what I'm looking for. In my opinion, the pluses outweigh whatever negatives they might be.
Ceiling fans I get at Lowe's - usually to put into bedrooms. I get a simple Harbor Breeze model that runs around $24.00.
Lights I get at HD or Lowes - twin packs of the flush mounts with brass trim - $9.90 a pack. They go in all service areas - hallways, above front doors, etc. Lowe's has them for same price, same look.
Tile - hit all the tile stores in the area and get real friendly with the manager. Tell him you want to know about any closeouts, discontinues, or surplus stock. I generally get tile for 0.30 - 0.70 per square foot. I like to get 16 inch tile whenever possible - easy to cut and faster to lay as it covers more space quicker.
My best advice - find a local builder, contractor who does rehab projects on the side. Tell him your budget for a project and inform him that any costs he can reduce he gets 20% of the savings. This will work wonders. I get much of my paint and other material at next to nothing cuz I use a guy who is a builder for working my projects. He builds big (6000+ square foot houses) and will add an extra 5 gallon bucket of paint or couple extra square foot of tile to his orders which I use on my small rehab projects.
He has saved me tons of money!
[addsig]
OK Everybody Stop & Listen up Good.
I have totally rehab'd over 10 individual properties now and I must say that dare2003 was on to something but you all missed it. What was it???
IKEA . That's what. For kit cabinets and faucets, you MUST buy from them.
WHY? Because you should take it from a guy who gets ANY AND ALL Plumbing products @ 43% off of list price. YES that includes any brand you can think of. So why would I go to IKEA....well solid brass ceramic valve quality at an even $50 is hard to find for that price ...even @ 43% off. Also all kit cabinets are dirt cheap and even come with blum european hinges! free! These run like $5-$11 at HD. I give everything an honest shot and I must say that I am new to IKEA, but have no issues other than the delivery of items.
[ Edited by 5harky on Date 11/10/2003 ][ Edited by 5harky on Date 11/10/2003 ]
Who is IKEA?
5harky, you know youre right about one thing they are cheap. Furnishings im not so interested in since im not living there, but the kitchen/bath stuff..i like their stuff.
Ikea? Whos never heard of Ikea?
[addsig]
Hi guys, great thread.
I am currently working on a rehab and need a kitchen. Can you order IKEA stuff from the internet? We don't have a store around here. What brands of cabinets from HD do you recommend? Thanks for the info.
Carrie
Thanks, Carrie-Pa.
Just trying to help people here rehabbing by having this thread as a reference to get some new ideas.
[addsig]
Carrie-PA,
What part of PA are you in?
CARRIE PA
Just did a GOOGLE search Yes you can buy on-line.
ED
Speaking of H. D. cabinents, I'll be doing the Mills Pride cabs. They're the ones you put together, but most (All in my case) units are in stock, and any special order stuff is only running like, 2 weeks lead time. WAY faster than anyone else. Oh, and the price is 1/2 the cost os the next cheapest line at Home Depot- Premier, and it's a stronger unit once built as well.
Sold me on 'em! LOL
HTH
~Matt
[addsig]
I've tried many of the brands of latex paint out there. I've tried all of the grades - you know, good, better and best, looking for one that REALLY covers in one coat. Someone gave me a tip - try Walmart. I've been buying their semigloss fives for about 50 bucks each ever since. It doesn't have the rich appearance that Behr has when it's dry, but for a third of the price (Half price if you compare to glidden, Sears, etc.) and better coverage, I'll take it. Zach
How is there no Ikea where I live but there is a Gigantic Ikea wherehouse 20 miles outside of my town. Guess I'll have get some stuff online then