Rehabber’s Rehab

Rehabbing is expensive.  Its more expensive than you think.  So the constant question is where can we get what we want at the cheapest price?  This post will only concern products and I’ll save service recommendations for another post.

Ultimately you always want to get value, because our experience is that you can certainly get a piece of junk for a little amount of money, but then you are left with junk.  So there is always a trade-off.

One stop shopping is so key in remodeling, you’ll be doing a project and you’ll need a dozen different things, plus you’ll remember all those other things you need for other projects.  So why not go where they will have everything, these stores include HOBO, Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards.

But do not shirk the local hardware store.  First, they are often within five minutes of your home.  Secondly, they may look small, but they will surprise you in how much they pack in an organized manner that will be a great relief when you’ve walked a mile from one end of a box store to another looking for two things that seem like they are related.

I am a huge fan of Home Depot and they should be a huge fan of us as we have singlehandedly kept Home Depot in the black.  Home Depot has quality products including name brand tools and will often have a range of products varying in quality and price in cabinets, appliances, tools, etc.

For the quality you cannot beat their prices.  Over and over Home Depot outbid everyone.  Windows- for comparable aluminum clad wood windows with a name brand, HD beat the window specialist by a third, plumbing fixtures (all the name brands) beat our plumber’s supplier by a third or a half, cabinets which are crazy expensive at a cabinet specialist were 40% less at home depot (I have heard Ikea has really cheap cabinets too), our granite guy had to give us countertops at cost inorder to beat HD’s price after we haggled with him.

Drawbacks may be customer service.  I go there multiple times a week and they know me, but invariably it takes two hours to get something fixed or an order changed.  The staff is hit and miss when it comes to competency.  If you are going to spend a lot of time at one store find a person you can work with.  There isn’t too much wiggle room on prices, but there are usually regular rebates and discounts and some things like delivery charges can be negotiated.

HD also has a pretty decent website which has a lot of their products and even more than you may find at their stores.  HD at least is a good starting point for price and quality comparisons.

HOBO- is a chicagoland store that has dirt cheap products probably for a reason.  But usually they’ll have a lot of something to take advantage of economies of scale.  They had the widest selection of tiles at any box store that was pretty impressive especially for the prices.  If you are looking for basement floor tiles go there for bang for the buck.

I don’t go to Lowes too much, because it isn’t close to us.  I went there more in my home town.  It is probably on par with Home Depot, but it will not get my loyalty, sorry Mr. Walton.  But at least I will not speak ill of it.

Menards on the other hand will get my full wrath.  On the outside it looks like a middle of the road big box home construction store, but in fact it is a low quality bargain store that finds a bunch of junk and tries to sell it to you.  I tried to put in a handicap shower for Liz’s grandfather and had to purchase the exact same product three times before I found one that a) came with all of its parts and b)worked.  Power tools- junk, organization- horrible, fixtures-junk.  Plus their security guards are notorious jerks who think their western cowboys turned sheriff’s rustling up shoplifters.  One guy (off duty CPD) threatened to arrest me for swearing in front of him (it was really cold outside and he made me enter through the other door half a block away on the other side of the building, pardon me)(look for a current US supreme court case where the defendant was arrested for flipping an officer the bird after a traffic stop)

Menards is a store of last resort.

For quality hardwoods- lumber stores are often the best place, because big box stores will usually only have a medium grade of pine and oak.

A shout out to our hometown light fixture place Wabash Electric, find them online and ask for Mary in Elkhart, IN.  Everything you need for a good price.

I think Kitchen and Bath places are good for ideas only because they are pretty expensive, but usually can take care of all of your needs for one room.  So if you want to have everything taken care of for you, go there.

Overstock.com has been a nice addition, we just got our cabinet knobs and pulls from them.

For appliances we go to Plaas Appliances which are all over the chicagoland area.  They have quality for a good price and very knowledgeable sales men that aren’t pushy at all.  Occasionally your appliances will have a problem invariably and you will need someone to check it out.  Home Depot won’t come to your house, but Plaas will.  Plus, they are willing to cut you a deal.  However, we did get smaller appliances, microwave, hood, and washer and dryer for cheaper at HD.

Feel free to add your two cents, we are always looking for good deals.

Here are some favored products after our research

Cabinets-Kraftmaid, Thomasville

Windows- Jeld-Wen, Pella

Fixtures- American Standard, Kohler

Appliances- Frigidaire