New Homeowners: Advice please (Home Depot, Lowes, grill, window)

[Desertrose34]

My husband is handy and we have helped maintain houses we have rented for the past 14 years.


If we needed to fix something, we just hit up Home Depot or Lowes.

But now that we own, there will be alot more things that we will need to fix, and update over time.


Where we live now, we have a Home Depot, but not even a Lowes.


Where are some good places to go online besides the big box stores?


Next year we would like to update the kitchen. It is the original kitchen from 1960.

I am going to start looking online for cupboards/counters.

Any suggestions?

I usually don't shop for "cheapest", or "top of the line". I like to shop for the best quality/value for the money.

Thank you.

[turf3]

Your local hardware store. A real hardware store, not HD.

Your local plumbing supply house. A real plumbing supply house, not HD.

Your local lumberyard. A real lumberyard, not HD.

Are you picking up a leitmotif here?

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by turf3

Your local hardware store. A real hardware store, not HD.

Your local plumbing supply house. A real plumbing supply house, not HD.

Your local lumberyard. A real lumberyard, not HD.

Are you picking up a leitmotif here?

OP might live in an area far from stores. (See Gallatin reference.)

Where I live, the closest HD is 50+ miles away, and the closest Lowes farther than that.

I do buy many items from local hardware stores etc. Our GC sourced everything he could to help out his connections with the local providers. The results were, shall we say, a mixed bag. A blanket rule like “Buy local” can hurt the customer if he or she doesn’t look deeper than that and buy accordingly.

OP, start looking up specific categories online. For example, I recently found out that there is an entire company that specializes in hardware for drapes and curtains. Never knew there were other options besdies what the usual stores sell—either big box or small independent stores.

[Brian_M]

I'm also rural (50 miles to closest HD? How about 150 miles one way, and Lowes way further than that), local stores Are a mixed bag, but I *always* start with them. Examples like ordering a custom sized Douglas Fir wood entry door, where everyone I could find wanted $2k+ and the local hardware store got it for me at $800, are the reason why I start there. Cabinets are another, there are woodworkers everywhere, I've yet to need cabinets where even junky press-board stuff was cheaper than locally made out of actual wood (nicer grades of ply). Counters pretty much Have to be local, shipping is simply a killer there.



Now, fit and finish pieces? Yes, I do find those to be cheaper online. I've used Handlesets.com a couple times for door knobs and locks. House of antique hardware for all sorts of things (hinges, push plates, sash cord rollers, weather stripping, screen window hangers, etc...), though my house is a 1930 in the Tudor Revival style and this site caters to older homes with a definitive architectural style. 1960's may not have any real style to it, depending....

[Desertrose34]

Originally Posted by pikabike

OP might live in an area far from stores. (See Gallatin reference.)

Where I live, the closest HD is 50+ miles away, and the closest Lowes farther than that.

I do buy many items from local hardware stores etc. Our GC sourced everything he could to help out his connections with the local providers. The results were, shall we say, a mixed bag. A blanket rule like “Buy local” can hurt the customer if he or she doesn’t look deeper than that and buy accordingly.

OP, start looking up specific categories online. For example, I recently found out that there is an entire company that specializes in hardware for drapes and curtains. Never knew there were other options besdies what the usual stores sell—either big box or small independent stores.

Yes we are still in Mt, but no longer in that valley. Thanks for the advice.

[Desertrose34]

Originally Posted by turf3

Your local hardware store. A real hardware store, not HD.

Your local plumbing supply house. A real plumbing supply house, not HD.

Your local lumberyard. A real lumberyard, not HD.

Are you picking up a leitmotif here?

Thanks for the advice. I'll see what I can find.

[Desertrose34]

Originally Posted by Brian_M

I'm also rural (50 miles to closest HD? How about 150 miles one way, and Lowes way further than that), local stores Are a mixed bag, but I *always* start with them. Examples like ordering a custom sized Douglas Fir wood entry door, where everyone I could find wanted $2k+ and the local hardware store got it for me at $800, are the reason why I start there. Cabinets are another, there are woodworkers everywhere, I've yet to need cabinets where even junky press-board stuff was cheaper than locally made out of actual wood (nicer grades of ply). Counters pretty much Have to be local, shipping is simply a killer there.



Now, fit and finish pieces? Yes, I do find those to be cheaper online. I've used Handlesets.com a couple times for door knobs and locks. House of antique hardware for all sorts of things (hinges, push plates, sash cord rollers, weather stripping, screen window hangers, etc...), though my house is a 1930 in the Tudor Revival style and this site caters to older homes with a definitive architectural style. 1960's may not have any real style to it, depending....

Thanks for the advice. $1,200 more for a tree. Wow!

Cabinets, that's what I need to figure out.

Our new next door neighbor has connections with the counter stuff, so I may have to ask him.

The tudor sounds nice.

Handlesets.com ~ I'll take a look thank you.

[Ultrarunner]

Ask around for local sources...

When I was new to an area and really did not have a clue except for the big box stores along the interstate... my retired and long term resident neighbor was a wealth of information...

I quickly learned name dropping made the difference... needed gravel for the drive and had a hard time getting a price... and several said I would need to come to place an order...

Mentioned this to neighbor George and he said call Bill and he will fix you up... I called, but at first didn't mention George... Bill said he was not taking on new customers and was booked 7 weeks out.

Then I mentioned George and that I was his neighbor and I wanted to get a couple of yards for George for his kindness...

Trucker Bill said I can do it 8 am Saturday... and then the magic happened... on time... best price ever... and a handshake deal... said send me a check when I can...

Since then George has been a wealth of information... he must have been quite a guy to have so many in the trades think so highly of him at age 90.... tree guy, glass,, septic, etc...

And George won't take a penny for helping... just wants me to treat his guys right... so the extra 5 yards of crushed rock has been paid back in spades...

I had the grill going the day the trees guys were here... they couldn't have been happier and thanked George for the referral...

[JR_C]

If your kitchen is well preserved and in good shape, have you considered preserving it? The cabinets are probably as good as high-end new cabinets. (I realize I'm making a lot of assumptions...)

To answer your question, some items from Home Depot can certainly bought online, with free shipping. I recently had a lawn mower shipped to my front door for free.

[movin1]

Consumer Reports has done some articles about kitchen renovation and even rated the kitchen cabinet makers.

Google is your friend. Look up "best kitchen cabinets". Try to find a good cabinet maker if you can afford custom.

Try Nextdoor in your neighborhood.