Fix up your home, save money, and save the planet all at the same time
One of the first things you want to do as a new homeowner is begin making your home your own. Putting your personal stamp on your new place is a way of declaring victory and a celebration for the memories that you‘ll share as the house becomes a home. But taking that step can be a daunting endeavor. Inspections, lenders fees, and closing costs can leave you very little money for home improvements.
To curb the cost of home renovations, a growing number of “reuse” building materials stores have been cropping up offering high-quality materials and merchandise for the do-it-yourselfer on a budget. You can use these materials to accent and complete virtually any home project. Generally these stores are nonprofit organizations whose mission is to conserve natural resources such as wood and lumber used for building, reduce water and air pollution, and lower the amount of waste going onto landfills. At the same time, reuse stores provide a means for cash-strapped individuals and organizations to get materials they otherwise would not be able to afford.
If you’re thinking reuse stores are basically junkyards of old stuff that you wouldn’t want in your home, think again. Many reuse stores feature items many people only dream about having in their homes. Whirlpool baths, marble sinks and countertops, and grand lighting fixtures like chandeliers are just a few of the in-demand items that can be found at reuse stores. Many times these items are priced at pennies on the dollar compared to what you’d pay at a retail or custom store. The stores carry more than “big ticket” items. Most homeowners will love the fact that finishing touches like electrical outlets, light switches and covers, and plumbing fixtures can be found here as well, all without putting a huge dent in the budget.
Reuse stores get their materials through donations from builders, contractors, and other homeowners. Materials are being discarded almost daily as construction and remodeling projects are undertaken or concluded. Builders don’t need these items any more, but they are often in perfect condition.
As an example, the Reconstruction Center in New Britain, Connecticut, accepts many items, including drywall, siding, molding, brick, shingles, and flooring. Popular items include doors as well as windows. This list is typical of most reuse stores. Many of these stores will send a truck to the construction site and pick up materials, making it easier for builders to take advantage of green practices without having to alter their workflow.
Being green is in the DNA of The Center for Ecological Technology (www.cetonline.org), a nonprofit organization based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, whose mission is "to research, develop, demonstrate, and promote those technologies which have the least disruptive impact on the natural ecology of the Earth." That organization runs The ReStore, a reuse store in Springfield, Massachusetts, and business is booming.
Green has become the new black in corporations throughout the United States. It’s even become part of marketing campaigns for mega retailers such as Home Depot and IKEA. According to USA Today, Timberland, a major shoe and boot manufacturer, in recent advertising promised to have a tree planted on behalf of every customer who spends $150.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov) Agenda for Action promotes a hierarchy as it pertains to solid waste materials as follows:
1. reduce/reuse
2. recycle (including composting)
3. incinerate with energy recovery
4. landfill
This hierarchy has spawned a novel addition to the effort of reuse–deconstruction services. Reuse stores may use their own staff members to coordinate efforts to remove reusable materials from a demolition site to be sold to consumers at their store locations. Such removal replaces the wrecking-ball approach, the default method of clearing most structures. The revenue brought in by reuse stores is used to fund the “surgical removal” procedure.
The huge popularity of reuse materials has allowed involved nonprofit organizations to fully fund their efforts. Any profits made are reinvested into its material network’s infrastructure or to build new homes.
A reuse store may be closer to you than you might think. Some organizations, like ReDo and Habitat for Humanity have nationwide networks, with stores in Kansas City, Syracuse, Santa Ana, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, and New Orleans, just to name a few.
Before you rush out, call your local reuse store for category-specific items you want. There are a few things these stores do not carry; for example, generally you won’t find appliances, used carpet, florescent bulbs, or furniture. You may, however, be able to get your hands on brand-new carpet, bath vanities, and even fireplace accent doors that will beautify your new home, and no one has to know how much—or how little—you paid for them.
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