Zillow Advice: Decorating & Design - Home Depot

I buy a lot of construction ...

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:46:00 GMT

I buy a lot of construction materials from HD. If you put a large order through their 'Bid Room' process, you can easily get 20% off. All the people there are great. They see me come in with a list and I get 1 salesperson to help me find the whole thing.

I'm with floored again for ...

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:27:00 GMT

I'm with floored again for the most part. You can get some really good deals on paint and brushes at home depot though. Top of the line purdy brushes are half the cost that they are at Sherwin Williams. Ceiling paint for 12.50 a gallon is a steal! Not that I'm a fan of behr paint but it's white paint for frickin 12.50 a gallon. Recycled white paint costs about that much if you can find it.

Not a fan of any big boxes ...

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:38:00 GMT

Not a fan of any big boxes for home improvement at all. I have ALWAYS found that if I go to a specialty store, wether it be lighting, flooring, tile and stone, plumbing, they will beat the big box pricing plus give you expert advise and tell you of short cuts if you're a DIY person. If installation is what you want, they usually will have their own employees as installers/mechanics and the installed price has always been very, very competitive with the boxes. They're usually local companies, your putting you money back into the local families in the areas. Ten years ago, I sent with box stores for paint, flooring, etc., but had miserable experiences with them. I shop them all the time and have asked clerks advise in products that I'm a expert in and usually the person is from another department and/or is just putting his or her time in to get a pay check. You get what you pay for in home remodeling supplies. Try it yourself.

took a year to sell the house, ...

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:16:00 GMT

took a year to sell the house, finally. guess what I want to go back to working at Lowe's, this time in Virginia. Hopefully they will hire a former employee, and trainer, plus being a licensed plumber from New York might help. wish me luck gang. see you in Virginia.

I had Lowes do my intire ...

Fri, 23 May 2008 15:44:00 GMT

I had Lowes do my intire kitchen update and they were wonderful...Drew up the plans,came to the house when cabinets arrived to check them for damage (none) installed when they said they would and to my satisfaction. Very nice people, they have my vote.

I have used both in recent ...

Fri, 23 May 2008 13:08:00 GMT

I have used both in recent years, and Lowes has performed much better in terms of labor jobs (even though both subcontract) and the helpfulness of the employees in their store. I won't even enter HD anymore unless Lowes is out of something.

As a woman, I think HD sees ...

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:04:00 GMT

As a woman, I think HD sees you as an easy target or will ignore you all-together (my experience anyway). HD caters to contractors business, whereas Lowes is better for the individual homeowner.

That being said, I did get a quote for kitchen cabinet refacing from a HD Specialist since they were pushing a "special deal". As a point of reference, when browsing through the kitchen showroom this past weekend, the display on one of the maple designs shows "cabinet installation only in a typical 10x 10 kitchen starting at $3444". Has anyone ever gotten new cabinets fully installed at the 'starting at' price being advertised??

Back to my quote, I do not have a 10x10 kitchen. I'm in a 620sqft 1 bed condo with a 6' galley kitchen. I have 4 base cabinets and 5 wall cabinets. HD came to my house to give a quote on refacing the cabinets only, not full new cabinets. My special offer was $8900. Is that obscene, or is that a typical quote others are initially given by Home Depot? Are you supposed to haggle so you end up feeling like you got an amazing deal with refacing 9 cabinets for $3444 maybe?

A Lowes quote will be coming next.

Hi all, I'm new to Zillow ...

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:23:00 GMT

Hi all, I'm new to Zillow and to home ownership. We bought our first home which is a great Chicago bungalow built in 1929 so you can be sure our list of repairs and projects is long, long, long! I haven't yet found my great contractor but I have found Angie's List. If you haven't checked that out I highly recommend it, I joined before my purchase to get ideas on costs I was facing right off the bat. There is a membership fee but that is to ensure that they are not supported by advertising causing conflicts of interest. Also pays for conflict resolution to the extent that they provide which is not major but helpful anyway. I've hired air duct cleaners, window installations, basement crack repair and gotten estimates/will hire people to install some hardwood flooring, furnace preparation, sump pump digging and installation, electrical work, insulation and roof venting, and a/c duct and return work. Many of these I'm purchasing the materials and using installers found on Angies List but some I've found I can get a better deal and better warranty by using the professional I found on Angie's List for the whole job. I've just found that it is a GREAT way to estimate how much you may be paying for a job and what your neighbors have experienced plus sometimes you get a discount.

Speaking of discounts, I've found that most larger stores including Home Depot will honor their competitors' coupons and advertised prices, sometimes with an extra discount thrown in. That doesn't help with the Realtor's gift card but if you have a gift card from one and a coupon from the other you should go ahead and ask if they will honor the coupon, all they can do is say no!

I used to work for HD for ...

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:30:00 GMT

I used to work for HD for 8 yrs as a specialty manager. I also had my own design company. And I currently work as a trainer for a top flooring company.
I am well aware of the problems you may have experienced. I can only say this. It is very unfortunate that you had problems but I can tell you I have never seen a , kitchen, tile, hardwood, appliances, or window treatment install or order that did not have at least one issue no matter how minor or major.

Cabinet manufactures often have production or shipping problems. It is expected and supposed to be worked into the job for these possible issues. Often times scratches are hidden when installed next to other cabinets.

Appliances often have delivery delays and then when delivered.....the damage occurs. Sometimes it is better to pick it up yourself. Inspect why you are there.

Tile- Well this is often because the grout or tile came in the wrong color. The room was measured wrong. Or the customers expectation and design was not met or explained properly. If it is because of the installer, here is a hint. Look at the installer vehicle. If it is not organized ot neet don't hire him. Good installers care about the expensive tools they use and will keep them somewhat organized. Notice I said organized not necessarily clean.

Hardwood- This is a natural product that must be sold under the right conditions and moisture content. If an estimator comes out and does not take a moisture reading, do not buy from them! When it is being installed, make sure you are happy with the boards being laid. The installer can cut out any streaky or dark boards.

Window Treatments- Measure six times then order! If the estimator does not measure in at least three spots they are not getting the best measurements. I have also seen even the best WT manufacture have quality control issues.

All in all. When remodeling EXPECT a project. Expect delays. Demand your satisfaction. And remember you will get what you pay for!

I have had a lot of experience ...

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:46:00 GMT

I have had a lot of experience with HD with new roof, a/c, and a large wooden shed. Some of the work was great and sometimes it was not quite up to standards. This happened with a roofing job, but when I got a leak I contacted HD and they sent the contractor back to fix the problem. This was around a stone fireplace. A year after this the roof leaked again and they sent a chimney expert which wound up costing them a lot of money to fix problems around the chimney stone (Stone masonry). I think I could call them anytime even after 5 years. If I had hired an independent roofer their is a very good chance they would have been out of business. Therefore because they back the product I suggest making use of their services.