Shopping for Convenience Over Price
From Anna on December 30th, 2008 in General Remodel
All homeowners want to know that they paid the best price for project materials. When remodeling our home, we were no exception. We utilized three home improvement stores in the course of our project, and normally gravitated towards one over the others the majority of the time. In the process, we found that the lowest prices weren’t always our motivating factor.
When you walk into a home improvement store, you are on a mission to find just the right part or material, and sometimes, advice and assistance. You also need a reliable store that is close to your project, because no matter how carefully you plan ahead, you always discover something else you need.
We shopped at Lowes Home Improvement, the hometown store Diamond Home Improvement, and The Home Depot. Of the three, Home Depot consistently was the least expensive, but also the furthest away. Lowes Home Improvement was adequate, but nothing really set it apart from the rest. Ultimately, we ended up patronizing Diamond Home Improvement the most. Not because they were necessarily the cheapest or offered the best service, but because they were much closer to the project than the other two.
Everyone has their own shopping style. For us, convenience outweighed cost in many cases. For larger items, it was worth the extra distance and trouble to find the better deal. If you are undertaking a renovation project, you might take the time to familiarize yourself with the home improvement stores in your area. Compare prices, service, and inventory; and rank them according to your preference. Knowing ahead of time where to go will save you time, money, and headaches.
Update: Our friends over at One Project closer are offering 10% off Home Depot Coupons.
