DIY Home Projects

[merolpn]

I built the house we live in. Buy, remodel, and sell houses for fun and profit. in fact the MBA hiatus I'm in now is due to getting involved in a rehab I couldn't pass up.

I know the feeling. As a licensed electrical contractor, I can't pass up a rehab or a commercial job. There isn't much after-hours industrial side work for an electrician right now, so I take whatever comes along. I built (with other friends in the trades) 3 restaurants, a sports bar and remodeled a 3 family in the last year. I needed every dime I made. There is a sense of urgency for every kid to get a college degree and maybe that is justifiable but I wouldn't ever steer a kid away from getting a trade license in plumbing, heating, AC or electrical first then going to college.

Mrs B, check out local electrical supply houses for wire spools. Also, you can also cut wine barrels in half for your night stands. I think Jack Daniels sells them or go to a wine-making store. Doing things yourself is a great feeling of accomplishment. Keep it up, you are creating value all by yourself!

In my area there is a place that is a big warehouse where contractors that demo old buildings donate the old fixtures for charity. Anyone can go in and buy whatever they are looking for doors, windows, appliances, just about any old thing you can think of. This may be something local to New England due to the amount of old houses and buildings but it's worth a shot. You may also be able to find a Habitat for humanity store to buy leftover building materials. From what I understand, the excess materials are sold to fund future projects so by shopping there, you keep the cycle of goodwill going.