Living Car Free - home renovations

My partner and I (both happily car free) are undertaking a home reno blitz right now (pretty much all DIY) and we are finding it a bit challenging without a car although we are quite creative at finding ways to haul things.

We have two small cargo trailers (but sadly no big flatbed one) and we have hauled a toilet, a sink with small vanity, a heavy rental tamper, etc. Its also easy to tie stuff to the top tube of the bike (8' pieces of quarterround and chair rail - although I bought enough that I had a 5 km ride with one knee pointed outwards), massive crowbar (don't mess with me drivers!) etc.

But stores with a good selection of supplies tend to be located in the burbs (a long ride away), its winter, and some things we need a car for - well at least not without a massive trailer - (drywall, 4x8 plywood, easily breakable sheets of styrofoam insulation). While Home Depot has a rent a truck and take your stuff home program apparently you need to have your own car insurance to use it. It seems that there are innumerable trips as no matter how much planning you do something does not fit and needs to be exchanged.

It might be useful to join auto-share but the blitz is for selling / a planned move. We've rented a car for the day (about $25 plus gas) once when we've had multiple cargo trips. We borrowed my parents car while they were on vacation (to save them parking fees at the airport) If my parents (who also have a minivan) are in town to help with renos we wait and get big supplies then. And course there are the bikes. There are paint stores in walking distance. Delivery is usually expensive and we've used that sparingly for stuff difficult to transport (gravel for a pathway) We'll pay someone with a van to take the debris to the dump.

If you're car free and undertake home renos how do you do it?

Also suggestions to transport baseboard by bike? We need about 24' of 7" wide baseboard. Do you think tying 3 8' sections on to the top tube hanging downwards would make riding difficult? There is a place we can get some in walking distance but the place with much better selection/ choices is 5 km away. (a bit far for me to ride one handed carrying it under my arm, and a long walk though could be done by foot too) We can of course wait and get a ride sometime but I hate thinking something has to be done by car. (and I'm too cheap to pay for public transit tickets to get it - which could work I guess)

My parents would just have stuff delivered. There's no way you're transporting an entire house's worth of hardwood flooring in a minivan. Same deal for a bathtub, several toilets, or large appliances. Yes it costs more, but they knew it wouldn't fit to begin with, so they didn't try. That meant they planned the delivery fees into their renovation budget, and they tried to ensure that they bought from as few suppliers as possible. When it's the local lumber yard/hardware store and they've got a reasonably large order from you, then it's *their* problem if they need to do three trips because they couldn't get the order together in one load, or they had to wait on delivery of an item.

You have to do a scouting trip in advance, whether you use a car or a bike. Mom and Dad would usually do at least two, one to get an idea of what was available, and a second one to actually order for the project. Dad prefers to go in with an actual blueprint to show layout, and a materials list with solid quantity estimates. Ideally, you have all the materials on site before you start the project. If you don't... expect bad things.

Trying to work piecemeal will just make you crazy.

Just rent a truck for a day and do all your shopping or yeah, get stuff delivered. Transporting really large pieces on a bike may be dangerous, exhausting or outright impossible.

Adam

8' stuff on the bike works if you have a rear rack to help support it. If it is really flexible buy one 8' 2x4 to stiffen the load. I use to cruise town with a 20# sledge hammer on my rear rack...when I added the axe I really got respect in traffic.:roflmao2:

Aaron:)

Trying to work piecemeal will just make you crazy.

My last major construction effort was done in exactly this style. I would purchase a little bit every pay cheque. I'll admit it does drive you crazy and takes a long while to finish things, but I didn't go into a lot of debt either.

The OP seems to suggest that a car would be very helpful. I question this, because I did my construction effort when I both had and didn't have a car. The car was pretty much useless for the most things I wanted to buy. In hindsight, it might have been smarter to buy a truck and then sell it when the construction was finished.

Luckily -- this was 30 years ago -- delivery of building supplies was common. You just needed to purchase up to the delivery minimum.

Several times, I rented a truck to move quantities of used lumber and other larger material.

And that's how I did it.

I have hired people with trucks to haul stuff for me. They used to put ads in supermarkets and laundromats, but craigslist is the way to go these days. They probably aren't bonded, but if they've been in the community for a while they should be fairly reliable for smaller jobs.

delivery, delivery, delivery. It's so worthwhile, since it saves you all the hassle of loading the goods onto the cart(s), then onto the truck (or bike!), then unloading at home. You're going to be tired enough with all the DIY. You don't need to waste time and energy going to the store when they'll do all that work for you for about $50.

Though delivery does make sense, sometimes getting a small amount delivered becomes rather expensive. Sometimes we may only need two or three sheets of plywood, or maybe some drywall.

Our trailers really can't handle 4x8 sheets. But maybe that means we need to build a bigger trailer.

Savings account :). I loooooove mine. We pay cash for absolutely everything. It's not really fun having to wait to start a project, or wait to buy a piece of equipment, but it's a lot more fun than debt.

Our trailers really can't handle 4x8 sheets. But maybe that means we need to build a bigger trailer.
Yeah I can probably answer my own question - build a bigger trailer. However not for immediate projects :)

This would work perfectly for baseboard:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CnViqsPL5F4/RwRtjN65DUI/AAAAAAAAAB0/nkgaqi3rS6E/s400/trailer_lumber.jpg

I rented this trailer before from the no-longer-existent LBS.

But maybe that means we need to build a bigger trailer.

How are you going to haul the stuff to build the bigger trailer?
:p

Savings account :). I loooooove mine. We pay cash for absolutely everything. It's not really fun having to wait to start a project, or wait to buy a piece of equipment, but it's a lot more fun than debt.

Cash only...:thumb: the only way to live. People think I am crazy, but no debt, no mortgage and own my own house and property.:innocent: I don't keep up with the Jones, in fact they can GTH with their fancy pants house with the monster mortgage. I plan to retire early and enjoy my life.;)

Aaron:)

I was thinking of this topic today. I have a minivan that I use for everything so I am covered. If I did not have it, I am sure my friends would come through and help me with what I need help with. They have large cars and trucks. If not them, I would hire someone to deliver the goods.

If not them, I would hire someone to deliver the goods.
If there were enough people needing delivery, I'm sure Home Depot would make it easier too.

You can't fit a 4x8 sheet in a minivan. The cargo van Home Depot rents out is just big enough. They've never asked for my insurance, just driver's license. Are you sure you need your own car insurance to rent it? Alternatively, most 'gold' credit cards will include insurance on any vehicles you rent.

A few comments - I have made use of the home depot rent-a-truck, but I have access to my wife who has a car which is insured. Where I lived last, there was a local hardware store/lumberyard. I set up an account with them, which they usually do for contractors. With the account, I could call them with a shopping list, and they would deliver the next day - they would load up a big truck in the morning and then make deliveries at all of the local construction sites, mostly small contractors. I may have paid a little more than I would have at a big-box, but it was well worth it.

I did one time go to a local big-box to buy some bags of concrete which I loaded in my bike trailer - the looks that I got from all the guys loading their massive pick-ups were priceless.

They've never asked for my insurance, just driver's license. Are you sure you need your own car insurance to rent it? Alternatively, most 'gold' credit cards will include insurance on any vehicles you rent.

Unless the insurance has changed in Saskatchewan since I left in '97, it is a crown corporation, and any dollar increases due to accidents and demerits, appeared on your licence, not your vehicle insurance.

In Ontario, it's private insurance. And I found that to be a completely different ball game. I lived with my sister here for a while, and the insurance company needed my abstract to calculate her insurance. Thus proof of insurance is not needed.

So the long of it is, even though you may not have to show insurance in Saskatchewan to get the van at Home Depot, if you damage it, they can tack the increased insurance premiums onto your driver's licence.

Alternatively, most 'gold' credit cards will include insurance on any vehicles you rent.
Only for damage to the rented vehicle; no liability insurance whatsoever.

How are you going to haul the stuff to build the bigger trailer?
:p

That probably wouldn't be a problem. Maybe similar to this...

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr166/spinninwheels/bike/DSCN0967.jpg

Yeah, I was wondering if the insurance might be a Saskatchewan thing (although usually my husband was doing the renting with an Ontario license... they probably just didn't know how to handle it!). Seems strange, though because, like anywhere, not everyone here that has a license has a car (and therefore, insurance).

"I did one time go to a local big-box to buy some bags of concrete which I loaded in my bike trailer - the looks that I got from all the guys loading their massive pick-ups were priceless. " :roflmao:

Here in Michigan I was told that I needed car insurance to rent a truck at Menard's (similar to Home Depot).

We buy everything almost in cash. As a result, we are debt free. Getting things delivered needs extra money to pay when the purchase is limited. What I did when renovating was , start calling those in my contact whom I know were on or going on vacations. I asked them If I can use their car for a day or two. Good relation is something which makes your work easy and the money is not involved. So you see I paid nothing, I hired nothing and did my work at ease.

Seems strange, though because, like anywhere, not everyone here that has a license has a car (and therefore, insurance).

In California, insurance is required to renew your license. Of course, it's just about cheaper to have an inoperative hull of a car insured than get motorists-only insurance.

You can't fit a 4x8 sheet in a minivan. The cargo van Home Depot rents out is just big enough. They've never asked for my insurance, just driver's license. Are you sure you need your own car insurance to rent it? Alternatively, most 'gold' credit cards will include insurance on any vehicles you rent.

Actually yes we did fit 4x8 sheets in my parents minivan. (thankfully - someone wanted to go for a 10 minute walk in the rain carrying a 4x8 sheet of plywood. ahem) Yes I did ask for clarification at the Home Depot and they said they needed to see a pink insurance card. The gold credit cards cover the CDW but not 3rd party liability insurance and it seemed that HD was asking for proof of liability insurance (which as I understand it is tied to the vehicle not the driver here as it is mandatory, but perhaps HD is looking to reduce costs?) Also while I know my gold cards cover the CDW for standard rental cars, I'm not sure about cargo vans.

I can't prove this with any numbers, but sometimes I think we have this "do it yourself" idea in our heads because it costs less money, and we want to save money because we are so broke from supporting cars. Once again, no hard numbers, but the amount of money we have spent on cars over the past 30 years would have paid for a kitchen remodeling.

So I'm not suggesting you don't do your own remodeling, but I definitely would recommend having the supplies delivered. If you don't have cars, and you are doing the work yourselves, you are saving a huge amount of money.

I can't prove this with any numbers, but sometimes I think we have this "do it yourself" idea in our heads because it costs less money, and we want to save money because we are so broke from supporting cars. Once again, no hard numbers, but the amount of money we have spent on cars over the past 30 years would have paid for a kitchen remodeling.

So I'm not suggesting you don't do your own remodeling, but I definitely would recommend having the supplies delivered. If you don't have cars, and you are doing the work yourselves, you are saving a huge amount of money.


I think the same reasons that lead me to not want to own a car (seems like a waste of money) also seem to apply to paying someone else large amounts of money to do something I can do myself for less money (if I give my time a value)

Delivery seems to make sense and work well for having large quantities of supplies delivered (e.g. kitchen cabinets) but not so well for incremental projects. E.g. in renovating a 100-year-old house there are often surprises discovered under walls or floors and may suddenly discover a need for another piece of plywood. Or figure out that what was purchased just won't fit or work and needs to be returned and exchanged for something else. Or maybe I am just not a good advance planner :)