Shopping hard for building materials can sometimes lead to huge savings when building a house. However, it can take a lot of time and dedication to actually find these deals.
Throughout our build I have shopped at all the usual places for killer deals … clearance aisles, thrift and second hand stores, garage sales, and of course Craigslist. If I am diligent, then I usually find good deals. But it can sometimes take months of looking before I find something I am thrilled about. During those months of searching, most of my time is spent sorting through all of the crap that I don’t want, in order to find the gem that I am looking for hidden in the rubble.
So I decided to start Scratchlist. Let me break it down for you.
Scratchlist is a place (online) where OWNER BUILDERS can go to buy, sell, or trade their leftover, extra, or unwanted building materials, tools, and services.
Yes, I can hear you saying “Isn’t that what Craigslist is for?”
While I do LOVE Craigslist, here is what is different about Scratchlist and why I want to create this space:
-Scratchlist is strictly for owner builders. No businesses allowed. (I hate that on Craigslist)
-You can see things for sale from everywhere, not just your own location. You never know when you will find the perfect item for the perfect price that is worth traveling a little farther for.
– You don’t have to sort through all of the other “stuff” for sale looking for things you might need. Scratchlist is only building materials, tools, and other things you would use on a house.
-It includes property for sale, so owner builders can look for affordable land to build on.
-No junk, only brand new or gently used items.
-Trades are welcome, actually encouraged! So that we can more easily find ways to help each other with materials or labor.
-No spam or advertising.
-Because it’s in our owner builder community, you will have more options for trading or other unique deals from other owner builders.
-Less waste for owner builders. You can sell whatever materials you have left at the end, or tools you won’t use once your house is finished.
-You can also post things you need or are looking for.
-AND …. since you will already be shopping for things for your own house, you have the opportunity to sell awesome things you might find. You could even do that for a little extra income while trying to save for your house. Win, win!
Now I will be honest with you …. This is not something that I could create in an hour. So I decided to do a little trial run to see how things pan out before I create the monster (a.k.a. Scratchlist)
So for the next three months here is how it will all work:
- Decide what you want to sell, buy, or trade.
- Take pictures of it, write down all the information you can think of about it, and decide on a price.
- Email the information to me (farmerswife@farmhousefromscratch.com) with “Scratchlist” as the subject of your email.
- Once a month I will post all of the emails that I get so everyone can look through everything that is for sale, trade, or someone is looking for.
If Scratchlist is something you are interested in and will use, then now is the time to participate. For this thing to work and get the ball rolling, it is going to need as many people as possible. Then, as it grows, I will adjust it so it is more user friendly.
Scratchlist Questions:
Q. What can I sell on Scratchlist?
A. Anything that has to do with building a house. You can sell property, building materials, finish materials, labor, tools, etc.
Q. How do I purchase something on Scratchlist?
A. Just email the person who created the post. You can talk about all the specifics with them and arrange to purchase in person, or ship it somewhere.
Q. I know it says new or gently used items, can I post antique’s or vintage items?
A. Absolutely! Antique and vintage items are used in plenty of new houses. Just use your best judgement and make sure they are nice items that someone would want in a new home, not junk you are trying to get rid of.
Now I want to tell you my vision for Scratchlist so you know where this is headed.
Someday soon, I would like to be able to buy your leftover items from you so you don’t have to go through the trouble of selling them. That way, if you only have one package of insulation, or a few leftover boards, you can still get some money for them even though they probably wouldn’t sell by themselves on a Craigslist or Scratchlist. As I accumulate more and more items, then people will be able to purchase large amounts of building materials for significantly cheaper. I also want to help get rid of the giant pile of wasted building supplies that so many new houses end up with. These things should be used! Smart shoppers are looking for them, and I want to provide a place for them to be found and used.
Beyond that, I want to have a place where owner builders can make trades, work together, and help each other. Imagine if you could go online and quickly find someone in your area who would trade tile work for some electrical help. Think of the money that could be saved!
Anyway, I am getting carried away I know. But let’s take these next few months and get this thing started off with a bang. Start thinking about what things you have to sell or trade right now.
And just because I personally like examples, I am going to give you one right now.
I am looking for someone who would put the rock on the exterior of my house. It’s about 400 square feet and I am just nervous I won’t be able to make it look good because I have never done it before. All materials would be provided, I just need the labor. I would love to trade for hay or straw bales if you have animals or are building a straw bale house or shop.
Trades help both sides! That’s why I love them so much. Farmer and I have done many trades throughout our build. The hardest part is just finding people who are willing to make those trades with you. Businesses usually won’t/can’t.
So let’s make this happen!!
CLICK HERE to sign up for Scratchlist. It’s completely free, I just need your email so that I can let you all know when I post the ads. (You do not have to sell something to sign up for Scratchlist, it’s for anyone who is interested in buying, selling, or trading)
Then after you sign up, start writing your own ad, and email it to me when you are finished…. or if you are just perusing the sales, you can wait until I post the first Scratchlist. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
CLICK HERE to shop on Scratchlist!!
~Farmer’s Wife
Awesomeness!!
**How to save 20-75% on building materials for your new house
**What to do with all your leftover building materials
**How to make extra side cash while saving to build a house
**How to make an extra $200 every month while saving for your new house.
**How to trade for building materials instead of pay for them
**Where to find cheap building materials
**Where to find people who will make trades for labor
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