Craigslist search list

I've created a Google Doc Spreadsheet with links to each of my searches of items I'm watching for.

The list contains items like appliances, tools, yard items, furniture, construction tools.  I've shared the link.  The links work for Seattle.Craigslist.com.  If you want to have this document work for you and your city for craigslist, copy the spreadsheet into excel, then search and replace "seattle.craigslist.com" and replace with ___________________ whatever your cities link is.  For example, if you live in Portland, you can replace it with "Portland.craigslist.com"

Here is the link to the spreadsheet:

More Faith and Patience

Monday night I found a kitchen and Cate emailed me back on Tuesday morning.  She said she had a lot of interest so I committed right there and promised a deposit.  When we talked on the phone, she said she was fine with a $100 deposit.  We tried to figure out a way for Mike to come see the cabinets but she didn't want us coming late at night (her husband works nights) and Mike wouldn't get off work until after 7.  This is a big day, we're supposed to get the keys tonight but this kitchen sounds like too good a deal!  It's not quite the $500 but still...  on the phone call, Cate mentioned she had sold her fridge and stove already.  I emailed her after the call to ask if she had a dishwasher/microwave to sell and that we'd be interested in those.  She told me she'd tell me the price when I got to her house that afternoon.

When I got to her house, she told me other people offered to put down a $800 deposit but she had already agreed to sell the kitchen to me.  Also, the person who bought the stove offered to buy the dishwasher but she promised that to me too :) - even though she hadn't even given me a price yet.

The house is really nice and looking at the cabinets - they are very nice and a reputable company, I don't really understand why she needed a new kitchen.

To make it easier to see everything, she had the contractor set the kitchen up in the layout that it was in inside the house (it was already removed and in her garage).  A lot of people sell kitchens on Craigslist and a lot of those people require the buyer to remove the cabinets... so Cate had already done a lot of work for us.





This picture was the only picture she posted on the ad.

I committed without seeing other pictures and then she sent some that her contractor had taken.


Here are some of the pictures I took in the garage:

I love this kitchen!  It's very similar to the color and style I have in Portland.  While I was really excited and pretty sure we were going with the Cabinets to go Kitchen, we cannot pass up this opportunity to buy this kitchen.  I think there are more pieces that we can use but we can repurpose the other pieces for another space or re-sell them.  Either way, we have a lot of cabinets to work with and Mike approved them!  

We're getting a uhaul on Saturday morning and we'll pick them up then.  

Lesson learned: I need to continue to have faith that we'll find things instead of giving up and going retail.

When I'm disheartened... I turn to retail...

The whole point of this house and this web site, is to detail how we bought and renovated a house using Craigslist and other unconventional/non retail options.  I have found that I get disheartened after days and weeks of looking for something and finding that people on Craigslist and at estate sales (garage sales and other miscellaneous ways) sell items for the same price as new.  Why wouldn't I buy a new fridge with a warranty vs a refrigerator that is 6 years old and from someone's garage?  It's hard to justify.

Today, we went cabinet shopping and rehab store shopping.  We went to Cabinets To Go and found some great cabinets.  The guy in the store was very friendly.  They had several kitchen options on display.  Their standard kitchen is dovetailed drawers and has a lot of great features.  Price-wise, they end up being comparable with Ikea.  I think they are cheaper than Home Depot and Lowes based on what I priced out.  We really liked this one cabinet, the guy even gave us a sample door to hold on to and compare colors and quality as we shopped around.  He priced out the kitchen and mocked up a design in just a few minutes for us.  Now we have that print out to compare and use as we continue to shop around.

Why look at new cabinets when I found that one for $500?  Well, the guy emailed me that he had several offers and even an offer above asking price.  That's that.  Those cabinets are gone.  I'm sad (disheartened).  Mike is feeling the push to find cabinets because we have essentially 30 days to get the house to a point where we can live in it.  A kitchen is a huge part of that.

The reality is, we could get an Oak kitchen for free if we wanted but neither one of us likes the grain.  I looked into painting and it's a huge process to paint it to the level where you can't see the grain.  I'm picky about the grain.

If you're looking for a Craigslist kitchen and are on a budget, you probably shouldn't be as picky as Mike and I are.

I'll post about the rehab stores in another posting...  Happy Kitchen Shopping everyone.

Bummed and anxious!

I didn't sleep all night.  I found an incredible kitchen on Craigslist but I had ignored the postings for 3 hours and just know that this deal was too great of one to have me be the first to contact him.  The deal was for an entire kitchen (color similar to what we want) for $500!  It is amazing and I'm so excited and know that these cabinets would work.  So, I was up all night or half asleep all night thinking about the kitchen and hoping and wishing we got it.  Oh, and the amazing part - they are throwing in the bathroom vanities for two different rooms too!  It's incredible steal of a deal.  I'm tempted to offer extra but think I'll stick with this for now.  HOPING!