Why You Should Buy Tools at a Real Estate Sale (and What to Look Out For)
Whether you’re embarking on a major DIY project, or you just need to work in the yard or hang a picture frame, the cost of buying new, high-quality tools can quickly add up, so skip the hardware store and start your real estate sales. instead of this. Real estate sales are a great place to look for tools because they tend to be priced right, and if you know what to look for, you can get some really great finds for a fraction of what you would pay at a hardware store. If you are looking for something specific, social media resale groups or yard sale apps are the best bet because you will be able to count on getting one specific item, but if you need more than one item or if you don’t forget to dig a little and dedicate some time to hunting, selling real estate is your best bet. (Also, you will be able to play with the tools and test them before you decide to buy, which you can’t do when ordering online.)
Why are sale tools so cheap?
While real estate sales are usually assessed by seasoned professionals, tools generally don’t make the seller as much money as art, furniture, and electronics. Tools are also heavy and harder to pack and ship, so it can be more trouble than it’s worth if they’re priced high than they’re priced low and someone else takes them away. Tools often have a move price, and you can make a deal if you know what you’re looking for.
Looking for quality hand tools
One of the best things to look out for in a real estate sale is hand tools, whether those you will be using indoors or tools for gardening or yard work. Finding a quality hand tool is quite easy. If the instruments are more modern, you can look for the manufacturer’s label and check current prices and online reviews before making a decision. When in doubt, choose brands you are familiar with, as experience is often the best tester of a product.
Look for hand tools with solid shank handles, rather than those where the handles are a separate piece and attached to the tool shank with poor quality fasteners. Hammers, scissors, screwdrivers, digging tools, saws, knives, and other tools that require a handle should have a single piece of metal that goes completely through the handle, with the handle for your hand attached directly to it.
How to identify quality cutting tools
If the tool has a cutting edge, then it must be possible to sharpen it either with a whetstone or with a special tool for sharpening scissors, or the blade must be removable for replacement or professional sharpening. Serrated blades will need to be sharpened with special equipment, so if they can’t be easily removed for sharpening, it’s probably not a good buy as they will dull over time. The best serrated blades, for example for saw blades, will obviously be removable and replaceable, or have a product number or other sharpening information printed on the label.
What to look for when buying a used power tool
When considering power tools, look for well-known brand tools, with modern wiring (unless you know how to rewire) and all of their original parts, or at least enough so that you can turn on the tool and make sure it works. While quality power tools can be a little harder to recognize than their handheld counterparts, you’ll still want to check the labels and ask them to test if possible. Some vintage power tools work fine and may even be of better quality than newer tools, but others, such as table saws, can be dangerous if they don’t work properly.
Save on measuring tools
Another great thing you can find at a real estate sale is measuring tools. Straight-edge rulers, tape measures, goniometers, and squares are all worth looking into when you’re looking for great deals. If you plan on buying any of these things, it’s a good idea to bring along a tape measure to compare with any measuring tools you may come across, in case you find a tape measure that’s missing a part and no longer measures the correct distance or distance. a square that fell down a ladder and is no longer square.
Tools you should never buy on sale
Do not buy any tool at a real estate sale that may not be safe. A rope you plan to use to tow or hang something over your head shouldn’t be a bargain find as you have no way of knowing how it was cared for before you stumble upon it, for example. Another important category of tools that you should not buy used (unless they are sealed in their original packaging) is personal protective equipment such as goggles, masks, or harnesses. If you don’t know how it was used prior to purchase, you won’t know if it has been damaged, so it may not work the way you think. Ladders can also be risky when buying used ones, especially if they are old, as dents and damage can make them unsafe.