The Home Ownership Thread

[random-adam]



The membership stores are a completely different ball of wax, IMO. I love Sam's Club - would probably prefer Costco if there were one even remotely convenient for me.

Our local Costco was fifteen minutes from the house and kinda sad, with surly employees and wretched parking; we happily drove twice as far to get to Sam's Club. Then a new Costco was built just two miles from us in the other direction... night and day difference. It's scant yards across the DC line, too, so I can pick up inexpensive handle jugs of liquor and cases of table wine. We spend far too many dollars there.

 

[mike1445]

Yeah, me too. I have definitely seen first hand what a WalMart opening can do--that same lakehouse, there used to be local hardware stores, small grocers, etc just up the road that have all closed since then. But at the same time, that's progress--you can't protect businesses just for the sake of keeping them around and saving jobs, otherwise we'd still have blacksmiths in every town and we'd all be living in log cabins and holes in the ground.

Regardless of your feelings on the impact of WalMart, you do have respect their supply chain prowess. More and more companies have gotten their supply chain similarly efficient so they can't compete on that alone anymore, but it very impressive nonetheless.

yeah its tough to see Mom & Pop places go out of business, that's what irks me. Its a similar argument behind the "Buy American" or "buy local" that's been so popular in the last few years. I can get behind it sometimes but it doesnt always make sense, even if you have the best intentions.

 

[Ataturk]

It's Amazon that really did Walmart in for me. These days I won't buy any durable goods without reading reviews online first. Walmart still has a niche for some things that are too cheap or bulky to buy online. But, honestly, they don't have real bargains on a lot of the smaller stuff anymore. There's a lot of competition, so the various stores will sell things as loss leaders and try to make up the difference by marking other stuff up. Walmart has had to do it too and the "everyday low prices" seem to be out the window.

The best strategy is, I think, not to shop all at one place.

 

[whallyden]



Our local Costco was fifteen minutes from the house and kinda sad, with surly employees and wretched parking; we happily drove twice as far to get to Sam's Club. Then a new Costco was built just two miles from us in the other direction... night and day difference. It's scant yards across the DC line, too, so I can pick up inexpensive handle jugs of liquor and cases of table wine. We spend far too many dollars there.

God I love Costco. I think my receipt from last last week's visit included 4lbs of prime beef, 3 bottles of brunello, a 55" Plasma TV and diapers.

On topic, can anyone recommend a good source for indoor topiaries?

 

[Harold falcon]

I am a **'s member, but sadly Pennsylvania is held hostage by the liquor store union so they can't sell booze.

 

[hopkins_student]

How expensive is it to have sod put down? I've been pretty negligent with yard maintenance and now there's nothing in my backyard that is identifiable as grass. The front yard isn't AS terrible but it's still not great. Does anybody have any estimate on price per square foot?

 

[Ataturk]

Sod is expensive. Cost depends on what variety you use. I got some St. Augustine last year. It was $175 per 450-square-foot pallet if you pick it up. Centipede and bermuda should be cheaper.

Rule of thumb is three times materials cost, so figure about $1 per square foot installed--I'd think, but I put it down myself. It's not rocket science. Wholesalers will deliver pallets for a modest charge. Laying it out is easy and usually you can lay it over your old yard without much prep work. Most important thing is watering twice a day for the first couple weeks.

 

[Piobaire]

My best advice about sod is to make sure it's installed with the green side up. Hope this helps!

 

[whallyden]



How expensive is it to have sod put down? I've been pretty negligent with yard maintenance and now there's nothing in my backyard that is identifiable as grass. The front yard isn't AS terrible but it's still not great. Does anybody have any estimate on price per square foot?

Just got a quote that worked out to ~$0.80/sqft for Kentucky Bluegrass (installed).

 

[hopkins_student]



My best advice about sod is to make sure it's installed with the green side up. Hope this helps!

Good to know...probably would have effed that up. :foo:

 

[upthewazzu]

yeah its tough to see Mom & Pop places go out of business, that's what irks me. Its a similar argument behind the "Buy American" or "buy local" that's been so popular in the last few years. I can get behind it sometimes but it doesnt always make sense, even if you have the best intentions.

The problem with mom & pop shops are that they're mostly worthless unless your name is Jed and you've lived in Anytown, America your whole life. Otherwise, they tend to treat you like ****.

 

[lefty]

Sod is easy enough to put in. Spend time on the prep - turning and levelling the yard. Knit the piece together in a cross-hatch pattern and make sure that they are as tight as possible. Water the hell out of it, especially the edges.

If you have large yard you may want to look at having a mix of seed and a mulch sprayed on. Still need to water the hell out of it.

lefty

 

[idfnl]

Why sod over just some grass seed? My gardener recommends seed, say's sod is a bad idea because with seed natural selection picks the seeds that are best adapted to grow in your yard by either crowding the weaker blades out or they just don't germinate.

 

[upthewazzu]

Why sod over just some grass seed? My gardener recommends seed, say's sod is a bad idea because with seed natural selection picks the seeds that are best adapted to grow in your yard by either crowding the weaker blades out or they just don't germinate.

That argument doesn't work, the weaker seeds have already been weeded out in the process of growing the sod. Either way, you'll get a nice looking yard assuming the seed/sod is accustomed to your climate. I was a landscaper in college and we did about 65/35 hydro seed, mostly because it was significantly cheaper.

 

[Harold falcon]



That argument doesn't work, the weaker seeds have already been weeded out in the process of growing the sod. Either way, you'll get a nice looking yard assuming the seed/sod is accustomed to your climate. I was a landscaper in college and we did about 65/35 hydro seed, mostly because it was significantly cheaper.

This is correct. I also was a landscaper in college.