Simple tips for finding secondhand bathroom and kitchen items

Are you looking to update your bathroom or kitchen? Here are some helpful points to look out for and what to beware of when looking for secondhand bathroom and kitchen items.

Second-hand materials can be great when working on any household projects and can be an easy way to cut your costs. Most building materials are available second-hand, although some are more readily available and readily transportable than others.

• Older-style toilets, basins and baths are readily available and will usually need some simple cleaning up.
• Check for cracks, chips and damage to the porcelain.
• Do not purchase porcelain-enamelled metal that has signs of rust as the problem is almost impossible to treat effectively.
• Old baths can be resurfaced with good results, but the new coating is rarely as hard as the original baked-on finish.
• Make sure you engage a company which will transport the bath to its premises to coat and bake.
• Vanities, bathroom cabinets and cupboards are usually not worth recycling. Most are made of particle board and there is invariably some deterioration.

Second-hand kitchen units can usually be found by looking through classified advertisements.

• Check for laminate coming loose, especially around sink units, and blemishes in the bench top.
• Modern kitchens are normally modular and made to standard sizes. This is very convenient if you need to augment your second-hand kitchen with one or two additional cupboards.
• It can work against you if your room does not allow ready installation of standard module shapes, making it necessary to cobble together infill panels to finish the kitchen properly.
• Finding matching surface laminates or other finishes to complete your installation may be difficult if the finish is no longer in fashion and commonly available.

Simple, right? Keep these tips in mind next time you decide to update your kitchen or bathroom with some second hand housing materials -- it's a great way to save yourself some cash!