Save Money (and the Planet) While Remodeling Your Home
I’ve had this in my “to write about” pile for some time now, but when I learned that Eco Joes was hosting the Festival of Frugality I knew I needed to get it written.
I was visiting a friend a short while back when his “deconstruction” crew arrived. I thought he was joking because they’re tearing out their old kitchen and putting in a nice shiny new one. Turns out he was very serious. He and his partner hired a deconstruction firm to help with their remodel in order to be both more earth friendly and to actually help pay for the remodeling itself. According to the Marcan Enterprises website-
With deconstruction, houses and fixtures can be carefully taken apart, and salvaged. Kitchen cabinets, bath fixtures, furnaces, doors, windows, carpet, water heaters, light fixtures, garage doors, lumber, framing can all be carefully and efficiently removed. Then we bring them to The ReUse People where they are salvaged for other building projects both here are abroad.
The great news is that tax donation of the salvaged materials can offset, or is usually even much greater than the cost of the deconstruction itself. Deconstruction takes a few extra days, but usually pays for itself. Plus the materials are put to good use, and kept out of landfills, so it’s an excellent, green alternative – something that makes us all feel good.
Sound to good to be true? Well, I thought so too, but then he told me that they were paying the deconstruction crew $2500 and claiming a $4200 tax deduction for the cabinets, windows and fixtures that are being replaced. Normally these things would simply find their way into the landfill and completely new ones would be created from raw materials to meet demands. With deconstruction everybody saves: my friend saves on his taxes; the people using the recycled materials to make new materials can do so more cheaply; therefore future customers can buy for lower prices; and less raw materials is good for the environment. So everybody wins as well.
I know that there are folx out there who have shelved their home renovations projects due to economic uncertainty. Before you totally backburner them I recommend you ask your contractor about deconstruction or check the Building Materials Reuse Association to find a deconstruction company near you.
Tags: building, contractor, deconstruction, remodeling, renovation
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Hi Mike!
The blog theme’s by Dosh Dosh (link in the footer)
a $4200 deduction is worth roughly $1176 at a 28% marginal tax rate.
That’s not equal to the $2500 cost.
On the plus side, however, the deconstruction crew will actually save some amount of money in that the regular crew won’t have to do some work.
It could go either way. Weighing in the balance, of course, is how green you want to be.
I’m far from a tax expert, Dan, though I appreciate your input. As you say, everyone will have to run their own numbers and decide for themselves just how valuable their ecological commitment is.
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