When a home or commercial building is renovated, used materials often end up in the trash. While many of these items can be reused, if a region lacks a business willing to accept these used materials, homeowners and contractors have nowhere to turn. If your area lacks such a store, a savvy and friendly business owner could do well to start one.
Instructions
1. Find a location for your used building materials store within reasonable distance of the local radius you will service. If you live in a mild climate or rarely experience inclement weather, to minimize start-up costs, find an outdoor location, about one acre in size. Construct or purchase a trailer to house your office, insulation and other recycled materials that may be affected by wind or rain. Once your business grows, upgrade to a warehouse. You will be subject to sewage and utility regulations for new construction. Hire a licensed contractor who knows your county's building codes and can help you submit building plans.
2. Contact your local environmental office to ensure that the used materials you will house and resell meet current regulations. Familiarize yourself with the hazards associated with certain types of reused building materials. Used materials from renovated homes may contain harmful properties. Avoid accepting those materials from homeowners.
3. Purchase a website. On it, detail your acceptance policy and items generally not accepted, as well as your location, hours and receiving hours. By having specific hours when you accept materials, you can ensure that someone is available to catalog it (see Step 6). As you gain inventory, put it on your site and update regularly to reflect current inventory.
4. Stock your used building materials store. Accept a variety of used materials such as fans, light fixtures, flooring, tiles, lumber, sinks, toilets, doors, cabinets, furniture, antiques, water heaters, stoves, radiators, windows, stove tops and dishwashers.
5. Contact deconstructing companies about taking the used materials for your store. Or build your own deconstructing crew that can be hired to deconstruct property. In exchange for saving the property owner debris hauling and disposal costs, you get the used materials. Hire licensed contractors to join your crew.
6. Design an information management system for your used building materials business that can track inventory, salvage jobs and sales. Create a database of all of recycled materials you sell along with a description and their location. Have an assistant available who can immediately take, photograph and track donations as they arrive. Update your system each time an item sells.
7. Partner up with Habitat for Humanity by consigning their donated building materials.
Tags: building materials, used materials, used building, used building materials, your used, your used building, building materials store