Home Depot: 9 Things You Don’t Know
Upon first glance, Home Depot looks like a standard home improvement store filled with lumber, appliances, power tools and flooring. However, the store offers much more than meets the eye. For example, if you shop the store online, you'll find thousands of unexpected items for sale, including everything from kids' decor to luggage sets to specialty bakeware. But that's not all Home Depot has in store for you.
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You Can Sign Up for Emails for a One-Time Discount
"It may only be $5 off your next purchase, but every little bit helps," said consumer analyst Julie Ramhold with DealNews. "You'll continue to receive emails with savings and special offers after you sign up, but if you get tired of cleaning out your inbox, you can unsubscribe any time."
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Home Depot Has a Rebate Center
"If you're getting ready to purchase a big-ticket item like a major appliance, it's worth browsing the rebate center to see if the models you're eyeing have a rebate associated with them," Ramhold said. "You may even find an offer that tips you one way or another if you're looking at multiple options."
Home Depot Offers Overstock Savings
"Like other retailers, The Home Depot has a section of items that are overstock and will vary based on the season, but can provide much-needed savings for a variety of items," Ramhold said. "For instance, right now you may find overstock savings on select playhouses for the backyard, patio furniture, landscape edging and fire pits, with discounts as low as 10% or as high as 90% off."
Special Buys Happen Daily and Weekly
"These include daily deals, as well as weekly deals, and are often thematic," Ramhold said. "For instance, one daily deal might be items related to garage storage systems, garage cabinets and workspaces and garage shelving and organization. Meanwhile, a weekly deal could be decor-related and be something like up to 35% off mattresses and bedroom accents. There also tends to be pro special buys of the week for contractors, so it's worth seeing what kind of offers are on the page on a regular basis."
Shopping at the Right Time Can Help You Save Big
"The Home Depot has its own seasonal savings as well, and you can save a decent amount just by shopping at the right time," Ramhold said. "For example, if you're looking at plants, you may want to check out the savings in April, although fall sales on perennials are popular as well. Holiday decor routinely goes on sale right after the one in question, although Black Friday offers a rare exception when you can shop deep discounts on winter holiday items. Paint often has great savings during Memorial Day and Labor Day sales, while patio furniture will see great discounts when summer starts to wind down."
If Your Green Thumb Fails, You Can Get a Refund
"Save your Home Depot receipt for any perennials, trees, and shrubs you buy to plant around the backyard BBQ pit," said Bobby Pritchard, owner of the blog Smokey Grill BBQ. "If they die within a year of purchase, you can dig them up and return them to get a refund."
You Can Buy Someone Else's Canceled Custom Paint Order
"If you are painting and are not too picky about the color, you can get someone else's canceled order for a custom color," said Scott Bates, finance expert at MoneyandBills.com. "Home Depot does not want to throw new paint out if they can help it. The quantity is limited, and normally you'll only be able to get a gallon of paint unless you are lucky. So it's best for projects no bigger than a single room."
Home Depot Will Cut Wood for Customers
"A lot of people don't know that Home Depot will actually cut wood for you," Bates said. "So if you need a small piece of lumber, you can sometimes find a great deal on a scrap piece of wood that was already cut from a previous customer. So be sure to ask an associate before you cut into a new piece of wood."
Home Depot Offers Free Hands-On DIY Learning Workshops
"One often-overlooked service that Home Depot offers is their how-to classes," said Todd Saunders, CEO of FlooringStores. "They took a break on these during the pandemic, but they're starting to come back at some locations. They're a great way to get some hands-on experience that no YouTube video can provide.
"What I love is that they can help me to better know exactly what I need to buy to complete a project at home. I'll often find myself buying more supplies than I need in case I make mistakes, underestimate my needs or don't know what kind of product I need. These classes help with all of those sources of uncertainty."
Home Depot also offers interactive livestream workshops that are free. Check its website for details.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Home Depot: 9 Things You Don’t Know
