Buying a used fence and other questionable life choices
April 27, 2019 5:08 PM Subscribe
Someone has listed their used white picket fence on Nextdoor in my neighborhood. I went out and inspected it - it is 5 years old, wood, and could use a fresh coat of paint but is otherwise in good shape. 100' long with three gates, 4' tall. They're asking $850. Is it a bad idea to buy a used fence? If so, what would you say is a fair offer?
How was it taken apart? If the ends of the boards are messed up it will be harder to put the fence back together
posted by rockindata at 5:20 PM on April 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by rockindata at 5:20 PM on April 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
You can buy it in prefab sections at Home Depot. Unpainted wood is about 1200 bucks. Get vinyl instead.
I would say not. You're going to spend labor taking it down, and you're going to have to use your own posts.
posted by the Real Dan at 5:22 PM on April 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
I would say not. You're going to spend labor taking it down, and you're going to have to use your own posts.
posted by the Real Dan at 5:22 PM on April 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
Like most stuff on Nextdoor, people massively overvalue items they are selling. That's ~1/2 the price of new wood which is totally farcical for what amounts to a disposal problem.
You're going to still have to sink your own pressure treated posts, do all the painting etc. And that's with all the caveats already mentioned.
posted by Dr. Twist at 5:33 PM on April 27, 2019 [9 favorites]
You're going to still have to sink your own pressure treated posts, do all the painting etc. And that's with all the caveats already mentioned.
posted by Dr. Twist at 5:33 PM on April 27, 2019 [9 favorites]
having them pay you 500 dollars to haul it off for them sounds fair.
posted by nikaspark at 5:56 PM on April 27, 2019 [34 favorites]
posted by nikaspark at 5:56 PM on April 27, 2019 [34 favorites]
Most of the cost of a fence is the labor. This is pretty overpriced, and if they’re making you take it down, WAY overpriced. Like the other poster said, they should be paying you, practically.
posted by Slinga at 6:26 PM on April 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Slinga at 6:26 PM on April 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
They should absolutely be paying you.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:42 PM on April 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:42 PM on April 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
A lot depends on labor. Who is uninstalling, moving and then reinstalling it? If the answer is you then offer $250: if they will at least deliver it I’d go up to $400. Fencing is stupid expensive - I just put in a little less than 100 feet of “cheap” ugly wire fence with metal stakes and after paying someone to do it, I spent nearly $500, about half and half materials and labor. Seems to me that used nice fence and new crappy fence should cost about the same, so yes, $850 is crazy.
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:25 PM on April 27, 2019
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:25 PM on April 27, 2019
I agree with others - if you're removing it from their property they should be paying you.
posted by zdravo at 9:48 PM on April 27, 2019
posted by zdravo at 9:48 PM on April 27, 2019
Oh hell no is 100' of used 4' picket fence worth $850. You can get 3.5 x 8 ft picket fence panels for $30 at Home Depot.
posted by drlith at 5:28 AM on April 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by drlith at 5:28 AM on April 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Ya crazy high. I had about 140 feet of the expensive very tall plastic stuff hurricane rated with weird corners and gates and stuff and paid only $1k installed. If you're removing it and hauling it I truly think $50 is fine.
posted by chasles at 7:20 AM on April 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by chasles at 7:20 AM on April 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Nthing that a fair offer is at most $zero, and that asking that much is enough of a sign that they're unpleasant dingbats that I'd recommend not replying at all.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 9:02 AM on April 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 9:02 AM on April 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
A thing is worth whatever a seller will accept and a buyer will pay. How badly do you want a fence? What condition is it in? How much work are you willing to do? How are you going to get it to your place? Do you have a post hole digger?
Our neighbor five doors down took down a five foot high wood fence in order to put up a seven foot high wood fence (there is a Little League field next to their house). My wife wanted some of the boards for crafting. He said "take away as many as you want--it's less work for me!" and put some of the best ones aside for her.
The heart of a good deal is that each side should think that they cheated the other side. However, who cares if they think that? I'd offer $50 if you really want it, and if they have the power of thought they'll think "I came out of that really great--didn't have to haul it to the dump and pay a $200 dumping fee!"
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 10:42 AM on April 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Our neighbor five doors down took down a five foot high wood fence in order to put up a seven foot high wood fence (there is a Little League field next to their house). My wife wanted some of the boards for crafting. He said "take away as many as you want--it's less work for me!" and put some of the best ones aside for her.
The heart of a good deal is that each side should think that they cheated the other side. However, who cares if they think that? I'd offer $50 if you really want it, and if they have the power of thought they'll think "I came out of that really great--didn't have to haul it to the dump and pay a $200 dumping fee!"
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 10:42 AM on April 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Bad deal.
posted by Oyéah at 4:04 PM on April 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 4:04 PM on April 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
Wood!?!?
You've already gotten your answer, but I just last summer put up over 100' of new, pressure-treated wooden fence, for under a grand, counting the delivery fee. It cost another $100 to rent the truck to take the old fence to the dump, which I did myself -- would have cost easily $250 to have it done by someone else.
Pass.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:28 PM on April 29, 2019
You've already gotten your answer, but I just last summer put up over 100' of new, pressure-treated wooden fence, for under a grand, counting the delivery fee. It cost another $100 to rent the truck to take the old fence to the dump, which I did myself -- would have cost easily $250 to have it done by someone else.
Pass.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:28 PM on April 29, 2019
Five years is not an old fence, but still...
I might generously offer them something ($50?), because it doesn't sound like they're going to pay you to take it away.
posted by artdrectr at 5:44 PM on April 29, 2019
I might generously offer them something ($50?), because it doesn't sound like they're going to pay you to take it away.
posted by artdrectr at 5:44 PM on April 29, 2019
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Were there any signs that the fence was sagging or listing or that any of it had been replaced?
How is it joined together? Screws or nails? That’ll have a big impact on how easy it is to disassemble and reassemble without losing too much material.
Do you feel up to installing it yourself?
posted by jedicus at 5:17 PM on April 27, 2019 [2 favorites]