Vermont Wood Stove Refurbish

Well, we have our mini homestead land. Our next big project will be to put a road in, but in the meantime we are preparing to build a garage with a livable loft to live in and use until we build our main house.  Part of the plans and preparation for the garage construction is the materials. We really don't want to buy everything brand new.  First of all, new costs money and doesn't necessarily mean that the product is better. Secondly, there are tons of materials and supplies out there that are used and still in perfect working order! No reason to fill the dumps with good stuff. We are happy to refurbish, reuse, and repurpose if it helps save the Earth, but even more importantly, saves us money!

This Vermont casting stove was being discarded by our new neighbor. Yup, it was going in the garbage!  So the little window was cracked and it needed a good cleaning. "No biggie, we can fix that!" said my husband. And guess what? He did!

​I didn't even tell you the best part yet: the stove came with 12 feet of stove pipe too! Livable garage loft, we are ready for you!

My husband simply went online, did a little research as far as what stove it is exactly - The Vermont Castings Resolute from 1979 - and purchased new glass for the door windows and a gasket kit. He purchased all the parts from Mountain View Hearth Products in Montana.  He had to call them up and talk to them to make sure he was getting the right parts and they were super helpful. We highly recommend them if you need any stove parts!

Took some time for him to take it all apart, clean it, and put it back together but now it is like brand new!  Total cost: less than $200.  Savings: THOUSANDS!

A few other items we have collected for FREE so far:

• 2 interior doors with frames
• Interior door knobs
• 1 small electric water heater

Still on the lookout for:

• Kitchen cabinets, sink, etc.
• Bathroom shower and sink

One of our favorite places to visit is Restore in Ronkonkoma. It is run by Habitat for Humanity and all proceeds go to building homes for people in need. They get donations of used or leftover  building materials, supplies, flooring, cabinets, even furniture and appliances!

​We never know what we will find when we visit but it is super fun to go! So if you have something to get rid of, or are looking for something particular, consider checking them out. It is worth it! Think of it like a thrift store for building and home needs!

Thanks for visiting!
Check out our other ways to save money and our future homestead plans!
Sincerely,