7 ways to save big at the home center

April kicks off the busy home improvement season. That means retailers like Ace, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, and Walmart will be vying hard for your business in the weeks and months to come. Consumer Reports has tested a slew of products sold at these and other home centers and hardware stores. We’ve also combed through the spring-season circulars to find the hottest deals. Here are seven ways to save as you make essential spring upgrades to your home and yard.

Pick up top paints

Whether you’re refinishing the front door or painting over your kitchen cabinets, our latest interior and exterior paint tests turned up many excellent home center exclusives. Regardless of the brand you settle on, remember that buying bulk 5-gallon containers will mean extra savings on major projects.

For one-stop shopping, Home Depot is your best bet. Its exclusive Behr Marquee, $43 per gallon, tops our interior paints Ratings, though for about $10 less we also like the Behr Premium Plus Ultra. Among exterior paints, go for the Behr Premium Plus Ultra Exterior, $39. Ace also has several winners, including the Clark + Kensington Enamel interior paint, $32 per gallon and Clark + Kensington Exterior, $35 per gallon. And Lowe’s has some well-priced, top interior paints in the Valspar Signature, $34 per gallon, and the Valspar Ultra, $29.

Check for online savings

Knowing how many consumers start their search online, retailers offer a lot of teaser deals on their websites. Home Depot’s Spring Black Friday kicks off today and runs through April 19th. Each day the retailer will offer a special deal on seasonal items like patio furniture, grills, and landscaping materials. Today’s deal is pretty small potatoes—$2.50 shrubs in a gallon container—but lawn mowers and paint are coming down the pike. The Lowe’s website has similar deals on cordless drills, gas grills, and outdoor power equipment. And Ace Hardware is offering 10 percent off select patio sets through April 14th.

If you like apps, those from Home Depot and Sears have handy search functions that help you locate items in the store quickly, which can save you time, if not money (but then again, time is money, right?). The Sears app also allows you to track and clip coupons. Home Depot’s connects you to additional online options for select product categories, which can be helpful if you can’t find what you need on the shelf.

Get your grill on

Many of our top-rated gas grills are home center exclusives. Best of the bunch is the Char-Broil TRU-Infrared 463435115, sold at Walmart for $260. That’s less than half the price of our top-rated Weber, which scores only slightly better overall. Char-Broil also makes a very good grill for Lowe’s, the $300 Char-Broil Advantage 463240015, and for Home Depot, the $400 Char-Broil Gourmet TRU-Infrared 463251713. Char-Broil also has several duds in our gas grill Ratings, so make sure you check the model numbers carefully.

Consider renting

Home centers rent seasonal equipment that you’d probably never buy, but that can improve the look of your yard. For example, going over the lawn with a rented core aerator will improve the soil structure and do wonders for your turfgrass. Renting a drop seeder to overseeed thin areas of the lawn will reduce weed infiltration. And a pressure washer can be used to clean up a grimy deck, siding, or outdoor furniture. Follow these power washer tips for safe operation.

While Sears doesn’t rent items, it does have a leasing program with flexible payment schedules and available early purchase options. That can be a good way to test out new tools or equipment you’re not sure about. Sears also offers layaway programs, which can help spread out payments, say if you’re tackling a major home improvement project.

Upgrade your lawn equipment

Home centers often drop the price on mowers and tractors in April and May since they know a lot of consumers will be in the market. They’ll take a loss on this equipment, hoping you’ll spend a lot more on other merchandise. Home Depot carries many of our top-rated Honda models, including our top-rated self-propelled lawn mowers, the Honda HRX2175VYA and the Honda HRX2175VKA. Both models are selling for about $100 less than Honda’s list price. Lowe’s is selling the Husqvarna YTH22V46, one of our recommended riding lawn tractors, for $1,600, which is also about $100 off the list price.

Score big on landscaping staples

You might want to stay loyal to your favorite nursery for showpiece flowers and plants, but don’t rule out the home center for yard care essentials. Organic fertilizer and potting soil is the fastest growing category in Home Depot’s garden center. The retailer has also seen double-digit growth in succulents, which are an excellent water-smart choice for homeowners living in drought-stricken regions.

You’ll find compost too at home centers. Our lawn-care experts recommend applying a half-inch top dressing each spring to the lawn to reduce the need for fertilizer. If you do go for the rented core aerator, applying the compost right after you’ve aerated will help the organic matter mix in with the soil. Mulch, on sale now at many home centers, will minimize weeds and retain moisture in garden beds. Read our additional lawn care advice.

Stock up on lightbulbs

The days may be getting longer, but the best bulbs from our tests will last long into next winter—and the next twenty or so winters to follow. In the age of long-lasting LEDs, home centers have become the go-to place. Top picks from our current Ratings include a pair of general-use 60-watt equivalents: Walmart’s Great Value 60W Soft White A19 LED Dimmable lightbulb for $10 and Home Depot’s EcoSmart 12-Watt 60W A19 Bright White lightbulb for $20. For outdoor applications, consider the Lowe’s Utilitech 13-Watt (75W) BR30 Soft White Outdoor Flood lightbulb, $12.

—Daniel DiClerico (@dandiclerico on Twitter)

More from Consumer Reports:
10 great gas grills for $300 or less
12 ways to save even more at Costco
Mattresses have changed since you last bought one

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