Labor Day Sales for Homeowners
- Elisa Cool Murphy
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
What to Buy, What to Skip, & How to Save More
You work hard for your money.
Let's see if we can help you keep a little more of it.
If you're shopping for your home this Labor Day weekend, these are the things that typically go on sale.
Labor Day Shopping Checklist:
If it's already on your list, Labor Day is traditionally a good time to shop for:
Appliances
Mattresses
Bedding
Paint
Home improvement supplies
While you're already out shopping, you may also find end-of-season discounts on:
Patio furniture
Grills
Outdoor décor
Gardening supplies
These aren't always Labor Day sales, but you'll often find them discounted this time of year as retailers make room for what's next. And remember...
Don't get took.
Buy what you came for.
A good deal on the wrong purchase is still the wrong purchase.
Before You Check Out, Check One More Thing
This one has saved us money more times than we can count. You're already standing at the register. The item is already in your cart. Before they ring it up, ask:
"Would you mind checking your online price before you finish ringing this up?"
Many retailers—including stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Staples, and Office Depot (policies vary and change over time)—may match their own online price if it's lower.
Sometimes nothing changes. Sometimes you save enough to pay for lunch.
Either way, it takes less than a minute.
One AI Prompt Every Homeowner Should Save
Most people think of their home inspection report as something they needed to get through closing.
It's actually the closest thing your home has to an owner's manual.
Before it disappears into a drawer somewhere, upload it into your favorite AI tool and ask it to build a maintenance plan you'll actually use.
Here's the prompt:
Read my home inspection report. Assume any repairs completed before closing have been addressed unless I tell you otherwise. Create a homeowner maintenance plan organized into monthly, quarterly, twice-a-year, annual, and every-five-year tasks. Prioritize items by urgency, estimate typical maintenance costs where appropriate, explain why each task matters, and tell me what can happen if I ignore it. Then create a version I can easily copy into my digital calendar with recurring reminders.
Five minutes now can save a lot of guessing later.
The Cheapest Repairs are Usually the Ones You Catch Early
One thing we've learned after walking through thousands of homes is that expensive repairs rarely start out expensive. More often, they're little things that become big things because no one caught them early.
A few habits make a big difference:
Change your HVAC filter regularly.
Clean your dryer vent.
Trim shrubs away from your siding.
Walk around your home after a heavy rain and look for anything that seems different than last time.
Pay attention to small leaks before they become expensive ones.
Homeownership isn't usually about one giant renovation.
It's dozens of small decisions that add up over time.
Before You Replace Something...
Ask whether it can be repaired.
We've become very good at replacing things. Sometimes that's absolutely the right answer. A lot more often than you'd think, though, the fix is one inexpensive part.
A faucet may need a new cartridge.
A running toilet may need a new flapper.
A hose connection may need fresh thread seal tape.
Before buying something new, stop by your neighborhood hardware store or spend a few minutes with YouTube or your favorite AI tool. Even if you ultimately hire someone, you'll understand the problem better before making the call.
Keep a Record of Your Home
You won't remember the paint color six years from now. Or where that bathroom tile came from. Or who installed the water heater. None of us do.
Whether it's a binder, a folder in Google Drive, or simply an album on your phone, keep one place for:
Paint colors
Flooring information
Appliance manuals
Warranties
Contractor information
Receipts
Before-and-after photos
Future You will be grateful.
One Last Thing
People sometimes think REALTORS® spend all day opening doors and writing contracts.
The truth is, most of us at Cool Murphy became REALTORS® because we genuinely geek out on this stuff.
How homes work.
Why neighborhoods change.
Which products hold up.
Who does great work.
Where to find the people who make living here a little easier.
Over time, that means we end up collecting an unusual amount of local knowledge.
Need reclaimed architectural materials? We'll probably send you to The Green Project.
Looking for an adoptable dog? We'd love to introduce you to our friends at Take Paws Rescue.
Trying to find someone who understands curly hair, does incredible blonding, designs beautiful landscapes, restores old windows, or knows the quirks of your particular neighborhood? Ask.
Seriously.
Helping people buy a home is only one part of what we do.
Helping people enjoy living there is one of our favorite parts.
Whether you're one of our clients or simply found us while searching for Labor Day sales, we're glad you're here.
We share things like this throughout the year because buying a home is one thing.
Learning how to own one is another.
Celebrated for her next-level creative approach to real estate, Elisa Cool Murphy is the author of Prepped to Sell: What Works Even When the Market Doesn't. She is an award-winning, top-performing real estate broker in New Orleans and the founder and owner of Cool Murphy Real Estate.
Contact Her -
email: cool@coolmurphy.com
Facebook: @homeinneworleans
IG: @coolmurphynola
YouTube: @coolmurphynola
phone: 504-321-3194
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