The Underrated Estate Sale Find That Will Beautify Your Patio On A Budget

Estate sales aren't just for vintage furniture finds, trinkets, and collectibles. If you're more focused on elevating your outdoor space, don't just peruse the rooms — look outside, and look down, because secondhand pea gravel for sale can be a delightful surprise for a budget-savvy shopper. In an estate sale, the contents of someone's home are being sold within and around that home, whether the estate owner has died, downsized, or gone through another life change. Professional companies often organize the sales and price the items, which can include garden tools, plants, and patio items — even gravel. This isn't true for every estate sale, though, and if the patio is off limits, respecting that boundary is an estate sale etiquette rule you should avoid breaking.

Pea gravel is made from 6- to 10-millimeter stones in various colors. Because of its size, smoothness, and durability, it's an ideal choice for use in landscaping and garden projects. Installing a pea gravel patio is another popular use. It provides good drainage and is perfect for outdoor areas where pesky puddles tend to form.

It makes sense to look for pea gravel at estate sales because it's common to negotiate at them, so you might get a better deal on a large quantity than you would at a big box store. It's available at Walmart for $4.88 per 46-pound bag at the time of this writing, but depending on the space you're trying to fill, this can add up. According to the product listing, nine bags are needed to fill a space of 50 square feet that is 1 inch deep. You can research the value of items and ask for a deal at estate sales, especially if you attend on the last day.

Going to estate sales with a mission to find pea gravel involves some preparation, starting with getting previews of which sales offer garden items. You can search for nearby sales and find the websites of companies managing estate sales on EstateSales.net. Companies often list upcoming sales on their websites and provide contact information. It's not a good practice to ask about pricing in advance, but you can reach out to the companies to ask whether gravel is among the items up for sale. Open-mindedness is needed when estate sale shopping, so be familiar with the different uses of pea gravel in your yard. Having a few ideas in mind means you can pivot between projects depending on the quantity you come home with.