I'm hoping to get out of the renting rat race and become a homeowner by the end of the year. Gunning for a single family home, no condos or townhouses.
While thinking about the million things that entails, I thought about the utility of a pickup for the things that can be part and parcel of owning and maintaining a house -- i.e. moving and hauling lots of crap to and from.
I know it's not strictly required when you have a house but my dad has always had a pickup in the rotation alongside another car of his and it seems to come in handy fairly often.
What does the lounge think?
(And yes, if I do do this, I know not to make a purchase like this until after I close on everything.)
It would be wise to have one, especially if you'll be doing any work on the house yourself. Even for furniture is nice. Just don't tell any of your friends you bought a truck.
I've been a homeowner for 12 years now. I have a 2dr coupe as my only vehicle. I've not needed a truck enough times to justify one. But if I were to do such things it would be a sub $3k beater
Unless you're the type of individual who can do more than odd fix it type job, there isn't a point. We got by perfectly fine growing up using my mother's SUV (over the years: RX, MDX, RX, RX, Jeep, Q5) for any type of larger hauls like needing to remulch the house, or lay landscaping rocks, or the plants themselves. Furniture as well.
If the object is too large, then there is delivery options or to go rent a pick-up from home-depot/U-haul. That said, we're in south florida, I can probably throw a quarter out the window and hit a "contractor" looking to do some work. So there is also that.
DO you plan to do a significant amount of work yourself? Buy something new enough it doesn't need any immediate work? Or contract any necessary work? Unless you plan to do everything yourself, I see no reason for a pick up truck.
On the flip side I've got a 90 year old house and survived the last 20 years without a truck. However, my dad's Ranger has sure come in handy on a few occasions! :laugh:
I can live without it no problem, for the once a year it's good to have a truck you can rent one for like $29 a day.
Also for real truck duty forget about those soccer mom trucks that most people have (4 doors, super short box), they suck. For real truck duty you need the working mans truck, minimum 7 foot box. We've put lots of things in dad's Ranger that would have never fit in the fancy pants new F150's that 95% of people buy.
Summary: either rent one when you need one or get a sub 3K Ranger.
Also for real truck duty forget about those soccer mom trucks that most people have (4 doors, super short box), they suck. For real truck duty you need the working mans truck, minimum 7 foot box. We've put lots of things in dad's Ranger that would have never fit in the fancy pants new F150's that 95% of people buy.
Summary: either rent one when you need one or get a sub 3K Ranger.
This.
I bought my Mazda Ranger for about $2k and it has come in handy several times, not not enough to buy a brand new truck.. Not a terrible daily driver either.
It's a very nice to have. If it's within your means and it's nice to have, and obviously can have a greater purpose than just serving the needs of maintaining/improving a house. Sure, you can get by with just Miata, but would you want to?
I purchased a house 5 years ago and I have been doing a full remodel on everything from the ground up. Honestly, the eGolf was a such a Tardis that it would somehow swallow 8' 2x4's with ease and allow the hatch to close. My GLI did runs of gravel and concrete bags like a champ. The Audi's got a cavernous trunk, you can fit a 6-footer diagonally without having to protrude into the cabin, handles 30 bags of mulch with ease.
I did have the Highlander for a bit, but there's very few projects that have required anything more than a minivan to complete on my 1600 sq ft 2-story home and 6000 sq ft lot.
Only thing I've need to use my Dad's Grand Caravan for was for drywall and plywood sheets.
Heavy duty yard work that requires haul away gets relegated out to our Hispanic community.
You don’t need a truck to own a home. I just completed a pretty major remodel (including finishing out the garage myself). Hauled everything in the STI.
If you own a ranch or a block of rental properties, yeah you need a truck. If you own one suburban single family home, no, you aren't giving up very much if you don't have a truck. Not even if you're the DIY type. Unless you're rebuilding something, most of the stuff you'll likely do (like paint or curtain rods or coat hooks) will fit just fine in a coupe, especially if you have a passthrough. Upgrade to something with a hatch and that covers an even larger percent.
Now and then you'll probably buy something that won't fit into a coupe or a hatch--say, a dishwasher or a water heater or a roll of carpet--and when you're doing those things sans truck, you can pay for a truck rental or delivery and you'll likely still be way ahead. Seriously, home depot trucks are like $20/hr or something they're basically at cost. And that happens waaaay less than the "whoops I'm out of glue/one cabinet handle short/etc." type of run.
Now, maybe you want a truck for other reasons. Dirt bikes, trailering, camping, taking hay to horses, or just because. That's fine, buy a truck. There's a reason so many people love them, and admittedly it will be convenient with house stuff from time to time. I just don't think home ownership puts it anywhere close to need is all.
Now and then you'll probably buy something that won't fit into a coupe or a hatch--say, a dishwasher or a water heater or a roll of carpet--and when you're doing those things sans truck, you can pay for a truck rental or delivery and you'll likely still be way ahead. Seriously, home depot trucks are like $20/hr or something they're basically at cost. And that happens waaaay less than the "whoops I'm out of glue/one cabinet handle short/etc." type of run.
Now, maybe you want a truck for other reasons. Dirt bikes, trailering, camping, taking hay to horses, or just because. That's fine, buy a truck. There's a reason so many people love them, and admittedly it will be convenient with house stuff from time to time. I just don't think home ownership puts it anywhere close to need is all.
This is true, but to be fair I do think that landscaping can be a truck-heavy activity and that can pop up at least a couple times a year. I have a giant area in my yard were I've stacked up lots of dead branches, brush, and other weeds that I don't really know how to get rid of. Trucking in gravel or mulch would also be nice, too.
Depends on your personal situation. The majority of my vehicle use case doesn't require a truck. I've rented one for those rare occasions or ask a buddy.
The OP is asking if it's a good idea to get a truck. He didn't ask if it's a necessity. If it makes sense to him to have one in general, it's a nice to have. It's not a must. It's that simple.
I love my truck, 1/2 ton Chevy. It's smooth, comfortable and quiet. It cruises on the interstate.
I haven't carried anything in it that I couldn't have put in numerous hatchbacks, small SUV's and sports cars in the past, but when I do, it's easier. I live in the suburbs so there's always room to park. My wife loves it because "I feel so safe". I have an acre lot in a subdivision. The truck will last forever. I got a good deal. I will admit, it's big, but doesn't feel big anymore.
I don't need it, but I love it. It's a very versatile vehicle.
Hey OP, if you're looking for an excuse to buy a truck, then buy one after you buy the house.
But do you need a truck? No. Not trying to sound braggy, but I've owned 3 old homes (1950-something, 1928, and currently 1939 fixer upper), have rental properties, and co-own a business that regularly does deliveries and offsite events. I've never had a truck. My GTI did come in handy a few times though.
I have owned multiple houses for 12+ years now. One of them I did a full on down to the cement walls renovation of the basement. I’ve never owned a truck. Everything that went into my basement except the drywall was hauled in my TSX or wife’s RDX. It can be done.
But, it’s not the best tool for the job. Often I had screwy situations like the below, and it was only the fact I was driving short distances on back roads that let me get away with it. And that doesn’t count the wear and tear on the interior. If you want a truck, and you have space and budget for a truck (or beater van/SUV) I bet it comes in handy way more than you think. But you can do without.
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