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Porta potty for a 6-month farmhouse renovation: rent or buy?

Sam O.asked 3 viewsHome Renovations & Long-termLong term rentalBuying vs rentingMonthly rentalService frequencyStandard unit

We're starting a six-month renovation of our farmhouse and we'll be living on-site the whole time. The house only has one bathroom, which is getting gutted. Our family is two adults and two kids. The contractor said we need a portable toilet for the crew and for us. I'm trying to decide if it makes more sense to rent a unit for the full six months or just buy one outright and then sell it when we're done.

We have a flat gravel driveway where a truck can pull right up. I'm looking at a basic standard unit, but my wife is asking about a deluxe unit with a sink. For a long-term rental like this, which option usually works out better financially? And does the type of unit change the rent-versus-buy math?

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Jake W.Denver, CO

Rent it. With a crew plus a family of four using one toilet every day for six months, the unit itself is the cheap part. The pumping is what matters, and a rental includes that.

When you own the unit, you still need someone with a vacuum truck to pump the tank, haul the waste to a licensed disposal site, and restock paper. Most rental outfits only do a service visit on units they own, so you end up paying for service anyway and you also deal with cleaning, storage, and selling a used toilet at the end. Nobody is lining up to buy that.

With six or so people on it daily, ask for twice a week service from the start. Once a week on a single unit with kids and a crew will get rough fast.

On the deluxe unit question, I'd push for it since you're living there. The sink with a foot pump means the kids actually wash hands, and the flushing bowl keeps it nicer. It doesn't change the rent versus buy answer, it just changes the monthly quote. Your gravel drive with truck access is perfect for either.

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