My DH makes concrete birdbaths for a living, and I often paint them with great success using ANY kind of paint. Spray paint is usually the most cost effective, and provides a good base coat. I use acrylic paints that can be found in craft stores for accents or highlighting. I also use clear spray paint to seal the paint. Hint...make sure the birdbath is very dry before painting. First wash it down, then let it dry. If it's raw concrete, there will be lime leaching and some manufacturers already paint the piece with a mixture of paint and cement to cover any pin holes or patch marks. You don't need to primer the piece...concrete is the easiest medium to paint on. Let the paint dry very well between coats, then apply at least 4 coats of clear spray paint as the sealer, particularly in the bowl. Most spray paints today are non-toxic. They're not going to leach anything bad. Frankly, in my opinion, I've seen birds bathing in puddles on the street that have a shimmer of motor oil in them. I've never seen any adverse reactions to the spray paint I use. Most commercial manufacturers use these same types of materials to paint their pieces. Patio paint is expensive and you will need a lot. Krylon or other premium spray paints are recommended. Don't use ANYTHING that is petroleum or oil based! (Like Thompsons Water Seal).

I've noticed some people are buying at the local stores around here. good luck

same thing happened with second box. within five minutes of leaving the finished project, a pair of blues moved into the "house of blues", lindale, tx. we moved the boxes this year due to a very aggressive young cat we have. the old boxes were on wooden posts or trees with carpet strips as a cat barrier. it's amazing how quickly the birds made new nests....only a day of two. last year we believe one nest in an old fence post raised four sets of young blues...at the end of the summer we counted twelve blues on a line in our yard.

Just did. I made an offer on a new home and it was accepted before I'd even listed my home. Obviously, I need to sell fast. However, unlike your friend's situation, my first potential buyer wanted to counter back and forth like a tennis match. I verbally accepted 20k less than asking and before the agent got the contract over, someone else stepped in and submitted full asking price. I don't have time to get into a bidding war and once I knew someone was willing to offer full price, the idea of countering back and forth just irritated me. The agent on the first offer attempted to berate my agent for not giving them the opportunity to "counter again." I was more than happy to explain that it was my decision and their offer should've been more aggressive from the start. Also, depending on the seller's situation, they may have been willing to accept a "somewhat" lower offer in cash than a full offer with financing. A financed buyer can take 30-90 days to close depending on your market and with a cash deal, you can have a check in hand the same day.