Another vote for the local Habitat for Humanity store!! In our area it's called Builder's Bargains. We scored nine (yes, nine!) older solid wood, clear fir interior doors, complete with hinges and doorknobs for $50 each! We couldn't touch these at our local lumber yard for under $300, and then we would still need to purchase the hardware. We have also gotten our shower fixtures there and some great tile. Our store constantly has contractors swinging by to drop off their excess supplies. I have seen brand new windows, sinks, some beautiful lighting fixtures, paint...you name it and they will eventually have it! Our particular store has a wish list that you can put your name on and if that particular item comes in they will give you a call and give you first "dibs" on it. That's how we landed the doors. We have also lucked into some great stuff through our local Freecycle group.....all free! A couple of the best things that we have found here were four full light, fir framed doors (new, never installed!) and a huge old oak fireplace surround (needs elbow grease, but beautiful!). I think that if you stay flexible and open-minded that you can find all sorts of great things for your build! You also need to love to shop.....alot! hee hee! Shopping like this has allowed us to flex our budget on others things, which has been great. Good luck to you!

Kohler tub/shower module for the master has built-in grab bars and its own walls and ceilings (for old age and easy care). Lasco tub/shower module without the grab bars and lesser quality for the guest bath which will get less use. Toto toilets (see Terry Love's plumbing website and learn about them; they're among the best; prices vary) Kohler faucets throughout the house (ratings usually higher than Moen; less pricey than Hahns Grohe, etc). Look for quality construction: solid brass innards with ceramic disc valves. The rest is styling and finishes. Chrome is most durable finish with PVD still unproven over the long haul but expected to rival or exceed chrome. Trying to stick to one manufacturer for simplicity and possible better discounts. Avoid Price Pfister due to reliability problems.

There's something seriously amiss if the wire it getting that hot from an ordinary light bulb and the primary concern would be that overheating could lead to a fire. Not to mention that fixtures hanging from wires isn't such a good idea either. If she can't afford to get it fixed properly, it might be best to avoid using the light and investing a flashlight. Your friend might also consider talking to her pastor or leader of any groups she might be involved in. Certainly she has marketable skills and perhaps there's an electrician that would be willing to barter.

I have bought every new light fixture, faucet, sink,drain assembly, shower trim, valve body etc. for this house online over the last 5 years or so. Some at Amazon, others through build.com, e faucets, faucet direct etc. Never a problem. We are getting too old to do it all ourselves also but I hire my own sub contractors for the more extensive parts of the project or things DH no longer cares to fiddle with. I know exactly what I want and have gathered everything ahead of time. I have a plumber, an electrician, a framer and a drywall guy. I network all the time to find people who do good work. I find a lot of good trades people by getting referrals from the people who have done good work in other areas. For example I was very pleased with a relatively small drywall job. I asked the drywall person if he knew a framing carpenter who did quality work taking the same extra care he did. That way even though we can't do it all ourselves we retain control of the projects.