How to Renovate a Fixer-Upper Home

How to Renovate a Fixer-Upper Home
  • Opening Intro -

    If real estate were easy to understand, everyone would be running their own company.

    However, that doesn't mean it's an impenetrable industry, forever off-limits.

    No, with the right tools, anyone can become successful.

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Here are a few tips to help you turn a profit while flipping homes.

Look at Comparables and Use Them to Decide Whether a Property Is Worthwhile

How much have similar homes sold for in the recent past? For beginners, it’s a little tough to figure out which homes are actually comparable to yours. Sometimes, they may look quite similar from the outside. But, after walking in, there’s hardly any resemblance.

So, try asking a realtor for help performing a comparative market analysis. This is a set of tools designed to produce objective property assessments.

They’ll give you the best estimate they’re able to create, making decisions a bit easier.

Understand Which Repairs Will Return the Most for the Investment

Not every project has the same ROI, and their difference can be significant. Always look at the benefits and compare them to the potential costs.

Then, use that to calculate whether there’s a positive return on an idea. If so, it’s probably worth investing a little time and effort into it.

Of course, you should also look for ways to reduce costs. Plastic sheeting tends to cost much less than other materials. So, using it would stretch your budget, usually.

It’ll cover stuff you need to put outside, and water won’t be able to touch anything. That way, wasted material won’t be such a big item on your budget anymore.

Develop Relationships With Reliable Contractors

On your first fixer-upper, it’s tempting to handle everything by yourself. However, after you’ve done this a while, things look slightly different. You start realizing which projects you’re able to tackle without any help. And, the ones that are too difficult are just as noticeable.

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      some electrical DIY ideas to consider      

So, focus on building relationships with contractors experienced in areas you’re not. Any time there’s something tricky, just call them. They’ll take care of whatever is holding up progress and make things look great, too.

If you’ve built good bonds with them, hiring them shouldn’t cost too much, either. That’s why it pays to start building relationships with them as soon as possible.

Always Order Inspections for the Roof and Pests

A home’s roof is one of the most expensive things you’ll ever replace. You have to replace them from time to time, or water damage will happen. At that point, you’re looking at thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs.

So, order an inspection whenever you’re buying a house, regardless of the market. Otherwise, the roof may not be in great shape after taking ownership. Then, a massive repair bill could slap you in the face without any notice.

If you’ve ordered an inspection, any repairs should be expected. You could prepare for them if an inspector told you about them before closing on the home. To us, nothing is worse than an unexpected repair bill, so we’ve never forgotten them.

Create Cash Flow by Turning Homes Into Rentals

Let’s say you’ve bought a home and put a little money into it, repairing some of its interior fixtures. However, once it’s ready to list, there’s a downturn in the housing market. What’s the best course of action if the loan suddenly goes upside down?

Well, depending on your risk tolerance, we’d recommend turning it into a rental. Selling it at a loss would guarantee you’ll lose money on the deal. But, if you can rent it for more than its note, you can still be profitable.

So, put an ad up online and see if anyone is looking for somewhere to live. Make sure you’ve set the rent high enough to cover whatever the bank is charging for the mortgage, too.

other related articles of interest:

How to Become Profitable While Flipping Homes

It’s never a good idea to enter the real estate industry without investing a bit of time learning how it all works. Once you’ve developed a foundation, understanding which deals are profitable gets much easier.

Don’t let a little friction in the begging stop you from pushing forward. It’s worthwhile, and it always pays off.

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