BiggerPockets

I was checking out some other posts on gut rehabs, people talking about 25-50sq/ft. What if we are talking a completely cosmetic gut? Floors, cabinets, fixtures, sinks, toilets, tubs? (No electrical, plumbing)

Do you prefer carpet or fake wood (pergo, etc)?

Also, does a normal gut include windows, doors? Appliances? Furnace/AC?

Thanks!

Thanks Richard, very thorough response! Now when looking at gutting a room versus what some people may call a "redo" (kitchen redo, bath redo, etc). A redo would be primarily cosmetic, correct?

Just doing taxes, so I have the total costs on my rehab. It wasn't a complete gut. You can see the pictures in my gallery. Moved a few walls, but most did not move. Bath had a new surrond, faucet and toilet, but tub and vanity stayed. Kitchen was a full gut, including some of the sheetrock, framing in a smaller window, all new cabinets, applicances (except fridge), plumbing, electrical, and floor. New furnace and hot water heater. Relocated washer/dryer hookups including wiring and plumbing. Paint and carpet throughout. Replaced two windows. No exterior work. Fully permitted with licensed contractors, though I (and the wife) did the painting, sheetrock, and grunt work ourselves. $17.34 per square foot. That's the total cost, $15,676.69, divided by the total square footage, 904.

Just to give an idea of one of my projects, here's the most recent gut-job I finished:

http://www.reistartup.com/house-pics/the-second-chance-house-staging-pics

The "before" pictures are linked to at the top.

Basically, other than three of the four bedrooms, the house was torn down to the studs. New kitchen, bathrooms, real hardwood, carpet, fixtures, HVAC, a lot of plumbing and electrical, a new back deck, a new parking pad, paint inside and out, a lot of basic landscaping, and appliances included.

The house is about 1400 sq ft and the total cost of the rehab was $36,622, or about $26.16 per sq ft.

This *didn't* include a new roof and didn't include much exterior (besides paint and landscaping). So, it was pretty much an "interior gut."

Hope that gives you an idea...

Reading Tom's post (and mine above it), I was thinking that $26 sq ft seemed a little high for what we did on this project.

Then I remembered that we converted the garage to living space, so the total square footage on this project is actually about 1700 sq ft (not the 1400 I posted above).

So, my project was around $21/sq ft, which seems more reasonable for a low-end cosmetic gut.

In my case, yes...

But, you can get appliances VERY inexpensively if you shop around. Personally, in each house, I put a full set of GE/Hotpoint faux stainless steel appliances (refrigerator, range, dishwasher, microwave) plus washer and dryer all for $2000.

So, it doesn't impact the cost very much...