Real Estate Investor · Ann Arbor, MI · Member since 2009 · 130 posts · 4 votes
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?
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.
You may gut an entire house or just a room. A gut job generally means replacing everything including plumbing and electric. Most rehabs wouldn’t be a total gut job but may involve gutting a bath or kitchen.
I prefer carpet over laminate flooring, but other people feel differently. It’s a matter of preference.
A gut may or may not include the items you listed. It depends on the condition of the existing items.
As far as the $25-$50 per sq ft, it depends on costs in your area, but that would be a fairly extensive rehab in most places.
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?
check you competition and see what your up against. It's about glitter and being the next "yes" answer.
Also check your local utility and city. They may have rebates on some items you were planning to include in your rehab (AC, insulation, toilets, windows, etc.) You never know.
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.
carpet can be nice...
if you go wood floors go, at the very LEAST, engineered wood flooring(IF you are looking to sell, not speaking of rental). Pergo looks like plastic..very fake.
www.lumberliquidators.com is a great source for cheap Real wood flooring.
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."
For $40.00/s.f. we are doing a Major Full gut (Hat Trick House on our site) including all new mechanicals, foundation, roof and adding a 450 s.f. master suite room adition. For your cosmetic gut you'll be around 15-20.00/s.f. max depending on your taste. Good luck buddy!
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.
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.