What Slows Down Flip Projects the Most?

Question

From funding delays to draw timing — what tends to cause the biggest bottlenecks on your flips?

Anthony L Amos Jr · Answer

For me it is usually the physical surprises that jam things up. I had a sewer line issue on a project that blew up the whole schedule. Then you have contractors getting sick or ghosting which kills momentum fast. Permits are the other big headache since waiting on the city is the one thing that feels totally out of my hands.

Lipa F. · Answer

I reduced holding time by adding a contract clause that lowers payment when deadlines are missed

Juan Cristales · Answer

I try to do my best to do the planning and have it completed prior to closing. Having to make decisions about small insignificant stuff was a bottle neck for me. Like what you as? Whelp, like the spacing between the tile. It would annoy me that the contractors would call me about that but it wasn't their fault. It was mine. So.. I standardized the flips. Same cabinets. Same hardware. Same flooring. Same tile. Same everything every time. It eliminated a ton of phone calls and allowed me to focus on finding the next one.

Frank Pyle · Answer

For me it is almost always scope creep and decision lag more than the money. One change order turns into three, then you are waiting on a cabinet layout, then counters, then the whole schedule slides. Permits and inspections can be sneaky too if you are not lining them up early, and long lead items like windows, HVAC, and special order materials will wreck a timeline fast.

Are you mostly seeing delays before you start or once the work is underway? And are you running fixed price bids or cost plus with a GC on your flips?

What Slows Down Flip Projects the Most?

Most Popular Reply