How do you make your flip look finished?

Question

I saw a house today that blew my mind - but not in a good way. The trim looked horrible, the kitchen looked thrown together at the last minute, the bathrooms looked "almost."

This house is a full priced fixer upper.

I'll throw out a tip, and would love to hear others.

Caulk is your best friend. Make sure you use paintable caulk, and caulk all gaps. The gap between the trim and wall. The gaps between the trim and doorframe. The seams in the trim when one piece isn't long enough for the wall.

Would love to hear what you do to make your flip look complete.

Mindy Jensen · Answer

Account Closed That is exactly what happened here. Absolutely everything looks thrown together. It is sad, really, and gives flipping a bad name.

Jessica S. · Answer

I hire a window washer to clean the windows.  It makes a huge difference, particularly in photos.  Buyers won't notice the windows, but will get a sense that the house is fresh and clean.  I also run an ionizer to get rid of any lingering chemical odors.  That "New house" smell might go over well in some markets, but not here in ultra-eco Portland.

Account Closed · Answer

@Mindy Jensen  As I'm sure you know, the key to a good finished result is: good design, good execution and attention to detail. You have to love the process,the work and the people who will call your project their home.  Too many people are in it only for the money and it shows in their finished product.

Shawn Thom · Answer

I agree on the clean windows!  I like to do a good cleaning on the house..and make sure it stay clean.  Nothing screams YIKES like walking in to a house and finding dead roaches on the floor.

Also I like to refinish the tubs if I'm not replacing them.  Make them look crispy white!

Mark Reardon · Answer

In my early days of apprenticeship I'll never forget this quote "do your best and caulk the rest"

Stephen Lutz · Answer

Landscaping can make a big difference... And in many cases doesn't

Take a lot of money!

Scott K. · Answer

I agree.  I caulked so damn much in my last property.  Every seem everywhere needs to be sealed and painted.

I walk through plenty of houses and you see people just paint the trim the same color they used for the wall.  Geez a $25 for a gallon of off white paint will paint all the trim.  Stop being cheap and lazy.  Even cheap rentals should look nice.

Ryan Billingsley · Answer

@Mindy Jensen   That is a great tip!  Actually one of our rentals is in need of some caulking now!  We had a occupancy inspection yesterday and they tried to fail the property for a small crack on the siding.  They said bugs can crawl in there..  I talked him into passing it!  He was a new inspector and looking for anything he could find!

How do you make your flip look finished?

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