Rental Property Investor · Fernandina, FL · Member since 2018 · 66 posts · 18 votes
Looking at a duplex listed for $106k to BRRRR. We think it could maybe appraise around $130k ARV. It's in a B neighborhood. They have 90's oak cabinets with off-white Formica countertops. One thought is we don't want to paint because of the wear & tear of painting & upkeep with renters. (Repainting May Be required every time someone moves out). BUT when looking to BRRRR does painting them give a GREAT return on investment? We don't want to overdo this duplex for the area & I really don't want to repaint them every few years. Plus if we paint cabinets then we may need to replace the counters since they have wear & tear. THOUGHTS?
I've done both paint and restaining, depends on the house. Both have held up well so far, though I'm sure the white ones will stain over time and I'll have to repaint in the future, which is fine with me.
Here's some before and afters...both houses are in B neighborhoods. I spent about $600 on paint, new hardware, backsplash tile and a sheet of new Formica for the counter for this one...
And this is my cheapo house I bought for $38K, I sanded and restained the cabinets with gel stain and two coats of poly. New hardware, backsplash and sheet of granite-looking Formica - I spent about $275 here. If the floors and cabinets look splotchy and weird, it's because I had just mopped and wiped everything down. And my phone takes the worst pictures, lol.
Hahaha Yeah it is definitely not for the faint of heart when it comes to math/geometry. Very hard to do right much less efficiently.
A good trick is to use a nail punch to punch a starter hole for your drill bit. This way it wont wonder off the mark. Also a "step bit" is nice if you only have one drill. Use a block of wood on the back side of the hole where the drill comes out to prevent splintering where the bit exits.
There are some good videos on making a quick jig for doing cabinet hardware. Definitely make one if you have lots to do.
@Dawn P. So how do you put this formica stuff in ? I keep putting granite on mine because i get a good deal and they put the sink in for me. But i see at home depot the laminate stuff is really cheap. I need to learn how install this myself.
You'll need a router with a laminate bit, contact cement, and a roller to press the surfaces together. There are some great YouTube videos on how to do it.
I wish I could find a source for cheap granite for when I want something nicer!
@Valerie Smith It depends but refacing with veneers is cheaper if you’re just slapping paint on without sanding and replacing hardware or rebuilding damaged boxes it might be worth it. I would replace with a cheap Chinese import before I would paint personally.
It can be painting done by a professional certainty is. I am a bit biased in my previous career I manufactured cabinets. For what you would pay to have a contractor do the paint work for you with labor and materials you can buy cheap cabinets that look nice. For the countertops I would do the granite look-alikes in a laminate.
One option is to just give them a couple coats of clear varnish if the stain is in good shape. They would at least look and perform like new. This would take someone that is good with a brush, oh say, 8 hours to brush out two coats plus a couple hours cleaning/prep. No need to remove any doors or hardware.
Maybe use the savings to invest in new counter tops.
@Valerie Smith I have helped my friend paint his kitchen cabinets before and they really do look nice. Not for a flip maybe but good for a rental. Also in the process of painting over old laminate countertops right now with a kit that Amazon or home depot sells for like $75 for 35 sqft. Maybe I can upload some pictures when it is done. So far it looks perfectly fine for a B-class rental, pretty close to a new laminate.
@Kay Mckinley@Bill Buzzell they sell a cheap jig at Home depot for putting on knobs and pulls. Less than $10 I think. I used it last year to put hardware on the cabinets in my primary residence.
@Valerie Smith I would forget about painting the cabinets and find someone that can give you an actual ARV. Guessing will put you in the poor house pretty quick. I don't know what market you are in, but I'm more likely to find a unicorn than an "underpriced duplex" in my market. Best of luck. If deals are just sitting, there should be a better one out there.
I don't know how it is where your duplex is but in my area 700-750 a month isn't exactly high rent. In that range most people are concerned with a place that is clean, in good repair and safe. I admit that oak cabinets are out of style but at that price point you aren't paying for style. As long as the top is in good shape I would just leave it. I doubt painted cabinets will bring you any more rent or cause your property to appraise higher.
For our rentals, we typically don't replace or redo anything that doesn't require it. For wood cabinets where the finish is bad, we paint them white. If the cabinets are just dirty we (wife) clean them thoroughly in and out with a good cleaner and use some Old English or similar product. Yeah, this leaves them in a darker wood which right now seems to not be as popular as a lighter color but two years from now it may be all the rage. We haven't seen a big difference in desirability and I think some rehabbers are doing what "they" like and are assuming that the tenant will like the same thing. We spend money putting in gfci outlets, ceiling fans, towel bars, medicine cabinets, robe hooks, LED bulbs and other little amenities that make a house more livable.