Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2018 · 61 posts · 46 votes
I have a vacancy coming up next month, so will be looking to bring the unit up from it's current C condition into a B in line with the neighborhood. My current SOW is more or less as follows:
New floors (hardwoods are heavily scratched, will be replaced with LVP's)
Paint
New appliances (replacing current with stainless steel)
Cabinets (I have the opportunity to purchase new ones at a discount, so I'm running the numbers on replacing vs painting and swapping hardware)
New tile and vanity in bathroom
I have some flipping experience, but this is my first rehab for a rental property. As such, I'm open to any trade secrets or wisdom that would be useful as I dive into it, whether that's in the materials to use, where to source them, how to manage, etc.
This is a 3 bed, 1 bath unit of about 1,200SF. I have 2 more in the building that have an identical layout that will each be getting the same treatment upon their own vacancies. The building is 140 years old so there's a lot of straight maintenance work that needs to be done as well.
Investor · Topeka, KS · Member since 2020 · 669 posts · 488 votes
4y
@Account Closed I'm not sure I would take the advice on buying a 5 of mis-tint paint. That may save you some money this time around, but it won't when you go back to touch up or repaint and you can't find that color, or it's the wrong sheen, etc.
It just simplifies things when you can call the local Sherwin Williams and tell them you want X gallons of Repose Gray in Satin super paint and you get the exact same thing every time.
Investor · Topeka, KS · Member since 2020 · 669 posts · 488 votes
4y
@Account Closed I can offer the following
1. Sherwin Williams will usually give you a good contractor price on their Super Paint brand if you have an account with them. It's not the highest end product, but it's not bad either. Satin or eggshell wipes down best, flat will hide the most drywall/plaster defects, and is easiest to touch up.
2. Menards sells pre-finished trim. At their paint counter, they sell the matching white paint for it. This saves you a ton of extra labor in priming and painting. You just shoot it in place, then touch up the nail holes.
3. LVP tiles in 12x24 for that bathroom remodel. Way less time consuming and easier to install. Expect to pay $3.50 sq for something good.
4. Hardwoods can sometimes be screened back to a nice finish. An actual hardwood floor guy can tell you if that's an option in your case. As landlords, I think we take the hardwoods for granted because we've seen so many of them, but a lot of renters really think highly of them.
What is the cost difference between having the hardwood refinished vs replaced with LVP?
Do the appliances need to be replaced? If so, get basic ones-avoid ice makers and water.
Do what needs to be done, don't go over the top and don't buy the cheapest items. Tenants will be harder on things than you would, you want something durable.
Paint all the rooms the same colour and buy a 5 gallon container of paint. See if they have a mistint or something from a builder. Go with neutral. Do all the rooms need to be painted? Mr Clean eraser and some elbow grease work wonders. I thought I'd have to replace an outside door due to the marks when I bought a place and the eraser took them all off (soap and water didn't work).
Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
4y
@Account Closed
You'd probably be surprised what a half-hearted amateur sanding, some homemade filler mixed out of Elmer's Glue-All and the sawdust from your floor sanding, and three coats of brush-applied gloss polyurethane will do for most hardwood floors, however heavily scratched.
Investor · Topeka, KS · Member since 2020 · 669 posts · 488 votes
4y
@Account Closed I'm not sure I would take the advice on buying a 5 of mis-tint paint. That may save you some money this time around, but it won't when you go back to touch up or repaint and you can't find that color, or it's the wrong sheen, etc.
It just simplifies things when you can call the local Sherwin Williams and tell them you want X gallons of Repose Gray in Satin super paint and you get the exact same thing every time.