Slow Rennovations, What to do in My Situation?

Question

Backstory:

Bought a 4-unit 1910 house at 3.5% down for $200k that needs a lot of work with great bones. I have been rennovating it for the past 4 months with an electrician, plumber, and carpenter, they are only $60 an hour but progress is slow. They are busy but do good work for a good price. I am eager to move onto other BRRRRs but feel stuck. I want to expedite things because I feel like I'm missing opportunities with future houses but the price and work is good.

The numbers so far:

Total spent so far: $45K

What's Been Done: 4 new water heaters, replumbed (waterlines and drains) most of 3 units, rewired electric in 2 units, framed arches, closets, shower, and laundry area in 1 unit.

The future numbers:

ARV: $415K

Estimated Rent: $5K

What Needs to be Done: replumbing 1 unit, rewiring 2 units, framing shower, closet, archways and ceiling in 1 unit. New gutters, new drywall on 2 units, 50 window replacements, central a/c (working with this electrician and plumber to do), vinyl flooring in 1 unit, refinshing wood flooring in 3 units, tilework in 4 kitchens/bathrooms, installing cabinets (already bought).

I have about 85k left to spend and also have done all of the demolition, trash removal, design work, and most material acquisition. I am learning to tile.

Eli Mongold · Answer

It can be difficult to find good contractors who are consistent depending on the pricing you are willing to pay. I am always a firm believer that you can only get two of these 3 things when working with contracts. It's up to you to decide which is most important

Fast/Quality/Cost-effective.

Personally, I am a fast/quality guy. That does mean that I pay more, but in the end I can leave the projects alone and not worry about progress while I am working on other ventures.

On your next BRRR, DM me. I offer financing and consultation services

Kerlous Tadres · Answer

I’d recommend bringing in a project manager or general contractor to help streamline things. With $85k left, focus on finishing the units that are almost ready so you can start cash flowing sooner. Also, connecting with local investors or property managers could speed things up.

Deborah Wodell · Answer

Hey John — sounds like you’ve got a solid deal with great upside, even if things feel slow right now. With those numbers, I’d say you're still in a strong position — just need to adjust the process to match your long-term goals.

A few thoughts based on what you shared:

Your trades are skilled but stretched. That’s common with lower hourly rates — good work but limited availability. At this point, it might be worth pulling in a second crew for specific tasks (drywall, flooring, windows) so your core team can stay focused on plumbing/electrical.

Think like a GC. You’ve already taken on demo, materials, and design — now’s the time to level up into a true project manager role. Break the scope into manageable parts and delegate. If you're learning to tile, maybe knock out one bathroom yourself and hire out the rest. Time is your most valuable asset.

Offer completion bonuses. If your current guys are juggling multiple jobs, a modest bonus for finishing by a certain deadline can go a long way. That $500–$1k incentive could speed things up more than you think.

Don't let one slow project delay your next move. If even 1 or 2 units can be finished and rented soon, it’ll relieve some pressure and bring in cash flow — which gives you more freedom to look ahead.

You’re doing a lot right: great numbers, hands-on involvement, solid vision. It’s just time to transition from “doing the work” to running the project. That shift is what will free you up to BRRRR more properties without burning out.

Keep going — this one's worth finishing strong. 💪

Min Zhang · Answer

Hey John! sounds like you’ve got a great project going even if it feels slow. With those numbers, it’s worth pushing through. Maybe bring in a second crew for drywall/flooring so your current team can stay on plumbing/electric.

If you want, I can share how I’ve juggled multiple trades on my midwest projects — just let me know. What’s your refi timeline looking like?

Jacob Sherman · Answer

have you interviewed any contractors ?

Mohammed Rahman · Answer

You’re doing a lot right—great deal, strong ARV, low labor rates, and you’re hands-on with demo/design. The main issue is time, not money. If you want to keep BRRRRing, you’ll need to shift from being just “in it” to managing it like a business.

Here’s what I’d consider doing now:

First, have a real convo with your current crew. Lay out the full scope and your timeline. Ask if they can commit to a more consistent schedule—or if they know other subs they trust who can take on some tasks. Sometimes just adding one more reliable worker changes everything.

Next, look at breaking the project into smaller chunks that you can sub out. For example, flooring, drywall, and window installs are tasks you could probably find other contractors or even handymen for without needing licensed trades.

Since you’re doing materials and design already, use your time to line up what’s needed before the trades get there—be the “project manager,” not just the labor. That speeds everything up.

Also, consider offering small bonuses for hitting deadlines. A couple hundred bucks can motivate more than $60/hour if they’re juggling other work.

Last thing: you might be close to getting one or two of the units rent-ready. If so, finish those fast and rent them out. That’ll ease the financial pressure and help you feel less stuck while you keep the rest moving.

You're on the right track—just time to act more like a GC than a renovator.

Evan Polaski · Answer

@John FriendasA lot of this depends on what your contract says, where they are with their current work, what it will cost to bring in someone else, etc. It is almost always cheaper to try to get your current guys to finish their piece versus bring someone else in midway.

As such, I have found having a conversation with them, understanding why it is taking so long, and potentially offering a bonus (if needed) to get done in a certain amount of time. I.e. someone working for $60/hr, if you tell them you will pay them an EXTRA $2k if they finish by a certain, realistic, date, it may help motivate them.

This is one of the issues with hiring someone hourly. They are actually motivated to work slower. When I am doing rehabs, it is project based: i.e. replumb this whole property for $15k. If they finish in a day, week or year, they get $15k. You can still occasionally end up with some slow workers, but over the years, I feel like the better contractors often bid this way.

Ned Carey · Answer

@John Friendas did your contract with each of the subcontractors have a timeline and detailed scope of work as @Brian Teeter mentioned. If they are not moving at a pace you deed reasonable then replace them or at least threaten to. Keep the pressure to get the work done on.

"I want to expedite things because I feel like I'm missing opportunities"

Don't rush into more properties than you can handle at one time. If you can't keep one project on time you certainly can't handle two at a time.

Brian Teeter · Answer

Ive been doing this for 30 years in Little Rock, Arkansas. Im sure what works here will work anywhere. Ive tried it many different ways. It sounds like you are serving as your own contractor and paying hourly. I advise against that. Instead, find a contractor who can handle the complete job. I have found that what works best is to have a detailed scope of work and then get an estimate for the job. Set the job up where there are draws based on performance bars. In example, payments will follow a schedule of 25%/25%/20%/15% draws and then the final 15% when the job is 100% complete. Its important to follow timelines as well. So, set expectations for time. For example - before you have awarded the job, get the contractor to agree to a time frame (I.E. 90 days from start to Finnish). After you have agreed on payment terms and schedule, offer a small bonus for completing ahead of schedule.

Back to why I prefer contractor over sub-contracting to hourly workers. Hourly workers have NO incentive to complete the job faster or on time. Also, it is a contractors job to keep the subs on the job and moving the project forward. With construction, time is definitely money... As you are seeing. Be that longer carry cost, missed buying/selling opportunities, etc. So you may pay what seems like more with contractor, but in actuality, you are likely paying less.

Last thing. You can still work with a contractor and do some of the work your self. Just stick to the things you are capable of or willing to do and make sure you do those things on time, as not to slow down or disrupt your contractor. When I first started, I would handle the demo myself, then turn the job over to the contractor. I would handle all of the job site pick-up and removal while the job was ongoing. There were things I could do to help lower my cost and did not disrupt the contractor in doing so.

Slow Rennovations, What to do in My Situation?

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