I just backed out of a flip - here's why - landscaping

I just backed out of a flip - here's why - landscaping

Andrew BoscoBusiness Member
Rental Property Investor · NH · Member since 2023 · 441 posts · 417 votes

I recently went UAG on a single family flip in Hudson, NH. Deal looked great on paper, but fell short in some categories. 

Outside of the additional work that I didn't forsee until my GC told me (roof lining is off/not installed properly), cost of materials, complete gut vs, partial gut - list goes on. The real issue was simple; landscaping/hardscaping. 

Every ARV comp I was pulled had a beautiful yard. This place was built on the middle of a hill, no yard, over hanging trees and the terrain was rugged. There was no yard. My ARV basically went down 50-75K compared to the other comps that had beautiful landscaping. Also, the house had (for the first time ever that I have seen) - multiple woodpecker holes and woodpeckers living inside of the house.

You learn something every time you tour a property. In my case - it was a lesson on hardscaping that took me 2-3 times to visit before I realized it. 

On to the next! 

Andrew Bosco - Candor Investment Group529 Reviews
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  • Michael K GallagherBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus OH · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3mo

    the damn wood peckers will get ya every time!  great perspective, thank you for sharing.

  • Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 0 votes
    18h

    Really appreciate you sharing this lesson — exterior work is the line item I see flippers underestimate most. These days I get a landscaper out during the inspection period and make them break the bid into grading/drainage, hardscape, and plantings so I can see exactly where the money goes. I also ask how the design will look in 3-5 years, since cheap fast-growing plantings turn into a maintenance headache for the buyer. Before I make an offer I sanity-check the bid against this landscaping cost guide to make sure the numbers are in the right ballpark. Building that 15-20% contingency into the rehab budget has saved me from exactly the surprise you ran into.

  • Member since 2026 · 9 posts · 0 votes
    8h

    Respect for walking. Backing out of a deal that doesn't work is a win. Roof line issues and full-gut vs partial-gut are exactly the gaps that sink flip budgets, because they get rolled into one "rehab" guess. Scoping the major systems one by one before an offer catches most of it. Curious: did the GC's revised number put you below your target margin, or was it the timeline?

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