Quote from @Stevo Sun:
Hi Folks,
I want to renovate a 1950s bungalow in Calgary, AB (Canada, cold up here). I'm looking to gut the entire property and redo everything. What I would want ideally is something that can be a little more higher end (not luxury by any means) that will increase the property value (think flip), but it will likely be a rental for a while.
My question is, what materials would be durable/low maintenance enough for rental but also 'fancy' enough for a flip? I understand I might be able to get the best of both worlds, but I'm hoping to get some guidance on material selections from more experienced rehab/renovators!
For starters, I'm thinking about the following:
Flooring - LVP
Counters - quartz
Cabinets - not sure, I heard MDF is not durable enough, but solid wood seems quite expensive (also what colours would be good? I know white/light colors are popular choices, but I always thought they would get dirty too fast)
Fittings - matte black (looks higher end and easier to clean?)
Shower/Bath - not sure, I heard James Dainard say that for rental shower/tub surrounds are good cuz it's lower maintenance and more durable for waterproofing purposes. I'm very torn here because I think tiling would add more value to the property. Is the best move to put in a surround for now and renovate it to tile later?
Am I missing anything big items for consideration? Thanks for everyone's help in advance!
Hi Stevo,
LVP flooring is definitely the right choice for durability if you are looking at a material that will work both for a flip and handle some tenant abuse. I use SPC click planks, I think they are the best option for the flip aspect but I know some people prefer the glued down for long term rentals as you can replace one plank at a time if they get damaged.
I also go with quartz countertops, easier to maintain than granite, looks great and also more durable than laminate, especially because you plan on flipping the property I'd go with quartz.
Regarding the cabinets I think as long as your kitchen looks high end it will be fine, if you were in a higher end neighborhood wood might make more sense. For a long term rental property I usually go with Ikea honestly... I have not had too much issues with white cabinets getting too dirty, they are not too bad to clean. I have dark cabinets at my personal residence and I find those harder to keep clean (same with dark floors) they show finger prints, dust etc a lot more.
For the fittings I think it's entirely dependent on your overall design and color palette
For the shower and bath definitely avoid any shower that is not 1 piece (very prone to leaks) or tiled. For a higher-end flip, I would go with a tiled shower. I don't think it makes sense to put a surround for now if you plan on tiling it later, just tile it now.