All Forum Posts by: Ben Lacascio

Hello bigger pockets community,

I am about to close on a property mid September and I am wrestling with how to approach the renovation.  This will be a buy and hold.  The property is pretty dated, needs mostly updating inside.  There are some water and structural issues under the house, some electrical work, and a new roof is needed.  I'm thinking it will probably take at least 2 months to get it rent ready.  The question I'm wondering is whether to push it hard and try to have this ready in 6 weeks around the first of November, even if I have to pay for some additional work, and get someone in before the holidays.  OR take my time with it, put in more sweat equity, and shoot for closer to early-mid December.  Any thoughts?  Are renters moving in November & December?  Is the first of the year a bad time to shoot for?  Im in Durham, NC, so we dont have the freezing winters but still, Im not sure how many people are moving then.  Would I be hurting my chances of finding a good tenant if I wait past November?  Any insight you have regarding new tenants during the months of November - January would be really helpful.

Thanks.

Ben

Thanks for the post Tim.  Its great to see a step by step on this project.  Its one thing to read about an idealized project, but its another to hear about what went well and what didnt along the way. 

Nice job! What part of Durham was this in?  I love the idea of a duplex, but they seem to be in some short supply.  I only recently began to educate myself on real estate investing and am looking for how to get involved in the industry in Durham.  Thanks for sharing.

Nice job! What part of Durham was this in?  I love the idea of a duplex, but they seem to be in some short supply.  I only recently began to educate myself on real estate investing and am looking for how to get involved in the industry in Durham.  Thanks for sharing.