Sunday, January 17, 2010

A Systematic Approach on Rehabbing a House

Like all things in life, rehabbing a house should be done in order. If you are going to do it in a haphazard way, it would difficult for you to complete the repairs on schedule. In addition, you might even commit mistakes that can cost you a great deal of time and money.

If being organized is not your style, then you better change your mindset if you want to become a successful rehabber of properties. To help you avoid wasting time and money on a fix and flip project, here is a step-by-step guide on refurbishing a fixer upper home from start to finish:

1. Before you start tearing down the walls or hacking away the flooring, make sure that the property is clean inside and out. Remove all the garbage and other broken fixtures from the property. This way, you’ll have more moving space.

2. When rehabbing a house, always start from the interior of the property. The only exception is when the roof is leaking. You must patch up the roof immediately to prevent further damage to the inside of the house.

3. Don’t forget to cover the windows with fabric or old newspapers to prevent unwanted attention from your neighbors. Such a move can also prevent unscheduled inspections from the local authorities that can cause delays.

4. Start with the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. You should never install fixtures or repaint the walls unless you are finished with the mechanical repairs on your fix and flip project.

5. Clean the walls and trims thoroughly. Don’t forget to fill out holes and sand the walls to make them smooth before applying paint. When rehabbing a house, don’t experiment with colors. Just keep the paintjob neutral and simple.

6. After painting the interior, you can now add curb appeal to the property by putting the kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures, and other decorative materials. You can now also replace broken light bulbs. You should also lay down the carpeting if you want.

7. Once you have put finishing touches to the interior, you can now spruce up the outside of the property. Replace rotting wooden sidings and apply a fresh coat of paint on the walls. You should also clean the windows and add shutters if you like.

8. The final step to rehabbing a house is to take care of the yard. Make sure that it is free from weeds and that the lawn is a nice shade of green. You should consider planting flowers and other ornamental plants on the yard to give the property a homey and inviting look.

After doing everything in order, you can now sit back and admire your handiwork. It is also time for you to sell the property and start collecting your profit. Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about doing fix and flip projects, visit www.Rehab-Real-Estate.com.


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