subject: Rehab a Property Correctly [print this page] You've just bought a property and it definitely needs some TLC, what do you do first? First you need to make sure that everything has gone through with the property before you fix up anything. If it's a foreclosure, it's highly recommended that you do some research on the laws in your state. This is for your own protection; some states have a grace period in which someone can reinstate their rights to foreclosed homes. You don't want to dump a bunch of money into a property just to lose it in the end. It's possible in some states that if they gain rights back to their property, you might not be reimbursed for any money you put into the property. After you are sure that the property is completely yours, you need to develop a game plan. If you take a little time in the beginning to figure out what exactly you need to do to the property, it will save you a lot of time in the grand scheme of things. A plan will also help you estimate how much you are going to have to spend in order to bring the property up to par.
Part of making up your plan is taking a quick inventory of the neighborhood. This way you can make your improvements similar to what they neighborhood has, it will help your property blend better with its surroundings. Once you know exactly what you are going to do, start with the outside of the property first. If you bought a house, start cleaning up any debris or garbage lying around the house. Trim any trees that need to be manicured, this will make the house start to look better immediately. Plus, making the house look better on the outside just might win you some brownie points with the neighbors which can be a great benefit when rehabbing any type of property. Working on the outside is known as the cosmetic rehab; you trim shrubbery and trees, fix the roof if needed, and paint the outside of the house. When starting on the outside, it's a good idea to schedule a roofer first if it's necessary to replace the shingles or tiles. If they have to re-shingle, they will need a dumpster on your property for the process, you want to take care of this before you do any major landscaping. If you don't plan on trimming trees yourself, you might want to schedule a landscaper as well after the roof is completed.
The next stop is the inside of the house, or the inside cosmetic rehab. First you need to clean up anything left behind; if this is a foreclosure home it is likely that the inside might not be in the best shape, some might be downright nasty. Everything that is garbage needs to go; if possible you can ask your roofer if you may use their dumpster while they are working on the roof. Remember that when cleaning, the carpet has to go; you always need to get fresh carpet when rehabbing a house. The inside of the house is where you need to figure out how you want to spend your money. There is the kitchen, bathroom, and living space to consider. The first two are often the most expensive, you need to figure how much you are willing to invest in each one and stick as closely as you can to that budget. You need to make sure you pull all switches, electrical plate, doors, and start prepping the house for painting. It's smart to get the painting done before installing any new carpet or flooring in the house. Once the painting is complete in all the living spaces, you can put the walls and doors back together with new plates, fixtures, hinges, and doorknobs. If there are any other major replacements such as windows, you might want to check and see if there are any delays, you might have to order in advance so it won't delay your progress.
After this is all done you can move on to the kitchen and bathroom. When it comes to the kitchen, if you can avoid replacing the cabinets you will save a ton of money. If there are in terrible shape, you might have no choice. Make sure to replace any fixtures that are discolored or worn and it will help brighten the appearance. If a new counter top is needed, it's wise to call in a professional to get clean looking results. If anything looks nasty or used, you need to change it out. The bathroom is much of the same, you need to change out anything that doesn't look new after cleaning and refinishing. You also need to make sure that all plumbing and electrical are up to code, if not it's smart to get a professional in to make it right. Once all the heavy work is done inside you need to schedule to have the kitchen and bathroom floors installed. You do these first because they tend to be messier. After all the messy work is done, you then schedule for the carpet to be installed. There is a reason for this, if you put the carpet in too early it's very likely that it will get messed up and stained with the other work going on in the house.
Once the inside is complete you can take care of the few remaining tasks on the outside. Call the landscaper if you wish to do any major landscaping to the front and back yards. It can also be done yourself if you have a little know how and are willing to put in the physical labor. You need to look for anything that needs to be fixed or replaced such as outside lights, house numbers, or anything that stands out. Remember that you need to think about when you are scheduling contractors to be in your house. You don't want 20 different people in there at one time because someone is going to end of interrupting someone else's work. Schedule them in a steady manner; make sure who needs to be scheduled first before the next one can complete their job. You need to make sure of any codes or ordinances you need to follow when rehabbing a property such as making sure that smoke detectors are installed. Just remember not to let yourself get too carried away, keep it simple but make it look like new. In the end you will end up with a complete transformation in your house or property that will earn you a high reward for your efforts.
