Buying bigger vs. smaller houses: pros and cons

Buying bigger vs. smaller houses: pros and cons

Member since 2008 · 21 posts · 2 votes

What are the pros and cons of buying a larger, more expensive house as a rehab as opposed to a smaller, cheaper house? What about as a newby, first-time rehabber? The area I live in has a lot of mid- to upper-middle class homes. I can potentially invest in anything from a 3/1 rancher to a large 5/3 in a golf course community. The larger homes in my area are more in demand and would sell much faster. The way I see it on the surface, I'd be better off buying a $400k (ARV) house at 75-80% ARV than a $160k house at 70% (ARV); I'd have a more desirable house with a larger net profit, and if things went sour during the rehab I'd be able to get out from underneath it easier, being that that type of home is more in demand (therefore less risk in that respect). I would expect a higher profit, so I'd be more selective of the properties I purchase. This kind of falls in line with what Stephen Cook practices (any comments on his books and materials?).

Are there other things I need to take into consideration, such as differences in insurance?

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  • Real Estate Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 447 votes
    19y

    I would suggest that a first time rehabber start small. It has nothing to do with the profit potential and everything to do with the investor. Not everyone is cut out for rehabbing. There are many mistakes to be made and things to be learned. If you start with a large and expensive project you might find yourself out of business before you finish your first project. The most common mistakes are underestimating the amount of time it will take and the amount of money needed. I was way over my head on my first project. The only thing that saved me was that I was living in the house I was rehabbing. It’s not as easy as the shows make it seem, I’ve never seen an episode where the investor lost a ton of money but it happens all the time. Start small and get bigger as you go along.

    8)

  • Member since 2008 · 39 posts · 2 votes
    19y

    Agreed. Go small scale until you get experience and until it's feasible to move up. There is much more to lose for a newbie on a larger first deal than on a smaller one.

  • Member since 2008 · 21 posts · 2 votes
    19y

    It sounds pretty unanimous thus far. I'll plan to start with light rehab, but I'll continue to watch this post if anyone has additional feedback. Thanks Rehab and Parrot for your advice.

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