Hire a GC or DYI on first property?

[Sidney Alexandre]

Hey BP Community! My partner and I are purchasing our first property and intend on utilizing the BRRRR method. Our long term goal is to build a portfolio so thinking about acquiring our first property with a long term lens influences our thought process. When considering the rehab we wanted to do a lot of the work ourself—mainly kitchen/bathroom/bedrooms. Not the more intense aspects like roof, electrical, etc. We want to do the work ourself because we believe it will provide valuable insight on the cost of jobs, materials, and, most importantly, TIME moving forward. With the experiences we gain, we want to be able to protect ourself against contractors that might be willing to take advantage of younger investors who do not have any experience in remolding/construction in the future.

On the other hand, we see the value in being able to move quickly with a professional. Also, would it be most advantageous to begin our investing journey by managing the subs (checking the quality of their work) and getting multiple quotes from vendors rather than rolling up our sleeves?

Either way, what tools do you suggest new homeowners/investors to have? Any tips and tricks to know? What can I do now to help me upgrade our property? Where can I go to learn more?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and any insight you can give!

[Eric James]

I've done this over a number of years and have now hired and supervise a crew of guys instead of hiring contractors. You need to have some aptitude for this and keep in mind at the beginning you'll effectively be making minimum wage for your work, because it will take you so long.