If using remodeling comp. on 1st flip, interior designer advise

[Chris Melear]

Im using a remodelor/gener contractor on 1st potential flip.  I dont have ideas of what is best towards keeping floor plans or knocking a wall out here or there for best look to quickly sell..  Who is usually to get advise?  Is it my realtor most of the time that will tell me ideas or do most investors have a interior designer part of their team (and pay extra out of the pocket until iv learned the potential ideas. Does any remodeling companies give their opinions when bidding possibly or is it mainly up to me camparing to comps.        Please and thank you in advance for any advise. 

[Valerie Hiscoe]

Hi Chris

Although the flips and makeovers on TV seem to center around design, for a large part, that's probably not what will drive most of your decisions in real life.  Just from what you've written here, you've shown that you have a basic of understanding of your renovation design goals: to do what you can to open up living spaces, and to choose materials that pull together your chosen color palette.  When it comes to taking out or moving walls, most of those decisions are going to be based more on budget and practicality than specifically on design.  For example, if you know you need to open the kitchen up to modernize the floor plan, you'll most likely make the decision of which wall to take out or modify based on which ones are weight bearing, where are there the least amount of gas pipes, plumbing, venting, and/or electrical, etc.  These are things your contractor is best equipped to advise you on, and basing these decisions largely on budget and practicality will be pivotal to your success.  Your floor plans will most likely be driven by the placement of your utilities, etc. (you do NOT want to move a toilet if you can possibly help it) and if you can put the kitchen sink back into roughly the same position, so much the better.  From there, to help with your floor plans, you can ask for specifics here if you include some drawings and photos, and, most places that sell kitchen cabinets, for example, offer design layouts (although keep in mind they're trying to sell cabinets with as many bells and whistles as possible).  Looking at the competition for ideas on materials, as mentioned above, is very, very helpful, but I'd spend some time going to the open houses on new-builds for your design inspiration - you need to offer as good as, or just slightly better than what's available in the target market you're aiming for when it comes to choice of materials, but, for design direction, look at new.  And then what you need to do, and start doing it now before you buy is highly recommended, is get out into the big box stores or the places your contractor might recommend as his/her favorite places to find flooring, lighting, fixtures, etc. and start familiarizing yourself with the price of things.

So, to sum up, before looking at and deciding what to do with specific properties, you 'should': 1) start doing your homework now by getting your realtor to show you the standards of materials expected in the price point of your expected target market, 2) start looking at open houses (not necessarily at that price point) on new-builds for inspiration on how to put those materials together, and 3) start familiarizing yourself on the cost and choices of materials so you'll have a better understanding when you communicate with, and get estimates from, your contractor.

For more assistance on floor plans, design choices, etc., you can turn to the forums here as I said, but I also read a rather intriguing idea from another post a while back - approach a local interior design school and ask if their students would like to put together some ideas, or, if not, just post it on their bulletin board.  Starbucks gift card for reward.  Most stagers will also offer color consultations with a pulled together design vision for an affordable flat rate.

BUT, more than anything, what will truly be the most helpful to you and give you the confidence in your own decisions is to get 'The book on flipping....' and 'The book on estimating.....' from the menu above, so you can focus on the things you need to, and do those things well.