Rips' Construction Tips

[Rip Rittell]

I wanted to share some ideas and tips that I use as well as get some from you guys out there. My wife and I invest in a high crime, low-income area of Baton Rouge, LA. We do things the right way, always. We love it and here are our tips for remodeling in that area. 

Fix things the right way and always up to or above code.

We run 12-2 wire at a minimum instead of 14-2. This prevents a large amount of burn/tripping hazards. 

We run new PEX throughout the house and install cleanouts on any waste lines that we can.

We install OSB instead of sheetrock on all the walls and ceiling. The OSB is taped and floated and finished just like sheetrock. You can't tell the difference unless you punch the wall. Tenants can hang things everywhere, there are no doorknob holes and it stiffens up the structure as well. 

We put in the second from the bottom of the builders line of fixtures and finishings from the big box stores. We use identical hardware for every house. 

We have 3 different custom colors for the exteriors of our houses and every interior is painted a modern gray eggshell for the base color and trimmed out in gloss white. 

We always put nice large house numbers on as well as a new mailbox. 

Any roof that is a simple design (no excess hips or ridges) we install galvalume metal roofing. It is easy to install, cheaper than a shingle roof, last longer and it can go right on top of the existing roof. 

We use 12x12 ceramic (.57 cents sq/ft) for any slab houses and 1x6 T&G Pine for any pier and beam houses. I love the 1x6 because is stiffens up the floors, is relatively cheap and if you polyurethane it well it will last for a while. We stain the floors a dark jacobean and they end up looking like antique floors. 

Always buy a new toilet. The tenants appreciate it. 

We put new fans with lights in every room. It helps circulate the air so that the house doesn't get stale. 

That's what I have for now and I'm sure I'll remember more later. What do you guys have?

[Account Closed]

I use 12/3 because you never know when you'll need that extra circuit.

I LOVE Pex - people don't steal Pex in vacant houses.

I use medium sized metal paintable wall plate covers.  Makes a better fit for loose outlets and covers up any knocked off mud/plater/wall board around the outlets.  They are more expensive but worth it to me.

After buying a house that was wrapped twice in coax, I decided that I add a standard television antennae in the attic and run the coax down myself - usually into a crawl space or basement where I can connect it to a splitter and pre-wire to each room even if it is up from the floor.  This prevents the cable installer/satellite dish installer/etc from drilling holes on outside walls to every room (which is what happened in the house with the wrapped coax).

Door slabs are cheap and easy to replace as opposed to a framed door...you may need a planer to get them to fit (plane both sides on hollow core doors to prevent splitting).

Big box hardware stores are expensive...get an account with a company that supplies real estate investors and/or contractors for decent cabinets, appliances, and other basic supplies.