Estimated Rehab Cost on 4 unit -2/1 property- Kansas City

Estimated Rehab Cost on 4 unit -2/1 property- Kansas City

Kansas City, MO · Member since 2016 · 9 posts · 0 votes

I currently have a 4 plex under contract and am at a bit of a crossroads whether or not I should try to proceed. I am trying to work the numbers on a to-the-studs rehab.  The property has 4 identical units, 2 up and 2 ground level.  My thoughts are, if I can figure cost on one unit rehab and multiply  x4 I can have a good idea of what it would the total rehab cost would be, and what the purchase price would have to be to make sense.  Here is a little background on the deal.

 I am in the Kansas City market and found the property on craigslist.  The gentleman selling seem to have so personal issues going on an needs to unload his rentals.  It is in the city of North Kansas City (64116) and was originally listed for 175K, under contract at 145K.  The gross rents are 2,275, Taxes- 150, insurance 125, utilities (water and electricity for hot water heater and common area) 260.  My first offer was 30K behind his asking price accepted.  I made this offer contingent on walk-through ( I had not been inside yet) and inspection.  I did the walk through on Monday and it was rough, as I expected.  I went a head and ordered inspection and am currently waiting on the report.  However, while following the inspector around I took some additional pics and notes.  Basically this place looks like it needs stripped to the studs and complete cosmetic rehab done.  There are two units on each floor that are approx. 525 sq ft.  Here are the measurments for the rooms and below is a crude depiction of the layout for each floor.-- (Excel was not meant for this purpose).

BR1-  8x12

BR2 -8x12

Bath appox -10x5- with small vanity 24", 60"x30" tub and toilet

Living Room-10x13

Kitchen-8x10-  about 10 LF of cabinets, about 22 sqft of counter tops.

I have run some numbers and have a relatively decent idea of what I believe materials would cost per unit (around 8K), but the labor is the wildcard right now.  Does anyone have any input as to what the labor cost would likely be on the rehab of one of these units?  This would be for stripping to the studs and starting over from there. This is with the assumption that we would not need to do any major electrical or plumbing work while we are in the walls. Really, any input at this point would be great as I will need to decide what I need to adjust my offer to in order to make this deal work.

Thank you!

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Gordon CuffePro Member
Investor · Roseville, CA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 584 votes
9y

I would suggest asking a local contractor . I am just finishing rehabbing a house built in 1953. I did not think it needed electrical work and once we opened it up , I realized it needed all new wiring . It was a huge hit to my budget and now I am stressed out 

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  • Gordon CuffePro Member
    Investor · Roseville, CA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 584 votes
    9y

    I would suggest asking a local contractor . I am just finishing rehabbing a house built in 1953. I did not think it needed electrical work and once we opened it up , I realized it needed all new wiring . It was a huge hit to my budget and now I am stressed out 

  • Contractor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2015 · 236 posts · 91 votes
    9y
    A typical gut rehab down to the studs rehab in Atlanta just for interior is somewhere around $30-$40/sqft depending on finishes. That means you're looking at somewhere around $17k/unit. That includes pulling necessary permits and all, but that is acting as the gc. If you hire it out you will be looking at considerably more.
  • Kansas City, MO · Member since 2016 · 9 posts · 0 votes
    9y

    Well, I just received the inspection report and there will be plenty of electrical and plumbing needed. I appreciate the input @Adam Abdel-Hafez and @Gordon Cuffe. I think this project may be a little more than I want to take on at the moment. 

  • Lee RipmaPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Prairie Village, KS · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y

    @Wes Steimel

    Hi Wes, 

    What do you think the ARV is on the property? I tried looking on Redfin for comps but I wasn't seeing any multis in that zip code. I'm in KC looking at investment properties and this caught my eye as something I might want to take over the contract on if you were not interested in going through with it. However, I'm not sure what the ARV is or what a typical cap rate is for this area to get an idea of ARV. At an 8 cap I think the ARV is 203 and at a 10 cap it might only be 150k. I'll shoot you a PM so that you can give me a few more details if you're interested.

    Best,

    Lee

  • Rental Property Investor · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2014 · 72 posts · 28 votes
    9y

    I gutted 2 4 plexes and was at 22k per unit. That was new everything and I mean everything. Windows, roif, gutters, appliances, bathrooms, kitchens, HVAC. Literally everything.

  • Real Estate Broker · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2013 · 749 posts · 399 votes
    9y

    @Wes Steimel , check with the city and make sure all the permits were pulled. (It is all listed online) The last thing you want is to find out you need a gut and there were additional repairs made to the HVAC, foundation, structure, etc... that wasn't permitted. The cost will bury you.  Let me know how it turns out. Also, feel free to PM me if you want me to pull some comps and help you work through some of this. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Fort Collins, CO · Member since 2008 · 168 posts · 105 votes
    9y

    @Wes Steimel What is the ARV? You can factor in at least $15-20K/unit. I would get a firm bid from a contractor and go back and negotiate a lower sales price with the owner. Sounds like he's pretty motivated and that means opportunity.

  • Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    9y

    I generally assume labour cost will match the price of material. 8K in material, 8K in labour ...16K per unit plus outside and common areas.

    Question ? if the place is rented out and appears to be cash flowing why would you waste time and money renovating. It does not seem to make financial sense unless  the end result has a significant impact on increasing rents. To spend 16K per unit I would need to be able to almost double the rent per unit.  Doesn't seem practical.

  • Kansas City, MO · Member since 2016 · 9 posts · 0 votes
    9y

    We are working on negotiating a lower purchase price. It is difficult to nail down an ARV as there are very few comps in the area. Using a $/sqft comparison to SFH's in the area I don't anticipate the ARV being much over 200K. And, with this being a residential property, the bank will not care what the financials look like, correct? With the numbers I ran and the feedback I got here, I think I need to be in under 100K and probably closer to 75K. We will see how motivated he actually is, as this is 100K below his initial asking price.

    I appreciate the offer for comps @Dan Krupa, and the suggestion to check for pulled permits.  The current owner does not seem like one to pull proper permits on any repairs made, if they were needed. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Fort Collins, CO · Member since 2008 · 168 posts · 105 votes
    9y

    @Wes Steimel Based on a $200K ARV my MAO would be in the $60-80K range depending on the condition of the property. Trust me, you don't want to do this unless it's a screaming deal.

  • Kansas City, MO · Member since 2016 · 9 posts · 0 votes
    9y

    @Thomas S. it is rented out, but not to what I would call quality tenants.  The numbers look good on paper, but the only long term tenant said there was a lot of turnover in the other units. Because of that I can't accurately quantify vacancy, which I expect to be 15% or higher.  The condition that the units are in will not attract quality tenants, or the folks that I want in my properties.  I truly believe part of the reason the current owner gets the rents he does is because he will rent to just about anybody.  Tenants that have good credit, a job, and a clean record can pay the same money and get a much better place.

    My strategy was to take care of all of the problems up front, put in good tenants and let it make me money, rather than have it nickel and dime me and require a lot of active management. 

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