What do you think of this rehab?

Question

I have completed my latest rehab and have also posted some of the costs involved. I would appreciate any feedback you can give me in terms of how the house looks and what would you have done better/differently and if you think I am paying too much or not:

House #5

You can leave comments here or on the site. Thanks.

House #5

You can leave comments here or on the site. Thanks.

Vikram C. · Answer

Good job, Luis.  Looks very nice.
          
          Next time, try to make the carpet a little darker so that the contrast with the baseboard is a little bit more.  It looks awesome in the MLS and will get you lots of showings.
          
          Here's an example from one of my rehabs.  You can see that the darker paint and the darker carpet give it a more "designed" look without costing anything extra.

Diane J. · Answer

Nice! Are you planning on staging? I agree with the strategy about buying the small house in a neighborhood of larger homes.

Was the bamboo cost prohibitive to extend into the family room? Bamboo is a double edged sword in that it can dent easily but buyers think "oooh, bamboo" and instantly you're Mr. Green. :D

The sinks in the master bath really dominate the 18" vanity depth. Another solution would have been to install those trendy top mount bowls. Not a fan of the common "builder's special" vanity lights. For same or near money classier lighting can be had. Wives, girlfriends and gay friends are great style shoppers!

Of course, on a 125K house, buyers probably don't expect too many upgrades but offering them gives your home a competitive edge with no extra out of your pocket.

I would have boxed in the fridge so the black side isn't showing. I've used used a cabinet shop that is much cheaper than Home Depot. They are mid-grade, better than the cheapie DIY at big box stores and not nearly as pricey a Kraft Maid.

Stainless in the kitchen? Hell ya! Depending on the age and model of the dishwasher sometimes you can buy a sheet of stainless and wrap the front instead of having to buy a new unit. Newer models are basically the same dishwasher with just different skins.

Is the ceiling heavily textured or is that popcorn? Maybe it's just the way the light is hitting it in the photo. If it's heavy texture be prepared to answer questions about water damage as if you were covering up stains.

If it were summer, I'd trim the box hedge lower and put some colorful flowers on the porch. Selling a home is more about lifestyle than the nuts and bolts of the structure.

Anyone with an ugly life can make it better by living in a pretty home!!!!

Vikram C. · Answer

Thanks for the compliments, guys.  But I did not earn it.  I hire a professional photographer to take pics of all my properties.  By far the best ROI on any rehab project, in my opinion.  (I am lousy with technology and nobody will buy a house if I take the pics.)

Steve Babiak · Answer

What type of fixture is that on the kitchen ceiling?

The black sides of the refrigerator are inevitable unless you get one that is completely wrapped in stainless (and that's too pricey).  Blackish counters help to make the black sides fit in.  Not sure how you could have boxed it, if there is a passageway adjacent to the refrigerator.

I'm not fond of the trendy top mount bowls - they require fancy faucets that typically don't give "pressure" to the water flow.  And those bowls won't have an overflow hole.

You gave a labor number in your site.  Did you perform any labor yourself?  If so, did you pay yourself for that labor, or will that come back to you in profits?

Luis A. · Answer

Diane, thanks for the positive comments and ideas.

The bamboo was cheap as far as hardwoods go but the budget for the house would not allow me to do more.

Top mount bowls look great, I agree but they are expensive. At this price point it would have been overkill.

I would have liked to box in the fridge too. I thought about that. But since these cabinets were already in place, finding matching wood would have been hard.

Ceiling is heavily textured but my excuse there is that since we replaced the plumbing lines I had to re-drywall once that was done.

Account Closed · Answer

great photo and suggetion vikram..nice rehab qkjones

Vikram C. · Answer

You don't have to pay for his equipment, just for his time.  My guy has all kinds ot stuff that he brings to the house.

It is best to hire a younger guy who has talent but has not yet become very established.  That will allow you to get the best pricing.

Diane J. · Answer

$150 sounds pretty reasonable, I have a relative that's a photographer and while she takes portraits, her base camera cost 20K. Lens are extra!

Vikram C. · Answer

The photographer's costs depend on the size of the house.  Around $150 for a typical cheaper home.

It is best to hire a photographer who specializes in doing this stuff.  But my photographer said he doesn't do mainly homes and yet he does a good job.

Look in the MLS for high end homes that have stunning pics and contact the agents for those homes and get a photographer recommendation.

Bob Yon · Answer

What does that cost you?  Is that a sspecialty with photographers that you have to look for or can any good photographer handle it?

What do you think of this rehab?

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