Complete dump to freaking amazing in less than 3 months

[Chris G.]

House is in the North Hollywood/Sun Valley area of California, its a 1090sqft~, 3/1 with detached garage on a 7,400sqft lot. Being listed for sale @ $450K.

Working on finishing this house this week. Here's a list of the things I can remember that we did to this house. Its basically a whole new build -- everything is new except the framing and some of the drywall we didnt need to touch.

I'm attaching some pics at the end to show current status. The Quartz counters in the bathroom and kitchen got installed today.

Major Structural:

• -100% New Electrical (Wiring, Faceplates, Switches, Fans, Exterior Panel, LADWP feeds, etc)

• -100% New Copper Plumbing

• -New Sewer Drainage pipe to LADWP

• -Brand New Roof (1st layer, House&Garage)

• -Brand New Gas Water Heater (and moved from kitchen to outside of house)

• -All brand new windows

• -Brand New Doors

• -New Wood laminate floors throughout entire home

• -New lawn sprinkler system

• -Custom landscaping with new sod, colored stone, colored mulch, & plants/trees

• -New wood fence
• -Crown Moulding Install
• -All new baseboard installed

Entertainment/Convenience Features:

• -New pantry

• -Laundry hookups in garage
• -LED Lighting & Bulbs Throughout

• -Whole Home Ethernet (Network) Pre-Wired

• -Living Room Sound System Pre-Installed (4x 6” Spkrs, 1x 8” Center Spkr, Subwoofer Hookup)

• -Living room HDMI pre-wired for wall-mount TV

• -6x Recessed Lights in Living Room

• -Each bedroom has 4x power outlets minimum

• -Firepit in backyard

• -Elevated concrete slab section for BBQ

Kitchen:

• -Custom tile floor w/ pattern

• -Cappuccino Wood cabinets

• -Quartz Stone Slab Counters

• -Spice Racks

• -Trash storage drawer

• -Enclosed Surround for up to 36” Fridge

• -Recessed light over sink

• -Dishwasher hookup

Bathroom:

• -6ft DUAL Master Vanity

• -Cappuccino Wood cabinets (matching kitchen)

• -Quartz Stone Slab Counters (matching kitchen)

• -6 Storage Drawers plus 2 main under sink storages

• -4.5ft mirror

• -Custom tile floor

• -Custom shower/bathtub tile surround

• -2 Recessed Nooks w/ Interior Colored Glass

[Chris G.]

Here are some additional pictures. We should be wrapped up by Friday/Saturday with everything.

[Celina De La Torre]

@Chris G. 

Amazing job Chris!! This looks outstanding! I really like the color of the paint you used in the kitchen in contrast with the dark cabinets. Very appealing.

I look forward to following your future success!

[Timothy Riley]

Sweet

[Stephen Talaber]

@Chris G. 

Great transformation, looks like a whole new home. I'm sure your happy to be finished. 

I think the little details like the tech upgrades are great.

I'm just curious why did you do copper plumbing instead of pex? 

[Dawn Anastasi]

Great job!  :)

[Charles Morgan]

Great job! That would sell for about 150K here in El Paso, TX.

[Christopher Winkler]

Would love to see all the numbers when you can post them. That's quite an extensive remodel. Can I ask why you chose to go that route vs a less elaborate fix or just selling to a rehabber?

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by @Stephen Talaber:

@Chris G. 

Great transformation, looks like a whole new home. I'm sure your happy to be finished. 

I think the little details like the tech upgrades are great.

I'm just curious why did you do copper plumbing instead of pex? 

Shrug... Easier to find copper plumbers. I'll look into Pex on the next house though - Thanks!

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by @Christopher Winkler:

Would love to see all the numbers when you can post them. That's quite an extensive remodel. Can I ask why you chose to go that route vs a less elaborate fix or just selling to a rehabber?

 $316,500 total acquisition cost, $55K~ approx. rehab cost.
A lot of the major costs (plumbing, electrical, roofing) were needed to pass inspection upon re-sale so I had no choice. 

I had 3 full size dumpster loads of trash on this house, with 2 of them being $150~ over weight limit.

[Newton Pham]

Chris - great work.  I hope it sells for $450 and you get a nice healthy profit. 

I love Pex btw, much easier imo.

[Jean Bolger]

Nice job! It must feel good to make that kind of transformation

[Mark Forest]

The house is beautiful.  I second the recommendation for PEX.  It is fast and easy to install.  Did you do the work yourself?  You spent a lot of money on the fix ups, and I would really like to know what kind of profit you get on this.  Please keep us posted. 

[Alex Kvasnikov]

Amazing looking transformation that's for sure! Congratulations!

55K!? Just from what you did to improve the place I would think it cost you way more than that! Could you edit your post with all the repairs and do a quick estimate next to each repair so that us newbies can understand costs?

For example, Im thinking it costed you 

5K for the new kitchen

8K for the new roof

4K in landscaping

Water heater $500

New windows 2K

New wiring 10K

New plumbing 3K

That comes out to 32K, with all the extra I guess i could see that coming out to 55K. Maybe my estimates are off?

[Chris G.]

I'm hoping it goes for above asking -- but who doesn't hope for that? :)
I have it on MLS already with just outside pics, and realtor said shes already received a couple calls. Scheduling showings for next week.
Once people come to see it, especially with all the "detail" improvements (tech upgrades and not just pre-wired but installing speakers already, etc, custom tile work w/ pattern, custom bathroom glass/tile work), I don't think they will be able to resist it. It is the nicest house within several blocks for sure.

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by @Alex Kvasnikov:

Amazing looking transformation that's for sure! Congratulations!

55K!? Just from what you did to improve the place I would think it cost you way more than that! Could you edit your post with all the repairs and do a quick estimate next to each repair so that us newbies can understand costs?

 It would cost most people a hell of a lot more for sure -- I am in a special position with the people I work with and the relationships with vendors/contractors I have and they have that we leverage to get my cost a lot lower. A lot of the custom work, detail work, tech upgrades didnt cost me any more than the physical supply cost and the daily contractor labor rate.

I'll post my costs, but it should only be used as an approximate baseline, some of the things would cost a couple $K more normally. 

$928 - Wood Laminate Flooring
$6000 - Roofing
$6521.68 - Kitchen/Bath
$495.95 - Landscaping Labor
$4250~ - Electrical
$2000~ - Plumbing
$655 - Water Heater
$1973 - Windows
$900 - Tile Flooring and Shower Wall Tiles

[Christopher Winkler]

Originally posted by @Chris G.:

Originally posted by @Christopher Winkler:

Would love to see all the numbers when you can post them. That's quite an extensive remodel. Can I ask why you chose to go that route vs a less elaborate fix or just selling to a rehabber?

 $316,500 total acquisition cost, $55K~ approx. rehab cost.
A lot of the major costs (plumbing, electrical, roofing) were needed to pass inspection upon re-sale so I had no choice. 

I had 3 full size dumpster loads of trash on this house, with 2 of them being $150~ over weight limit.

 That's just shy of $90k, which is an awesome profit, what time frame? Just read in the OC register that the RE rose so fast here, and there is no sign of that slowing down for the near future. Its getting frothy...

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by @Christopher Winkler:

Originally posted by @Chris G.:

Originally posted by @Christopher Winkler:

Would love to see all the numbers when you can post them. That's quite an extensive remodel. Can I ask why you chose to go that route vs a less elaborate fix or just selling to a rehabber?

 $316,500 total acquisition cost, $55K~ approx. rehab cost.
A lot of the major costs (plumbing, electrical, roofing) were needed to pass inspection upon re-sale so I had no choice. 

I had 3 full size dumpster loads of trash on this house, with 2 of them being $150~ over weight limit.

 That's just shy of $90k, which is an awesome profit, what time frame? Just read in the OC register that the RE rose so fast here, and there is no sign of that slowing down for the near future. Its getting frothy...

This one was a lot of work, and we kinda lagged sometimes -- but 2.5 months.
If we pushed fast we could've finished in 1.5 months maybe.

[Larry Turowski]

@Chris G. That looks phenomenal.  I'm sure it is optical illusion, but it looks like the roof is higher.  What kind of tile did you use for the tub surround?  That looks great!

I wish I could do stuff like that here in Rochester NY.  But the ARVs on the house I'm working on now is $70K.  Margins are slim.

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by @Larry Turowski:

@Chris G. That looks phenomenal.  I'm sure it is optical illusion, but it looks like the roof is higher.  What kind of tile did you use for the tub surround?  That looks great!

I wish I could do stuff like that here in Rochester NY.  But the ARVs on the house I'm working on now is $70K.  Margins are slim.

 It may indeed be a bit higher, I had to replace 1x6 beams with 2x4's per new code regs.
The tile was picked out from a local tile shop - its a 12x24 "Metropolitan Olive". It cost $2.75/sqft.
The floor in bathroom is being done now and it is a Ash Taupe 6x24 @ $2/sqft.

[Suraj Nagrani]

Good job with this house! What amount do you think you could get per month if you put this house on the market for rent?

[Michaela G.]

Originally posted by @Chris G.:

 It may indeed be a bit higher, I had to replace 1x6 beams with 2x4's per new code regs.

I'm curious: Did you tear out the sheetrock from the ceiling or did they make you switch those beams even with everything closed?

I once, years ago, made the mistake of taking down the plaster ceiling in an old Craftsman, which opened a can of worms with the inspector, who now made us brace all the roof beams to new code. But if we had left the ceiling alone, he would have not had that requirement. 

That was in Atlanta, Georgia. So, I'm wondering if that part is different in California.

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by @Suraj Nagrani:

Good job with this house! What amount do you think you could get per month if you put this house on the market for rent?

 $2500/month~~

[Chris G.]

Originally posted by @Michaela G.:

Originally posted by @Chris G.:

 It may indeed be a bit higher, I had to replace 1x6 beams with 2x4's per new code regs.

I'm curious: Did you tear out the sheetrock from the ceiling or did they make you switch those beams even with everything closed?

I once, years ago, made the mistake of taking down the plaster ceiling in an old Craftsman, which opened a can of worms with the inspector, who now made us brace all the roof beams to new code. But if we had left the ceiling alone, he would have not had that requirement. 

That was in Atlanta, Georgia. So, I'm wondering if that part is different in California.

 We left the original ceiling sheetrock on the interior, we just know about the new code and had it done during the roof replacement. The old roof already had 3 layers, so we couldn't add another, had to replace it fully meaning old beams are out.

[Dumitru Anton]

Chris G.,

nice job.

Whatever you did to find those contacts/friends in the trades, make sure you keep doing.

good/reliable people are hard to find.

Nice choice of colors and materials. (Very very nice actually.)

Best of luck!

[Chris G.]

Heres a link to the craiglist ad I just posted, dont want to solely rely on realtor. Has some more pics to view. House looks great. Has anyone had experience with FSBO.com? Is it realistic to find legit buyers if I pay for a post?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/reo/468098857...