Hello BP Community! I recently had a conversation with @Jacob Munson about Denver House Hacking, during which he asked an excellent question: “What are some typical renovations you see for house hacks?”

This is a very common question I receive, so I wanted to share the details here for others to learn from.

Some Less Common Renovations:

-ADU Build Out- Building an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) from the ground up in the Denver Metro Area is an expensive and time-consuming process (costing over $200k and taking 2+ years to complete). In my years of experience, we have only had one client execute an ADU buildout. While it is possible given the investor's goals and lifestyle, I would not recommend this for a first investment.

We recently talked with "that ADU guy" diving deep into the world of ADUs in Denver and how to build. Happy to share my notes for anyone that is interested.

-Building a basement kitchenette from scratch- Building a basement kitchenette can be quite expensive if there is no existing plumbing that can be easily tapped into. Demolishing concrete for drainage and routing new plumbing can cost $15k-$25k for the whole project. All depending on the level of finishes you go with and amount of work needed. We have had a few clients do this and were pleased with the outcome.

Most Common Renovations:

Most of these can be a DIY project with some help from YouTube videos (excluding adding the washer/dryer for any electrical work needed).

-Framing a wall to create a separate entrance- In the Denver Metro, it is very common to have a basement entrance located close to an exterior door, such as a door leading to the backyard or garage. With some simple framing and drywall, this can be done for less than $2000.

If you are a visual person like me, here is an example (door leads directly to basement):

-Using existing plumbing to create kitchenette-

Basement utility sinks can easily be converted to functional kitchenettes. All of the plumbing is already there. You will just need to update the sink, cabinets, flooring, etc. Make it look pretty and functional! With some DIY videos, this can be done fairly inexpensive.

Example below:

-Adding a Second Washer and Dryer

Most single family homes only have 1 washer and dryer. Sharing can be an inconvenience. It is pretty common to add a small stackable washer and dryer so laundry is not shared and will make renting after moving out easier. When all said and done, this can be done for around $5k. Some can be more expensive than others

We just recently did a case study of an ADU basement buildout. Happy to share the details + before and after photos!

Ben Einspahr

Denver, Colorado

6 Votes