All Forum Posts by: Nathan May

Hi all - 

After speaking with a few people went with the following decisions: 

1.Laminate

2. Central AC (with cages to prevent theft) 

3. Were preserving the original hardware where possible and adding LVP only where needed 

Hi all,

I'm pulling together a scope for a rehab in South Linden. There are a few choices I need to make (below) and would love to chat with someone who owns rentals in the area to help make sure I'm not over-spending for the tenant base in that area.

Target rent: $850-900

1. Granite vs. laminate countertops
2. Re-finishing hardwood vs. LVP 
3. Central AC vs. window units

If anyone is willing to chat over message or has any immediate reactions to the above they'd like to post, it would be much appreciated! 

I sold a property in NL at the beginning of January - if you're doing any level of rehab on the property you closed on, happy to answer questions about materials I used for that area over message. (This was not a rental so individual cosmetic choices won't be 1:1 comparable, but received great advice from several other local investors I'm happy to share).

@Account Closed is $2500 in the range of what you usually expect to pay for a new stainless steel 4-pack? 

I was reticent to do scratch and dent as my property was a flip but curious to hear - if you're doing rentals - what your packages look like (assuming you're doing stainless in these)

I'm right in line with William - I paid $2400 for a mix-and-match of GE/Frigidaire Stainless Steel from Lowes for my last property. 

Curious if those using other retailers for new / scratch&dent are getting better packages for very little extra logistical hassle 

We were doing the big-box stores (Lowes/HD) - we decided to go with Zen. Will report back on how installation goes but thus far the experience has been positive. 

Responding for those who come across this post in the future - the recommendations above were extremely helpful and have allowed us to save on our initial estimates. 

Thanks to all who replied - very fortunate to have such a great REI community in Columbus.

Hi all,

I'm working on a flip in the North Linden area in Columbus, Ohio and am trying to reduce cost on windows and a small, 3-step concrete porch connecting the back door with the ground.

My costs for reference:

1. $8500 for 13 windows ($650 per window, installed) - these are vinyl, double-paned windows with energy star rated glass

2. $4200 for the porch

I'd like to get the windows down to $500 installed and the concrete down as much as possible - obviously there is a lot of variance here based on the size of porch and type of windows, but does anyone have good benchmarks (particularly on the windows) and/or recommendations contractors they could PM me? Any help is much appreciated.

Hi all,

I'm doing a flip of a ~1k sqft SFH that had a smoker living in it for ~20 years. I've never dealt with smokers in a property before. Can anyone who has dealt with smoke odor before review the process I'm planning on using to get rid of it?

Here's how I'm thinking about the steps:

1. Remove all carpeting

2. Wash walls with TSP: I would do this myself - can I wash the walls and then wait 2 weeks to paint or does it need to be done right away? Going to have a GC do the rest.

3. Clear vents/ducts: have an HVAC guy come in and clean these ducts

4. Ozone machine / charcoal to suck up all the smell: do the machines work? Is step #4 the appropriate time to use this machine or should I do it before anything else?

5. Seal walls with an oder-sealing primer: any recommendations for brands? I’ve heard Kilz, is there a specific product within Kilz that’s great?

6. Paint walls: Does anything need to change about the paint I would use for a flip that has smoke damage vs. not (oil vs. water vs. other)?

7. Re-do flooring: Hardwood floors in 60% of the house that we will sand, stain and finish and the rest is laminate we will won’t tear up, but will put vinyl with a nice wood pattern over top. Is this generally enough to cover up the smell in flooring?

8. Replace cabinets: Re-doing the bathroom/kitchen so this is a given.

Other questions:

1. Do I need to have someone come in and remove drywall to figure out if we need to tear out the walls due to smoke smell in the insulation?