All Forum Posts by: Sean Kollee

@Michael Ablan one way around those issues is you charge a preconstruction fee for a consult that leads to a bid. If the client won’t fund that then you don’t need them as a client anyway because they’d never hire you. So no free estimates as a policy. If you give out 50 estimates at 1k per, then you can afford the estimator to perform that work.

@Tyler Katen what would a reno like that cost in a high cost coastal city ?

@Luciana W. thanks this project like all my builds is done in calgary. Would like to visit your part of the world sometime once conditions permit. I’m sure totally different houses and construction techniques

@Brian Davis thanks for the feedback. Someone else must have agreed about wanting to move in the possession date was end of July. Still working on the landscaping part.

@Theresa Harris I’ve got some more dog photos from the site she’s the construction therapy animal.

@Vedran Josic I don’t buy much product online. For the most part I have local suppliers that get me what I need. For example my plumber gets good pricing at a wholesaler. We used Riobel faucets and shower trims. This is the expensive boutique stuff. Tiles were all from Ames where I get a nice discount. Flooring from a family run Business that had stock so I know there no issue ordering or with back ordered material. I use windows from Lux which is a large company in my area. Cabinets are a local shop same with lights and countertop. Fireplace are usually Napoleon. None of the suppliers I work with would operate in your area you’d have to build out your own network. I’ve found in building nothing is easy and few shortcuts work.

I think if it was easy then you’d have more competition and less deals. The industry is already ruthlessly competitive among the many small builders and renovators.

@Jim Kalish I plan for a little better outcome than a quality home. I’ve got to work on these jobs for months and I don’t have a paycheque. I’m lucky enough to be able to survive between large outlays to buy deals and the time it takes to build and close them.

@Michael Plante I would do this size project again for sure. The main business here is taking a infill lot and dividing it into 2 and doing 2 new houses. One bungalow is preferable to me vs 2 builds.

I had to close quickly on the property to get a good deal. The permitting takes some time so you must be able to sit on it for a while. Construction time was about 6 months and it sold right near the end of the project.

A quick cosmetic flip has some appeal and would be way easier. My main job is building houses not investing in rehabs so I’m a little less intimidated by a big job. You’ve just got to be safely capitalized and committed to see it to the end. Way easier to start than finish a build.

@Michael Plante

Purchase was 387.5

End value 950 (included quite a few upgrades to close deal)

Sales tax 45

Realtor cost 30

Construction cost 300

Cost of capital, cost of management i internalize but these are real costs.

@Cody Neumann thanks I have a couple more to finish then I need a vacation