All Forum Posts by: Jimmy Jamz

Thank you all.  I have started with the Shellac paint on the ceilings and walls.  So far only 1 coat and it's much better and need to go check it to see any bleed through.  I'll do 2 coats of the shellac on the master bedroom which had the majority of the damage.  I purchased a nice vanity for the bath yesterday - was on sale and had a nice thick heavy-duty sink and a bunch of drawers (the one in the unit was just 2 doors and no where to store bath items).  I am going to replace the bifold doors for 2 reasons - actually 3.  I don't want to paint them.  They look outdated and grungy.  And each door new is about 45$ - not earth shattering in terms of bang for the buck.  

I don't mind the sweat equity - I knew I'd have to do it anyway.  I just don't want to overdo the rehab to the point where the return will never happen.  After looking at my budget the difference between going "cheap" vs more higher-end (for a rental) is about $1000 and a lot more man hours of my time.  All in all I think it makes sense to go for the additional upgrades (redoing the hardwoods, new ceiling fans, and and paint the cabinets and new hardware, etc) to show some pride of ownership and to hopefully attract the sort of tenant who would appreciate it.  Again I have to do it regardless - I don't have the option of not cleaning the place unles I only want to rent to smokers.  

It may be faulty logic from a pure dollars and cents and ROI standpoint, but as I only have this property and 1 other 1 bedroom condo, I have the time and ability to do the repaints (2 colors), etc etc. I just feel like it would be taking the easy approach to save some hours and a few bucks when I have the perfect opportunity to refresh this unit all in 1 fell swoop? It will cost me a bit more upfront in time and dollars but hopefully return that with lesser turnover, higher quality tenants and quicker fills of vacancies.

Hello All (Hopefully this is the right forum for this discussion!)

I recently bought a condo that was owner-occupied for 30 years - and the owner was a big time smoker. The ceilings and walls are disgusting! The smell ... ugh.

My questions are: how far do I go to renovate the 850sq ft 2 bedroom condo? I know the ceilings and walls need to be sealed, primed and painted. I guess my concern is: how far down the rabbit hole do I go? Things like the bath sink have nicotine stains but the vanity itself is ok. The kitchen cabinets are original to the unit and oak and need at least a thorough cleaning and possibly a paint. The oak hardwood is in good shape - not great - and while I hope to not have to have it sanded and laquered should I (quoted price is under $1/sq foot)? Things like the sets of bifolds in the bedrooms are functional but also show signs of nicotine stains.

I am not going to be making much return on this unit - certainly not to start. The unit will be going from an owner occ to a rental due to some unforseen life circumstances. Rental rates around this area are insanely high and growing. We are just north of a major city whose expansion is causing growth in all of the surrounding areas - of which the condo is in.

So my thinking is that with the unit bare and needing a ton of elbow grease to make it inhabitable to a non-smoker, is it wise to also spend a little more on paint and possibly a new bath vanity, bifold doors, etc to try and attract the appreciative tenant? We're not talking getting BOSCH ranges and appliances or 100$ gallon paint. But I have to do the work regardless - why not go a little further and try to make the place a nice one for someone to call home? Or do I go bottom dollar since my return is minimal at this point? If I can bump the rent by near $100/month it is a huge difference in my overall return and the rental rate would be on par with some of the nicer units available in the town.

Thanks for any insight.