Hi all,
Just got my first rehab offer accepted on a bank owned property. I need work done to the house and will have contractors coming through. It needs drywall, carpet, bathrooms redone (floors, fixutures, etc.) soffits and gutters, etc. My question what contractor do I have come in first? Do I work from top to bottom? Drywall first, then the bathrooms, then, paint, then carpet, etc.
Nate
First, congratulations on getting your first rehab deal.
I am not a contractor, but have done many rehabs.
With the exception of tile in the bathrooms, I usually do the floors last whether it is hardwood flooring or carpet. You want all of the heavy lifting type stuff and dirty work out of the way before putting your carpet in.
I think you have it correct. Drywall first, then the bathrooms, then, paint, then carpet, etc.
That’s pretty much it…obviously, the soffit and fascia first then the gutters. The outside work can go on at teh same time as the inside work – weather permitting…
Keith
I’ve learned the hard way… plumbing and electrical first.
Congrats,
-H
Well since its bank owned I had to buy it as is. I’m hoping the plumbing and electrical are fine. Its been vacant since August of this year. Its been winterized by the city so we’ll see. I close on the 18th of Jan. Come to find out the lender is even paying 1500 bucks for closing. That should just about cover my closing costs.
Nate
Wow, thats great. I’d at least pressure check the plumbing. If you start drywalling and painting and find a problem later, it could be costly. I made this mistake on a home built in the 50’s. It was a 1300 sf 1 bath ranch. All the plumbing was in one wall. I replaced most of it no problem. I had the wall gutted down to the studs. Put it all back together. It looked great. I overlooked on thing. The bathtub in the bathroom on the other side of the wall was leaking. You guessed it… the only way to the problem was through the brand new wall. Minor set back really, but I learned.
-H
Good points. What I will do is have the electric and plumbing turned on. I’ll check all outlets and swtiches and run all the plumbing to see what I get. Run the furnace and check for hot water to see if the water heater is working correctly. Think I should just call a local plumber and have him do the pressure test? Also I would imagine that I have to talk to the city about turning on the utilities, correct?
Nate
My HVAC guy does it for me, but a plumber could too. Call the local utility companies for gas, water, and electric. You won’t need to turn the water on to pressure test. This time of the year it’s the last utility I turn on. I just got the gas bill for an 1150 sf ranch I have listed and it was $270. I keep the heat at about 65 degrees. This is the first year I have winterized some properties. Heating them this year is brutal. Are you going to act as general contractor?
-H
That’s another question I wanted to ask. I would say 75% of this rehab is going to be done by contractors. I work full time and there is no way I can be there when they are there during the day. Do I give them a key? Leave the house unlocked? Get a lock box with a combo? Any suggestions?
Nate
I’d try to get there daily. Use a lock box. ShurLok makes a good one under $18. Don’t pay a contractor until the job is done. You’ll hear 100’s of reasons why you should pay them sooner, but don’t. If they insist, find another guy. Bigger projects $50k and up may require a draw down on funds. If this is your first time out of the gate, I would highly recommend being on site every day. Not all day but long enough to show you’re there and you care.
-H