When buying property for rehabilitation, it is important to do your house clean-up and repairs in the proper order. You don't want to get ahead of yourself or waste time and money on the project. These steps are a good order of process to follow when house rehabbing, with a few extra specifics. Of course you will find small repairs in between these steps but they are very minor.
1
Secure the place by putting new lock sets in at least one entry door, and barricade the other exterior doors and windows that will not lock. From this point forward you need to know that your tools, building materials, and future improvements are safe from vandals.
2
Notify the police department right away that you are cleaning up the property and would like extra patrol. They are always willing to do this because house rehabbing makes for a nicer looking neighborhood which draws better residents and that makes their job easier. Leave all exterior lights on 24/7 so everyone can have good visibility of the exterior of the home. Consider leaving a dog to roam around in the front and back yard. Bring your kids over to play in the back yard. Consider having a worker sleep over. By making the unit a little habitable, vagrants will not be roaming around your property looking for something to steal
3
Do a quick clean up of the debris on the outside of the home. There are two important reasons for this:
4
Always do the home remodeling work to the interior of the home before doing any noticeable work on the exterior. The only exception is the roof. If it is actually leaking, we should try to cheaply patch it to get by until the interior is nearly done. Do not use an obnoxious tarp.
5
Decide if we need to order replacement windows or keep existing. Allow time for replacement windows to ship.
6
Hang some fabric over the windows. You do not want to attract attention to our house rehabbing activities. It is not that you plan to do substandard work. WE just want to be able to do our house rehabbing work efficiently without unwarranted inspections causing delays
7
Do a clean out of the interior. All items to be replaced with the exception of lighting and windows, needs to go. This needs to be done in a fashion that doesn't draw attention.
8
Talk to the garbage collector on pick up day. Offer to pay him to take the bulk of trash. This money is paid directly to the collector. Ask him how much it will take for him to take it all. For about $60.00 he may even call a second truck to get it all. Don't put the trash out until the collectors will be there to take it. we don’t want to look like you are making things worse.
9
Repair and reassemble. Start with the mechanicals. Most of these systems work fine for the most part. Most of the repairs are minor unless the home is still on fuses, or the plumbing was frozen. The upgrade to circuit breakers is a must. Do not do this unless you are capable. Safety first.
10
Prep the walls, ceiling, and trim for painting. Hang the light fixtures from the junction box with a piece of wire, but leave the power hooked up. Clean off any dirt and grease from the walls and ceilings. Pull any nails and fill the holes. we can use our spackle on trim also, and then sand smooth. If the windows are being replaced, it's ok to get paint on them. Even if we keep them, paint them and then scrape the glass clean after the paint dries. This gets the window glass totally clean with little effort.
11
Use a small paint sprayer to spray all the trim color first
12
Mask off the trim by using a masking machine. They cost about $5. Taping off the trim takes a while, but this machine applies the tape to the paper and saves a lot of time.
13
Spray the paint using an airless sprayer. Investment cost is less than $300 and will last through many projects. In an average size house in about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours per coat. One coat usually works, but don't judge the job until it is dry to the touch. As it is drying the job looks worse and worse, so be patient. If it needs another coat after it is dry to the touch, spray the second coat pattern opposite the direction of the first coat.
14
Unmask it the next day. You don't want to leave the tape on too long, because it can be hard to get off and it can cost a lot more of your time. When you buy paint, don't get stupid with the colors, go neutral. The walls and ceilings should be flat antique white. Today's flat paints are very washable. and the light colors make the room look bigger and brighter.
15
If you are keeping the windows, scrape the paint off the glass. But if we need to replace them, the best way is to use a pocket replacement window. They are inexpensive and easy to install. You can replace a window in about 15 minutes. Most sizes will need to be custom ordered, and will average at about $100.00 to $125.00. When we are at stores like Home Depot, or Lowe's you can pick up an order form that will explain how to measure for size. So decide early on if we are keeping the windows because it takes a couple weeks for them to come in. All you have to do is remove all the window stops guides and windows from the existing frame, but leave the outside stops in. Clean up the opening, and put a bead of caulk on the inside edge of the stop. Set the bottom of the new pocket window into the opening and tip the window into place against the stop. Square the window, put in the 4 anchoring screws, and install the interior stop. we will have to touch-up the paint, but since you used flat paint,we can use a disposable foam brush and the touch-up job will look great.
16
Put up all the new light fixtures. Lighting is very inexpensive relative to the aesthetic beauty they provide. No matter whether the home is a Victorian or a basic ranch, there are great looking fixtures available at a low price at one of your local super stores.
17
Put down the flooring in the kitchen and bath. After that install any bath fixtures and kitchen cabinetry, if needed. Remember, if it's borderline, replace it. There should be plenty of profit to do the job right. If it's a close call, don't buy the property in the first place.
18
Have your carpeting installed. we need to use a neutral color here also. A light beige or tan plush or possibly a soft Berber makes the rooms look larger and adds a warm inviting feeling. Buy carpeting at Home Depot and have them cut it to the sizes provided by your installer. Hiring an installer on your own is far less expensive than using the store’s installer.
19
Get the roof replaced, if necessary. This will likely be the first permit that gets pulled if we don't follow the process of rehabbing. When the roofer is done it is time to do the siding if needed. You need to decide if you want to paint or re-side. Putting up vinyl siding is very easy and very cheap.
20
Get the yard spruced up with some plants and flowers and start marketing it.
Edited by Lyle, Ben Rubenstein, Jack Herrick, Zack and 15 others
When buying property for rehabilitation, it is important to do your house clean-up and repairs in the proper order. You don't want to get ahead of yourself or waste time and money on the project. These steps are a good order of process to follow when house rehabbing, with a few extra specifics. Of course you will find small repairs in between these steps but they are very minor.
1
Secure the place by putting new lock sets in at least one entry door, and barricade the other exterior doors and windows that will not lock. From this point forward you need to know that your tools, building materials, and future improvements are safe from vandals.
2
Notify the police department right away that you are cleaning up the property and would like extra patrol. They are always willing to do this because house rehabbing makes for a nicer looking neighborhood which draws better residents and that makes their job easier. Leave all exterior lights on 24/7 so everyone can have good visibility of the exterior of the home. Consider leaving a dog to roam around in the front and back yard. Bring your kids over to play in the back yard. Consider having a worker sleep over. By making the unit a little habitable, vagrants will not be roaming around your property looking for something to steal
3
Do a quick clean up of the debris on the outside of the home. There are two important reasons for this:
4
Always do the home remodeling work to the interior of the home before doing any noticeable work on the exterior. The only exception is the roof. If it is actually leaking, we should try to cheaply patch it to get by until the interior is nearly done. Do not use an obnoxious tarp.
5
Decide if we need to order replacement windows or keep existing. Allow time for replacement windows to ship.
6
Hang some fabric over the windows. You do not want to attract attention to our house rehabbing activities. It is not that you plan to do substandard work. WE just want to be able to do our house rehabbing work efficiently without unwarranted inspections causing delays
7
Do a clean out of the interior. All items to be replaced with the exception of lighting and windows, needs to go. This needs to be done in a fashion that doesn't draw attention.
8
Talk to the garbage collector on pick up day. Offer to pay him to take the bulk of trash. This money is paid directly to the collector. Ask him how much it will take for him to take it all. For about $60.00 he may even call a second truck to get it all. Don't put the trash out until the collectors will be there to take it. we don’t want to look like you are making things worse.
9
Repair and reassemble. Start with the mechanicals. Most of these systems work fine for the most part. Most of the repairs are minor unless the home is still on fuses, or the plumbing was frozen. The upgrade to circuit breakers is a must. Do not do this unless you are capable. Safety first.
10
Prep the walls, ceiling, and trim for painting. Hang the light fixtures from the junction box with a piece of wire, but leave the power hooked up. Clean off any dirt and grease from the walls and ceilings. Pull any nails and fill the holes. we can use our spackle on trim also, and then sand smooth. If the windows are being replaced, it's ok to get paint on them. Even if we keep them, paint them and then scrape the glass clean after the paint dries. This gets the window glass totally clean with little effort.
11
Use a small paint sprayer to spray all the trim color first
12
Mask off the trim by using a masking machine. They cost about $5. Taping off the trim takes a while, but this machine applies the tape to the paper and saves a lot of time.
13
Spray the paint using an airless sprayer. Investment cost is less than $300 and will last through many projects. In an average size house in about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours per coat. One coat usually works, but don't judge the job until it is dry to the touch. As it is drying the job looks worse and worse, so be patient. If it needs another coat after it is dry to the touch, spray the second coat pattern opposite the direction of the first coat.
14
Unmask it the next day. You don't want to leave the tape on too long, because it can be hard to get off and it can cost a lot more of your time. When you buy paint, don't get stupid with the colors, go neutral. The walls and ceilings should be flat antique white. Today's flat paints are very washable. and the light colors make the room look bigger and brighter.
15
If you are keeping the windows, scrape the paint off the glass. But if we need to replace them, the best way is to use a pocket replacement window. They are inexpensive and easy to install. You can replace a window in about 15 minutes. Most sizes will need to be custom ordered, and will average at about $100.00 to $125.00. When we are at stores like Home Depot, or Lowe's you can pick up an order form that will explain how to measure for size. So decide early on if we are keeping the windows because it takes a couple weeks for them to come in. All you have to do is remove all the window stops guides and windows from the existing frame, but leave the outside stops in. Clean up the opening, and put a bead of caulk on the inside edge of the stop. Set the bottom of the new pocket window into the opening and tip the window into place against the stop. Square the window, put in the 4 anchoring screws, and install the interior stop. we will have to touch-up the paint, but since you used flat paint,we can use a disposable foam brush and the touch-up job will look great.
16
Put up all the new light fixtures. Lighting is very inexpensive relative to the aesthetic beauty they provide. No matter whether the home is a Victorian or a basic ranch, there are great looking fixtures available at a low price at one of your local super stores.
17
Put down the flooring in the kitchen and bath. After that install any bath fixtures and kitchen cabinetry, if needed. Remember, if it's borderline, replace it. There should be plenty of profit to do the job right. If it's a close call, don't buy the property in the first place.
18
Have your carpeting installed. we need to use a neutral color here also. A light beige or tan plush or possibly a soft Berber makes the rooms look larger and adds a warm inviting feeling. Buy carpeting at Home Depot and have them cut it to the sizes provided by your installer. Hiring an installer on your own is far less expensive than using the store’s installer.
19
Get the roof replaced, if necessary. This will likely be the first permit that gets pulled if we don't follow the process of rehabbing. When the roofer is done it is time to do the siding if needed. You need to decide if you want to paint or re-side. Putting up vinyl siding is very easy and very cheap.
20
Get the yard spruced up with some plants and flowers and start marketing it.
Edited by Lyle, Ben Rubenstein, Jack Herrick, Zack and 15 others