Getting To Work On A Fixer-Upper
What part of the house should I start fixing up first?
When you're starting out to renovate and fix up your property, you really want to have an overview to start with. You want to have a calendar in front of you, and you want to actually sit down and plot it out. Just like if you were creating a Broadway show or if you were creating a production of a TV show, you want to know what the order is and how long things will take. You want to talk to your contractor and ask "How long will the kitchen cabinets take?", "How long will the tiling take?". You want to be able to know ahead of time. Set down a calendar and actually plot it all out so that you know when things need to get done. Some of the big elements, the systems, obviously have to be done first. The electrical, the plumbing, the roof, and while all of that is going on you want to make sure that you get your landscaping in, so that it has time to grow.
At what point in the fix-up process should I list my property for resale?
One of the biggest mistakes that home-sellers make when flipping their property and putting it into market is they show it before it's done. Never show your house until it's done and perfect and dressed and looking sensational, because you're selling a lifestyle. Buyers come in and buy emotionally, not intellectually, so grab them emotionally. Have house prestige perfect and beautifully set before you allow anybody in.
Which fixtures should I spend the most money on?
I am a big believer that when you are fixing up a property you want to add in some things that we call brooches. This wonderful designer that I used to work with named Steven Wilder would always say...he was Australian and he'd say, "You know what, stick in a brooch." What's a brooch in a kitchen? Buying an extra $100 more expensive gooseneck sink faucet. In each room try to find a place where you can have a brooch. Maybe if you are putting in an intercom system, spend an extra $100 or $200 for a video intercom system. Just a few things where that extra $100 here and there will actually get you more money by improving a fixture. Thermostats. When you are going to put new thermostats in a house, don't just get the old fashioned ugly kind, spend an extra $50 and get a digital keypad thermostat. It makes things look like they're new, they're fresh and it gives a feeling to a buyer, wow, there's a lot of great stuff here in this house.
