House flipping is the process of buying a house under market value, renovating it if it’s needed, and then selling it at market value for a profit. Flipping a house is a good way to make money in the real estate industry, but it’s not as easy as it looks. TV shows on home improvement channels make it look a lot easier than it is, but the truth is that you will face a lot of competition in this business, especially nowadays.
Finding a house that is priced at least 30 percent under market value is hard, and once you do, you need to move fast. Having access to cash or financing, and being ready to start the home’s rehabilitation right away will make a big difference in house flipping. Acting too late will result in losing good deals and, even worse, money. Here are the top 10 mistakes that you should avoid when house flipping.
Mistakes to Avoid
1. Underestimating the cost. Over spending is probably the biggest mistake you can make when trying to flip a house. It’s better to overestimate the cost before buying the house, than to realize that you have to pay more than you budgeted for to renovate it after you have already bought it. The value of the house will always be relative to similar houses in the area, no matter how much money you invest in its rehabilitation. Asking significantly more than similar houses go for in the neighborhood is unrealistic, and will result in not being able to sell the house.
2. Paying too much. If you pay too much for a house, you will most likely make only a small profit or even no profit at all. When buying a house with the intention of flipping it, you should always make sure that the price is low enough to allow for rehabilitation costs. Theoretically, you should already have a profit when you buy the house. The rehabilitation will be just a nice little bonus.
3. Not having a budget. Over spending on a home’s rehabilitation can also be the result of poor money management. Having a budget will allow you to better estimate how much you will spend on each area of the house. Be careful when establishing a budget, because there will always be unexpected expenses, like hidden damage, that will make the renovation cost more than you anticipated. Don’t buy the most expensive appliances or fixtures. Have a look at the other similar houses in the area to get an idea about what you will be competing against when you put the house on the market.
4. Unreasonable time frame With flipping houses, you have to be quick, but also realize that the whole process of buying and rehabilitating a house will not happen overnight, like some house flipping shows on TV will have you believe. Having a plumber or electrician ready to start working right away helps a lot, but they can only give you an estimate of how much the job will take only after seeing the house.
5. Allowing buyers to see the house before it’s on the market. You might be eager to start attracting customers as soon as possible, but putting up the “For Sale” sign before the rehabilitation is done will not make a good first impression on potential buyers. Showing a house that still needs work to buyers will not be in your advantage, so it is better to finish the rehab, even though it’s going to be a while longer until you can put the house on the market.
6. Not doing things yourself. Hiring someone to do things like cleaning the trash or taking old appliances to the dump will cut into your profits, and it’s something that you can do yourself. You can even do small repair tasks like changing light bulbs, or even fixtures.
7. Doing all the work yourself. Doing some of the work yourself is not only recommended, but it will also cut costs. But tackling big jobs, like fixing the roof or the plumbing, can quickly prove to be much harder than you initially thought it would be, so it is better to leave this type of work to professionals.
8. Not salvaging bath, kitchen and lighting fixtures. You don’t necessarily have to replace dirty or stained fixtures, such as sinks, faucets, toilets, or bathtubs. Of course, replacing them is sometimes easier than scrubbing for a few hours, but it is also more expensive. Salvaging things that only need to be cleaned is a lot more profitable than just throwing them away and buying new ones.
9. Ignoring the exterior. Being the first thing that buyers will see, the home’s curb appeal is very important to creating a good impression. Home buyers are looking for the entire package, a house that looks appealing inside and out. Having an unattractive exterior may keep buyers from wanting to see the interior.
10. Over-remodeling or under-remodeling. Don’t invest money in the most expensive appliances or fixtures that you can find. This is a sure way of killing your margins. On the other hand, cutting corners will turn the buyers away. Your best bet is to use common sense when rehabbing a house in order to flip it quickly and effectively.
Using these 10 tips when flipping houses will improve your chances of selling it faster and for a better price. Don’t get caught up in the same mistakes others have made. Doing research will get you one step ahead of the competition and on your way to becoming a successful house flipper.
