Columnist: The ups and downs of flipping, renovating homes
Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 15, 2015
Do you ever watch those flipping houses shows on TV?
Yes, I do from time to time. You know the appliance, plumbing and heat/air companies are the force behind those shows.
Please note all the men and women are experts in several fields and can fix anything. When they are showing their big profits they do not remember all the costs, like legal fees, bank fees, insurance and all the labor.
My favorite is the old ones. The bottom line is that things just happen when you remodel homes. I have done my share of fixing up houses, and it is major guess what bills you will have pop up on little things that add up that you did not count on. They make it look so easy.
I have made money, if you do not count my time looking after these projects. It also helps if you have many talents on repairs, which I have none.
If you decide to jump on something like a remodel job have some extra cash. It always helps, and you will most likely need it.
Remember, if it was really easy everyone would be doing it.
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude, nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” — Thomas Jefferson
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Sometimes the money is not the reason you redo a house.
The house across the street came up last year for sale. I had been cutting the grass on it for seven years. They finally decided to sell it, so I bought it and remodeled it.
They did a great job of insulating the house. This was an older home that had no insulation in the attic so we put R38 in there and R20 in the walls.
Why am I talking about how important this is? The couple living there is talking about $120 electric bills and still staying very comfortable!
If you’re going to do just one thing to your house and want to save money, add insulation. You want R38 in the ceilings. This will make your house more comfortable and less expensive to heat and cool. You spend the money one time and save forever.
Insulation is one of the best things you can spend money on, it just keeps on saving.
“Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.” — George Adams
