At the Mike Dunfee Group, we do a lot of work renovating properties for sale and lease. We have learned a thing or two over the years, especially since starting our own maintenance company, Long Beach Property Maintenance, and would like to share some of the tips and tricks with you.
This is not just talk. We will show you some of what we have done to help modernize properties we handle for our clients making them more suitable for today’s marketplace.
Of course, you would not renovate every single property in the same way. It depends on the specific property, your budget, and your ultimate goals in doing the renovations. Last time we showed you what a huge difference simply adding fresh paint and new flooring can make. This time we will look at what is involved in what we call an Updating Refresh. This is an example of what we do to modernize a property that has become a little too outdated for today’s modern market.
In this case, we have a great little condo that was built around 1990. It had the original fixtures including, lighting, cabinets, and countertops. The appliances were not original but they matched the kitchen, so they had a dated look too. The carpet was well-worn from the last tenant and had to be replaced. The paint was also worn to the point of needing to be completely redone.
This place was functional and could have just undergone a freshening with new paint and flooring. But this 19th-floor luxury condo was nice enough to justify a little updating. After all, properties need to be updated every couple of decades and this savvy owner figured that since they were going to have to spend to clean it up for the next tenant they might as well take advantage of this time to give this wonderful condo the Updating Refresh it deserves.
These owners wanted to bring the property up to date at a quality level reflected in its true value. Luckily, with today’s new products and a little know-how, a refresh can be well within reach.
Check it out and look how great this property turned out!
Look at the difference. What a transformation. We painted the trim and doors a semi-gloss white and the ceiling a flat white. Then we painted the walls a very light platinum grey with a satin finish. We went with a light-colored waterproof vinyl plank flooring that looks like hardwood. This kind of flooring works well since it is waterproof, durable, and wears better than carpet. It does not cost much more, lasts longer, and shows well.
We changed out the cabinets and countertops. We added white shaker-style cabinets with soft closing hardware along with Carrera quartz countertops. We did this in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room to keep it consistent.
In the kitchen, we installed an under-mount single bowl stainless steel sink to go with the new stainless-steel appliances adding to the contemporary feel. We also replaced the old lights with new LED flush mounts to help show off the new modern space.
In the bathroom, we re-glazed the old tub and shower then added a new shower door. We also changed out the lights. Carrying the new cabinets and countertops into the laundry room helped finish off this luxury condominium.
These improvements make a huge difference. Although this was not cheap to do, with all the products on the market now, this was not as expensive as you might think. Given the value of this property and the high expectations of today’s residents, this investment will certainly pay off.
Remember, we are not interior designers. There are some great ones out there who you may want to consult with one of them. We just happened to prepare a lot of properties for the market, and this is what we did. The Mike Dunfee Group is affiliated with Long Beach Property Maintenance, Inc. Lic. #1116771 who did all the work.
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For Real Estate Advice
If you are looking for a reliable property management company to help you handle a rental property or a real estate broker to guide you through the sales process in Long Beach, Los Angeles or Orange County, California; or you are just considering it and have a few questions about real estate contact the Mike Dunfee Group today! We are happy to help.
Dunfee Real Estate Services, Inc. DRE # 02026232
Long Beach Property Maintenance, Inc. License # 1116771
