At the Mike Dunfee Group, we do a lot of work renovating properties to get them ready to lease and sell. Well, we have picked up a lot over the years and would like to show you some of the tips and trick we have learned, especially since we have started using our affiliated company, Long Beach Property Maintenance, Inc.
In the past, we have blogged about what are some of the best renovations to make, how to maintain a rental property, and even why repairs cost what they do but here we are going to take a look at actual properties we have worked on so you can see the transformation.
This is not just talk. We will show you some of what we do to help modernize some 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. This time we will start by showing you an amazing transformation that took place with just some new paint and flooring.
We had a condo that was built around 2007. It was well-preserved and left pretty much the way it was back in 2007. The colors were in the style of the times including shades of browns and greens. There was carpet throughout most of the property with slate flooring in the kitchen and tile on the bathroom floors.
The original builder-grade cabinets and entry-level granite countertops installed by the developer were still there. It’s a cool property with a terrific layout, a wonderful view, and in fantastic location. The problem was that the 2006 vibe would likely get in the way of a new buyer appreciating its true beauty.
The owners did not want to spend a lot, but they did want to make it feel a little fresher and more updated. After all, it is a great property, and they wanted it to show that way. What we decided to do was change out the paint and flooring to more modern colors and materials.
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. There is more labor and therefore more expense in painting the trim, doors, and ceiling but the fresh white color really brings the place up a level or two. This can be a good investment for rental properties since you don’t have to repaint the doors and trip every time.
It is important that when you paint out the trim and doors semi-gloss white and ceilings it is done in a professional manner. You must take extra care here to make sure that it is done right making sure to and there to do it right making sure to keep the lines sharp and use quality materials.
Painting is one of those things that a lot of people think they can do, and they probably can. Just relying on it is an acquired skill and most people are not necessarily good at it. We don’t want to discourage anyone but if you are not a professional painter it will probably take you longer than you think to do a good job. We have also found if you go with the cheapest painter you can find, it will look that way.
There will also be some of you who are sick of gray. You might have even heard that “millennial gray” is out and that you should go with bolder color choices. Maybe that’s what you do to get into Dwell magazine or Architectural Digest. We are not trying to be bold. We are going for a fresh clean look that appeals to the market. That is also part of why we go with the white trim, doors, and ceiling.
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 than carpet and lasts a lot longer making it a good choice for rentals. It looks good and is easy to clean. Most of all, people like it.
We did take down the window treatments. This property is for sale and so the next owner can make those choices. We know that the new owner would not want the old curtains as they made the place look dark and took away from the million-dollar views. There are some cool new choices available for window treatments that are much better and less costly than they used to be. We can talk about them another time.
We could have changed out the cabinets and counter tops but that was beyond the scope of what we wanted to do. This was not a complete repositioning or a total renovation. This was just an economical refresh that worked well.
Remember, we are not interior designers. There are some great ones out there who you may want to consult with one of them. We help prepare a lot of properties for rent and sale, so we have a little different perspective. We are also affiliated with Long Beach Property Maintenance, Inc. Lic. #1116771.
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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. If you would like to connect with Long Beach Property Maintenance, please reach out and we will be happy to set that up
Dunfee Real Estate Services, Inc. DRE # 02026232
Long Beach Property Maintenance, Inc. License # 1116771
