Guelph House Flip

My Guelph House Flip Project

My brother and I recently had the opportunity to work on a Guelph house flip project and reno from top to bottom giving our house a modernized makeover ready for market.  The experience was incredible and I learned a lot about planning and designing a home for today’s family.  We choose a 1950’s bungalow for it’s simple yet solid build.  A lot has changed since the house was originally built so we had our work cut out for us. 

We completely redesigned the kitchen, replaced the flooring with beautiful hardwood throughout, added new doors, finished the basement, redesigned the main bathroom, added a spacious 3 piece bathroom to the basement, landscaped, replaced the front porch and created extra living space. 

The experience was so satisfying knowing that we transformed a neglected home into a beautiful home the new owners would love.  As a Guelph Realtor this project gave me a birds eye view to the ups and downs of home renovating and readying for the market from construction, to layout, to design and flow, to amenities to staging.  I learned so much through the process and I believe it made me a better Guelph Realtor! 

If you’re thinking of flipping a home in Guelph I can help find your perfect fit!  Let’s Chat! 

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when scouting for a Guelph house flip:

Location: Find a home in a desirable neighbourhood.  Guelph is an excellent choice when choosing a city.  It continues to experience rising real estate sales and home value, steady employment growth and strong economy.  It’s also a great place for all ages from new home buyers to seniors. 

Sound Condition: You don’t want to tear the house down, and start rebuilding it from scratch.  Look for structurally sound homes.  We choose a 1950’s bungalow.  During that time period homes were built with solid and simple construction.  It’s a good idea to have the home inspected to know what you’re getting into ie.  building, heating, leaks, electric, and plumbing. 

Good Schools: Homes in a good school district sell much more quickly. 

The Right Fixes: A home with old carpet and wallpaper featuring pink poodles may be easy, and cheap, to update.  Other home repairs to tackle might include installing outdoor motion sensor lights, replacing old kitchen linoleum, and replacing hollow doors with six-panel doors throughout the home.  A house that has mould, needs a roof replacement, or needs rewiring, requires some serious time and cash to update and sell.  Make sure you know which updates and repairs you can afford to fix, which repairs you can’t afford, and which home improvements will increase the selling price of the house.  When you estimate the cost of any job, experts advise that you add 20% to the final estimate.  Why?  It’s always going to cost more than you think it will, say the experts.  Always. 

Close to You: You will work on this house daily in the weeks and months to come.  Do you really want to work all day, and then drive an hour to get home?  Don’t invest in a house too far away from where you live; you will spend more money on gas, and it will take longer to fix up the house. 

Analyze the Kitchen: The kitchen is the most important room in the house.  Pay close attention to this area when you buy a house.  Most experts recommend you focus on remodelling the kitchen, and then look into bathroom redesign ideas.  Analyze how much you will have to spend on the kitchen in order to make it appealing for future buyers. 

Value: Make sure the price of the home is below its value in the local market.  Otherwise, you will not make money.  The worst house in a great neighbourhood has nowhere to go but up in value, due to the value of the other homes in the area. 

Angela Crawford, Sales Representative

Angela Crawford, a Guelph Realtor® with Coldwell Banker Neumann Real Estate, is committed to delivering a high level of expertise, customer service, and attention to detail to the marketing and sales of Guelph homes.