For you who aren’t aware of my ongoing house flip adventure, my wife and I are partnering with our youngest son to purchase a house at an estate sale, fix it up and resell it (hopefully at a nice profit). Previous posts in this series, in chronological order are My House Flipping Experience: The Bid, House Flip Update 1 and House Flip Update 2.
Back of house before French Doors and Deck
Our philosophy is to do what we are able to do and hire out what we can’t do. We did all of the gutting (removing paneling, fixtures, etc..basically down to exposed studs everywhere) , all of the wiring and some of the sheetrock installation. We hired some carpenters to help us cut the hole through the wall, frame the opening and install new double French doors (see picture) which lead out to a deck we are building. We hired the plumbing work and the sheetrock finishing (our finisher starts today). We will then paint, install the laminate flooring and the new kitchen cabinets. We will also tile the bathtub / shower enclosure and the kitchen cabinet backsplash. By the way, we are seriously considering ordering cabinets from “Cabinets to Go”, so if anyone has good or bad experience with this company, let us know. These are all wood cabinets which are shipped unassembled, so our savings will be in putting the cabinets together before installing them in the kitchen.
Back of house today
My pictures in today’s post showcase our “home run” improvement: adding double French patio doors and a deck to the back of the house. These doors overlook nearly an acre of back yard, complete with smaller oak trees and several mature oaks.
I appreciate any comments on this adventure and I promise full disclosure (within reason) on the profitability of this flip.
Now: On with the Roundup
Before of dining room. The wall on the right is the same wall that now has the double French Patio Doors in the picture below.
Recommended reading:
Top 5 Millionaire Television Characters at Saving Money Today
Grease’s Financial Crisis: Why You Can’t Blame it on Wendy’s at Len Penzo dot com
Money, Happiness and Experiences at Canadian Finance Blog
Perceived Risk versus Actual Risk at Monevator
10 Unnecessary Expenses at Sweating the Big Stuff
Tips for Setting Up and Running a Yard Sale at Eliminate the Muda
Good Debt Versus Bad Debt: Revisited at the Millionaire Nurse Blob
Same view today
Credit Cards Take From the Rich and Give to the Poor? at Wealth Informatics
Stop Acting Rich: Don’t Allow Displays of Wealth to Substitute For Real Wealth at Smart on Money
Maybe it’s Time to Fire Your Money Manager at In the Trenches
Carnivals I have participated in:
Best of Money Carnival hosted by PT Money
Carnival of Money Stories hosted by Simply Forties
Baby Boomers Blog Carnival hosted by Baby Boomers US
Christian Carnival at Jevlir Caravansary
Carnival of Financial Planning at the Skilled Investor
Roundups I have been included in:
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I think adding that french door will be a home run – it looks great! I’ve been enjoying this series looking at your house flip project – very interesting!
Peter´s last [type] ..What Should I Do If My Identity Is Stolen Identity Theft Checklist
Hey, Joe. Thanks for the mention. I will even take blob status for a link from your great site!
Good luck on the flip. When you sell, let me know, I have a perfect Gulf Coast property or two for you, with no oil! (this week).
Thanks again,
Dean
Dr Dean´s last [type] ..Nurse Over 50- Needs Personal Finance Transplant!
Thanks for the mention Joe. Good job with the renos, it would make me want to buy the place!
Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog´s last [type] ..You Can Afford Retirement But Can You Afford Retirement Care
I agree. French doors add elegance, light, and function. And, the deck adds entertainment area and a place to relax with the morning coffee. Great progress. Glad your wife thought of it.
Carol@inthetrenches´s last [type] ..Drew Barrymores 25 Red Carpet Hit on Shine
@Peter,
Glad you are enjoying the “Flip” series.
@Canadian,
Sold! Hope you like Southern Illinois, but you might have to change the name of your blog. “Southern Illinois Finance Blog”, come to think of it, doesn’t have quite the same ring as Canadian Finance Blog. Hmmm.
@Carol,
Of course you are exactly right: my wife DID think of it. As I had mentioned in a previous post, she is our chief designer. We don’t always agree, but on the French doors, we did.
Nice work, that’s an impressive before and after contrast!
It would be interesting to read your thoughts, once this whole experience is over for you, on the entire process of buying, remodeling, then selling. Any thoughts, tips, things you would do differently, etc.
Squirrelers´s last [type] ..Myths About Millionaires
Squirrelers,
I will definitely write about the experience once it is complete. Right now all I can do is give updates and snippets of our experiences, but once I have the perspective of how it went, I will be better able to share the info you mentioned and more. Thanks for your interest.
Did you build the deck yourselves? Was it harder or easier than you thought it would be? I’ve been thinking about doing this same thing to my dining room wall where I have access to a backyard deck from the dining area.
Norman,
I needed some help installing the patio doors (cutting a big hole in an outside wall is pretty intimidating), but we built the deck ourselves. Altogether, it was easier than I anticipated, but I wasn’t really worried about the deck, so having some professionals help with the doors was essential for us.
For this house, we think the doors/deck are the best investment we have made. If you decide to do something similar for your house, I hope it goes well.
Joe,
What a difference the french doors make. The house is looking great. I can’t wait for the next installment.
Also, thanks for including our guest post on Len Penzo.com in your round-up.
Betty
Hello Joe,
You did a great job! That was an impressive works. French doors adds beauty to our homes. The photos looks Great!
You might want to check this website too, they offers more information on
Blinds For French Doors