Giving Your Property a Quick Makeover

Sprucing Up the Yard

Some lots are so overgrown with trees and shrubs that you can barely see the house from the street. The landscape should accent the house, not hide it. To improve the view of the home from the curbside seats, here’s what you need to do:

Remove clutter and eyesores. Remove the rusty carcasses of old cars or bikes, storage sheds that have outlived their usefulness, ugly lawn ornaments, old fences, piles of bricks or stones, and anything else that catches your eye … and not in a good way.
Trim tree limbs and brambles away from the house. Overhanging limbs drop leaves and twigs in the gutters, damage the roof, and prevent light from penetrating into the house. Nicely trimmed trees and shrubs shade and accent the house without obscuring it.
Pull weeds. A weedy driveway, walkway, or curb is an eyesore. Pull the weeds or spray them with weed killer and clear them out after they wither and die.
Fill driveway and walkway cracks. Your local hardware store has the materials you need to patch asphalt and concrete. For asphalt drives, reseal the drive after the patch has cured. (Of course, you can always hire out this particular job — it’s a nasty job, and one that you can probably get done for about the same cost as doing it yourself.)
Dig up any dead plants. Dried-up, gnarly shrubs and dead flowers can make a yard look more like a cemetery. Extract the dead stuff.
Plant fresh shrubs and flowers. If the weather’s nice, plant fresh shrubs, decorative grasses, and flowers, especially along the front of the house and any sides visible from the curb. If the front yard doesn’t have a place for flowers, you may be able to place a planter on or near the front porch or hang a basket of flowers near the front door to add color.

Do it right. After clearing an area you want to plant, roll out landscaping fabric to keep weeds from popping up, and then cut holes in the fabric wherever you want to plant something.
Lay down a fresh layer of mulch. Fresh cedar mulch or decorative stones make the greenery and other colors pop out and provide a nice trim at the base of the house.
Mow and edge the lawn. Mow the lawn nice and high so it looks lush and green and chokes out the weeds. Edging improves the appearance of the walkways, giving the whole house a more manicured look. Pull any weeds that are poking up through the walkways and along the curb, and sweep up when you’re done.

Before you start digging or pulling shrubs out from around the house, call the utility companies and have them mark the locations of gas and water lines and buried electrical cables. Hacking into a gas line or buried electrical cable can be dangerous and costly.

Now that you have the front yard looking like a gardener’s paradise, you want the backyard to match; otherwise, the shock could sink a potential sale. Figures 15-1 and 15-2 demonstrate the difference that a little TLC can make in a backyard. Among other tasks, the homeowner removed all the ivy from the back fence and replaced it with a variety of beautiful plants.

© Jeremy Goodell

FIGURE 15-1: Before landscaping, this backyard was crawling with ivy.

© Jeremy Goodell

FIGURE 15-2: New plants make this backyard look brand new.

Freshening the Façade

When you purchase a quick-flip property, the shell of the house should be in good repair. The shell includes the roof; gutters; and brick, vinyl siding, or wood siding that covers the house. “Good repair,” however, doesn’t always mean “pretty.” Even a house that’s in good shape can use a quick power wash and some touching up. Here are some tips for shining the shell:

Trim the ivy … or not. If the ivy is growing on brick, isn’t causing damage, and looks nice, leave it be. It can add character to the house and make it more appealing. If the ivy looks bad or is tearing away the gutters or siding, trim it back.
Remove the window air conditioners. A house with air conditioners hanging out of the windows looks like it belongs in a trailer court. Get rid of them.
Power wash the siding. You can rent a power washer at your hardware store or a tool rental service (or buy one if you plan on flipping several houses), and do it yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. For a few hundred bucks, a power wash can make the outside shell look like new.
Repair or replace windows and screens. Nothing is a better indicator of an unkempt house than broken windows and tattered screens. If the window is totaled, install a replacement window that matches the other windows in the house. See Chapter 18 for more on replacement windows.
Add or replace shutters. Decorative shutters are fairly inexpensive and easy to hang, and they add dimension to an otherwise boxy, flat house.
Apply a fresh coat of paint. If a power wash isn’t sufficient for brightening the exterior, a fresh coat of paint can do the trick. Check out Chapter 16 for more about painting your property’s exterior.
Paint the front door and threshold. The first thing a buyer sees when she walks up to the house is the front door. Even if you don’t paint the entire house, paint the front door or clean the stain and apply a fresh coat of shellac. Paint the trim around the door as well as the threshold.
Paint the garage to match. Your house and garage should be the same color to make your property look like a complete package.
Replace the gutters. Seamless gutters are relatively inexpensive to have installed and instantly add curb appeal. You can purchase gutters and hang them yourself, but they usually don’t look as good as a professional, seamless gutter replacement or save you enough money to make the project worth doing yourself. If the gutters are in good shape, a quick cleaning and a new coat of paint should be sufficient.
Replace the front and rear storm doors. Storm doors often take a beating and generally look worse than the rest of the house. Chapter 18 has details on replacing doors, including entry and sliding glass doors.
Replace exterior light fixtures. Even if the exterior lights still function, if they look bad next to that fresh coat of paint, replace them with new fixtures that are in line with the neighborhood decor.
Paint the curbs. Painting the curbs white or yellow is a nice touch, unless it makes the curbs clash with neighboring properties or isn’t allowed by the homeowner’s association. You can also paint the address on the curb. Use stencils; don’t try to freehand it unless you’re an artist. Use a high-quality enamel paint designed for concrete.
Replace the mailbox. A new black or white mailbox with gold lettering for the address is a nice touch.

Figures 15-3 and 15-4 reveal the dramatic effects that a little tender loving care can have on the exterior of a house. The homeowner added new windows, repainted the house white, and painted the trim black. (Notice the new plants, too; see the previous section for details on updating landscaping.)

© Jeremy Goodell

FIGURE 15-3: No house hunter would want to stop at this house for a closer look.

© Jeremy Goodell

FIGURE 15-4: After a few affordable touch-ups, the house is a real attention getter.

Take a photo of your house and the neighboring houses to your local paint store and ask for recommendations on which colors to use. You want your house to stand out without clashing with neighboring homes. A medium-grade paint should be good enough. Paint the garage and fence while you’re at it.

For more on making extensive repairs to a house’s outside shell, see Chapter 16.

Touching Up the Interior

A home’s exterior draws buyers in, but the appearance of the interior ultimately sells the home. For a quick flip, you’re not doing any major remodeling. The goal here is to make the interior appear clean and properly maintained. In the following sections, I walk you through the process of preparing the interior of the house for prospective buyers. I begin with general repairs and renovations and then focus on a few key areas to ensure that you don’t overlook anything that’s really important.

Revitalizing the entire interior

Some repairs and renovations apply exclusively to certain rooms in the house. When you’re looking at the countertops, for instance, you’re in the kitchen or the bathroom. Other repairs and renovations apply to just about all the rooms in a house. Here’s a quick rundown of what my crew and I typically do on a quick flip to every room in the house:

De-junk the house. Every house I’ve flipped is like a storage shed full of junk and debris. Call a rubbish company, ask the company to deliver a roll-off dumpster, and pitch the debris. Tear out the carpet, clean out the garage and attic, and toss any trash that stands in the way of your work. You can also pitch your landscaping trimmings.
Clean and polish. After you eliminate the junk, gather your vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies and scrub the house from top to bottom. Perform the following tasks:
- Wash the windows.
- Vacuum or sweep away any cobwebs, especially near the ceiling.
- Wash the drapes, have them professionally cleaned, or replace them.
- Scrub the sinks, toilets, baths, and showers.
- Vacuum out the closets and cabinets.
- Apply fresh contact paper to any shelves inside the closets and cabinets.
Apply a fresh coat of paint. The best way to make the interior look and smell like new is to apply a fresh coat of paint. When painting, adhere to the following guidelines:
- Remove any hooks or nails and patch holes before painting. Walls should be smooth.
- Treat any stains with Kilz to prevent grease or mold from bleeding through the paint.
- Use water-based paint rather than oil-based paint for the interior.
- Paint the walls a neutral color using a flat paint — no deep purples, fire-engine reds, or lemon yellows. Flat paint hides imperfections in the walls better than semi-gloss or gloss.
- Use white ceiling paint for the ceilings.
- Use semi-gloss white paint for the trim. If the trim is stained wood, don’t paint it. Clean the stain and then apply a fresh coat of shellac, if needed.
Install new window blinds. In a high-end market, shop for quality window blinds. In a low-end market, paper or vinyl blinds will do. White or cream is best. Keep the blinds closed about a quarter of the way to let in plenty of sunlight but prevent the house from appearing vacant.
Check and repair all doors and doorknobs. If a prospective buyer or agent has to wrestle with a sliding glass door, fiddle with a lock, or yank on a door to open or shut it, his frustration becomes the focus of attention. Make sure that the doors look good and open and close effortlessly:
- Clean and lubricate the tracks on sliding glass doors.
- Tighten any loose hinges and lubricate them if they’re creaky.
- If locks are sticky, lubricate them with powdered graphite or WD-40.
- If locks don’t work, change them. A locksmith can common-key all locks so that the same key unlocks the front and back doors.
- If doorknobs look crusty, polish them or swap them out.
- If a wooden door is warped to the extent that it won’t close, sand it down before painting it or have the door replaced (see Chapter 18 for more about replacing doors).
Update or add lighting. Replace old light fixtures with newer models designed to better illuminate the rooms. For example, if a room has a fixture that takes a single bulb, install a new fixture that has room for two or three bulbs. Follow these three guiding principles: Make it new, make it bright, and make them match.
Install new light switch and outlet faceplates. Old light switch and outlet faceplates look nasty against a freshly painted wall. Replace them with white or cream faceplates. If the switches or outlets themselves look bad or don’t work properly, replace them as well.
Check the light bulbs. Make sure all light fixtures have working light bulbs. If a fixture has more than one bulb, make sure all the bulbs match.
Swap out the register covers. Identify all register covers in the house, measure them, and then head out to your local hardware store to purchase new ones. Some register covers, especially those that sit in the floor, lift right out. Others simply require the removal of a few screws.

While you have the register covers off, vacuum as far into the ductwork as the hose can reach.
Clean exhaust fan covers and replace the fans (if necessary). Many kitchens and baths have exhaust fans that draw the dirty, greasy, often damp air out of the room. At the very least, clean the fan cover and fan blades thoroughly by spraying them with a strong grease cutter and wiping off the grease and dirt. If a fan isn’t working, replace it.

Before you start messing with a fan, make sure that the power is turned off. Some fans are automatic and may turn on when they sense humidity.
Install new smoke detectors. Buyers, agents, and inspectors often look at and test the smoke detectors, so you can avoid problems by installing new ones. At the very least, change the batteries and test every detector to make sure it works.
Replace the thermostat and doorbell. An old thermostat or doorbell can make even a new house look old. Replace them. Replacing a thermostat can be a little tricky, so consider hiring a heating and air conditioning specialist to do the job.
Re-carpet, refinish, or replace damaged or worn flooring. In nearly every house I flip, I tear out the old carpeting and install new carpeting in its place (assuming those rooms don’t have hardwood floors that I can refinish). Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Choose carpet and padding that’s suitable for your market: mid- to upper-grade for the high-end market or low- to mid-grade for the low-end market.
- Install the same carpeting throughout the house. Carpet salespeople often try to talk you into putting different colors in the bedroom so they can unload their remnants. Insist on using the same design and colors in every room. Use a neutral color (don’t get creative).
- If you plan on flipping several houses, consider buying carpet in bulk — by the roll — to save money. My carpet company allows me to buy in bulk and then stores the carpet for me in its warehouse.
- Don’t cover hardwood floors! Unless the wood is severely damaged, have the floors professionally sanded and refinished. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can seriously damage a wood floor.
- If a good scrubbing doesn’t make a vinyl or tile floor look like new, install new flooring. Your choice depends on your market and your pocketbook.
See Chapter 18 for details about redoing hardwood, vinyl, or tile flooring.

Updating the kitchen

You don’t have to remodel a kitchen to make it look new. For pocket change and a moderate amount of labor, you can update the kitchen to give it a whole new look. Consider the following affordable updates:

Install a new stainless-steel sink.
Install a new faucet. Nothing makes a kitchen look more dated than an old faucet.
If the countertop looks old or crusty, have it replaced.
Short of replacing the cabinets, you can refinish them or add new hardware — knobs and handles.

New kitchen appliances can enhance the appearance of the kitchen, but now you’re talking big bucks. In most cases, if your profit margin is strong enough and the house is without major kitchen appliances (dishwasher, refrigerator, and range) or the existing appliances are ugly or in disrepair, you should buy new or gently used ones. Scratch-and-dent sales and appliance outlets are great for appliance replacement. First-time home buyers often don’t have enough cash to purchase these appliances after purchasing the house, so they need a house that comes fully equipped. If the house has ugly, smelly appliances or the appliances don’t work, and you don’t have the profit margin to cover the expense, then do without — no appliances are better than broken-down appliances.

For a more extensive discussion of kitchen renovations, see Chapter 17.

Spending quality time in the bathrooms

A bathroom can be the scene of some pretty nasty business, yet everyone expects it to look sparkling new. Fortunately, as long as the sink, tub, shower, and flooring are in pretty good shape, you can rejuvenate a bathroom with a reasonable amount of cash and in a reasonable amount of time. Following are some bathroom essentials:

Install all new fixtures, including a faucet for the sink, a new showerhead, a new handle on the toilet, and new drain covers and plugs.
Replace the toilet seat. For a little over 20 bucks, this small update makes the toilet look brand new.
Replace old towel hangers.
If the bath or shower has a curtain, at the very least, replace the curtain. If you’re a little more ambitious, install glass shower doors.
Remove old caulk and apply a fresh bead around the edges and base of the tub or shower, around the sink, and around the base of the toilet.
You may need to replace wall tile, but if it’s in fairly good shape, hire a company that specializes in grout restoration (a “grout doctor”) to rejuvenate it; some carpet-cleaning companies offer this service.
If the bathtub looks like a breeding ground for bacteria and vermin, get it re-glazed for a few hundred dollars.

See Chapter 17 for full details on redoing the bathrooms in your flip.

Modernizing the bedrooms

A bedroom is a box with lights and outlets, so if you already painted, installed new light fixtures, replaced the faceplates, cleaned or replaced the window dressings, and re-carpeted, you’re pretty much done. (See the earlier section “Revitalizing the entire interior” for details on these tasks.)

The only item you may have missed is the closet. Check out the closet to make sure that it looks clean inside. If it has sliding doors, make sure that they stay on the tracks. Check the hanger bar to see whether it’s sturdy, and if it’s not, fix it. If the closet doors have removable handles or other hardware, you can often make them look like new by swapping out the hardware.

If you want to boost the storage space in the closet without knocking out any walls, install a closet organizer. A closet organizer can nearly double the amount of clothing and shoes you can shove in a standard closet. For about $100 at your local hardware store, you can buy a kit that contains everything you need for a closet organizer, along with complete instructions.

Making the basement look livable

A finished basement can be anything from a simple, open, multi-use area to an entirely separate flat complete with a bedroom, living room, bath, and kitchen. To quickly update it, follow the instructions earlier in this chapter.

If the house has an unfinished basement, on the other hand, it can be anything from a clean, dry storage area to a dank, mud-floor cave. However, an unfinished basement doesn’t have to look like a dungeon. With some deep cleaning, a little paint, and fresh insulation, it can look more like a very sanitary morgue. Consider the following affordable basement enhancements:

Sweep the cobwebs out of the rafters. (You can paint the rafters black, as I explain in Chapter 19, to open up the ceiling.)
Dust off any ductwork, pipes, or wiring.
Tack up any dangling cables, but be careful if they’re electrical wires.
Seal all cracks in the walls.
Whitewash concrete or cement-block walls with a sealing paint. Not only does this effect look clean, but it also provides a moisture barrier.
Paint the floor using a gray or beige (depending on the color scheme of the house) enamel paint. Indoor/outdoor carpeting is another option.
Install new glass block windows.
Buy a roll of insulation and stuff pieces of it between the joists where the joists meet the outside wall. If these areas are already insulated, tear out the old insulation and install new.

Painting the basement not only makes it look neat and clean but also adds a fresh-painted smell to a room that may otherwise smell musty. Another great way to keep the basement smelling fresh is to run a dehumidifier around the clock. (Be sure to eliminate the source of the moisture first and remove the dehumidifier before showing the house.)

Attending to the furnace and hot water heater

You can’t do much to make pipes or electrical wiring look more attractive, but you can enhance the appearance of several mechanicals in the home:

Change the furnace filters. New filters decrease the amount of dust floating around, and if the buyer, an agent, or an inspector happens to peek inside the furnace, she sees that the house is being properly maintained. If you had the furnace recently repaired or inspected, attach the paperwork to the outside of the furnace.
Clean and sanitize the ductwork. If the home has forced-air heating, hire a company to clean and sanitize the ductwork.
Clean or replace the hot water tank. If the hot water tank is relatively new and still works, clean it up so it looks like a freshly waxed car. Vacuum any dust or rust first and then wipe the hot water tank down with a household cleaning solution and dry it thoroughly. If the water tank is ugly, damaged, or more than ten years old, have it replaced.