Rehab done! (pics of b4 and after)

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Not alot of fine woodworking, but enough sawdust was made let me tell you! :D

First off, I'd like to thank all of SMC for the advice and help I got along the way. I can't say I couldn't have done it without all of you,,but y'all sure made a lot of it easier and helped it turn out better!

We (my wife - aka: "The Crew") started this last Nov. We closed on the house the first week of 11/06. The tenants signed the lease the first week of 11/07. They had looked at another house we'd redone the pervious year (7/05 to 5/06), but really wanted a ranch style - the other was a two story colonial.
They asked if we had any other rentals, and we told them "not yet, but we plan to in the near future". They actually tracked us down via the Real Estate transfers in the local paper. When they saw our name pop up a few months after the transfer, they tracked down the address and kept checking in as work progressed.

Anyhow enough and on with the pictures.

Here's a couple of the kitchen and basement before and after.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
A couple of more of the additional room off the basement proper.
The before one shows it in the background.
The midway one gives a hint of something different going on as far as how the construction was done.
(more on that later)

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

A couple before and after of the upstairs bath.
I bought the cabinets for this project, but next time around I'll make them myself.

[Alex Carrera]

Really nice work Rich. Pretty nice for a rental! I own a duplex and live in one half rent the other. Just rehabbed the other side, but to nowhere near your standards.

[Jim Becker]

Very nice transformations, Rich. Thanks for sharing!

[David G Baker]

Rich,
Great job. You have inspired me to do a little bit of rehab on my basement.
I once flipped as well as rented a few houses in California. I found out that I came out way ahead by contracting the work out, getting the tenant in the house as soon as possible and was able to write the contractor work off on my taxes. That was pre-retirement when I had an income and was in a 33% tax bracket. If I did it now I would have to do the work myself.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Thanks for the kind words!
I posted a followup also that details it a bit more.

Re: being a rental - and also subbing out the work.

My wife and I enjoy doing the work - well - up to a point ;), this did get grueling from about mid August on, when we were putting in 35 to 50 hours a week on it, in addition to our regular 9 to 5 jobs.
It's also a learning process for later on when I "retire" and can do this pretty much full time.

The rental market is very competitive. We need an "edge" to compete with the other offerings. Our "edge" is to offer something a little nicer, in a "nice & quiet" neighborhood. Our thinking is that if we start out "nice", we can attract a better level of tenant that will take care of the property and stay long term.
So far it seems to be working.