3 Ways to Streamline Any Rehab

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3 Ways to Streamline Any Rehab

May 12, 2016

By Tarek El Moussa

Over the years that we’ve been fixing and flipping houses, Christina and I have learned a lot about the whole process. When I look back at our first flips, I can’t help but laugh at how much time we took and how many mistakes we made. I’m always afraid that people will remember me for that time I tried to fill in a pool with rubble from the yard of a flip we were selling on TV. I’m so glad our contractor stepped in, but I’m still embarrassed about that bonehead maneuver.

A lot of new house flippers make a lot of the same mistakes. They try to cut corners, and they try to do things themselves that would get done a lot faster and better if they let the pros handle them. Since we’ve been teaching our Success Path Education workshops, Christina and I have done a lot of reflecting on how we got started, the mistakes we’ve made, and how we do things differently now. That’s why I’ve put together a list of ways to streamline any rehab project to get it done faster so that you can get it on the market and ready to sell.

Design While You Demo

If you’ve ever watched our show on HGTV, it might look like Christina and I do our design work on the fly while we’re doing our rehabs, but that’s really not the case. Christina does all of the designing for our fix-and-flip properties, and she’s very methodical about it.

After we’ve gotten into the house and had a look around, Christina will usually start designing the new layout and all of the rehabs while our demolition crew goes to work. This way, we’re working on two things at once, and when the demo guys are done, we can immediately talk to our contractor or project manager so that they can get their guys working fast.

Let Your Contractor Buy Their Own Materials

Okay, so this is a rule that we break sometimes because Christina has a great eye for materials and can find some really great discounts on high-quality countertops, flooring, etc. If you aren’t experienced with buying these kinds of things, don’t waste your contractor’s time and your money by insisting on buying them all yourself. Let them buy their materials, and you’ll have a much faster and more streamlined process.

You can make specific exceptions if you find good deals on countertops and other key materials. Just tell your contractor that you’re going to take care of finding X, Y, and Z, and that they can buy the rest (with your approval and/or in your budget for the job).

Stay Out of the Way

Finally, I know how hard it can be not to micromanage a rehab project. You want to know that everything is being done on time and up to your standards, and it can be tempting to camp out on the job site and look over workers’ shoulders. Don’t do that. You’ll just annoy your contractor and his crew, and they’ll take longer to get the same work done. When you’re not needed on the work site, get out of the way and go do something productive—like filling your lead funnel or talking to motivated sellers.

They may seem simple, but you might be surprised at how many new flippers ignore these three tips and unintentionally make their rehabs slower and more costly. Don’t make life harder on yourself—streamline the process by following these tips.

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Tarek El Moussa

Tarek and Christina El Moussa have over a decade of professional real estate experience and have been featured in national print publications, online media outlets, and a popular real estate TV show. Tarek is known for his determination to get the job done and doing it right.