This was great! Would love to see more walkthroughs and pointing out high ROI/low ROI fixes, and other things to look for or avoid when buying a rental
In some venues, the number of "rooms" you can advertise depends on having doors. If you can't close a door to separate a space--you can't advertise it is another room. More commonly a problem in pre-War buildings where large foyers and hallways can be used as a spare guest bedroom or office space, but not advertised as "rooms" because there are no doors to separate the areas.
Great video/subject! 1.All bathroom fans need to be checked for operation, if noisy, slow, binding, or sloppy,.....replace them! They can and will seize up and catch fire, I've seen it. 2.The door to the kitchen was a terrible idea, yank it out. 3.The half bath is ugly. 4.Lever handles on exterior doors are a plus, especially for seniors. 5.Clean traps and snake drains, you never know what the previous tenant washed with, or washed down the drain. Previous tenant had three dogs? I'll bet lots of hair in those pipes. Might save you a late night call out. 6.Replace batteries in those programmable entry locks annually. 7.Garages in the burbs are a huge bonus! Many families have more than two vehicles and some renters have a lot of sentimental junk that needs to be stored. An extra $50-$100/mo saves them from paying the storage places $200/mo. Also, I find that a single 15A circuit in the garage is a turn off. A couple of 20A circuits is a big deal to some folks. 8.That yard, fenced is a pet owners dream. I can't see anyone balking at extra fees for a pet, they have to be accustomed to it. Finally, that rental is easily worth the $1800 in that area.
Some people like to work in the garage and or work with a beer/beverage fridge and or heater. 15amps (1800w) is tripping pretty fast in any of those situations. Average space heater is 1200w and now your miter saw is making it cold and dark every time you pull the trigger. Even a single extra breaker is the difference between having a functional space maybe even as an office... And having a place to store the car. Having two or three might even allow an electric car charger
This was a GREAT Video - All these are wonderful tips. It was good to hear from both the contractor and a realtor/manager at the same time. Tip #7 - Good one - When you respect your home, the tenant respects the home. Tip #13 - Yes....long term tenants - they're the best. I like how you mention all the switches should be the same color throughout the home, not all mismatched, same with fans and light fixtures. Sorry - but that half bath was super tacky, I'd gut it also. I bought a duplex in 2010, north of Tampa Florida, Craftsman style, 1945. I live on one side a 2 bed/1 bath and rent the other side out - 1 bed/1 bath. It had been a rental for 50 plus years so it's certainly seen some wear & tear over the years. I have done some upgrades, mostly to the rental side since; income side comes 1st. I completely gutted the bathroom down to the studs and built it back up. The tub, sink and toilet were all different colors, they are all white now. I took out a large square sink cabinet and replaced with a pedestal sink, more room. I tiled around the tub, neutral 1' square tiles with a decorative boarder about 4 foot high. Same square tile on the floor. It looks so much better and worth the upgrades. (When I say "we", I mean I hired workers for the job/projects). I didn't do anything to the kitchen, has original cupboards but I like that they're original, thankfully they're in good shape, white. We're getting ready to do a few upgrades next month; new counters, handles, knobs, sink, faucet and light fixture. Floor tile was done 7 years ago and is still in good shape. My current tenant is a handyman and does remodels and renovations as his work. He's offered to do the upgrades/labor, at a reduced amount, I pay for materials/supplies. I have replaced all the windows, double pane, energy efficient, on the rental side. New exterior doors on both units.
@@SanbornConstructionGroup - I did hear him say it was a complete gut. The bath reminds me of one of the gaudy kinds you see in homes on the outside of Vegas! I wish you were in my area, I could sure use your expertise; of course I probably wouldn't be able to afford your company but sure would trust your work. TY
Man, I'd save the cost and keep things like that half bath as is so long as they are nice and well maintained. looks fine, aged sure, but age is nice in some instances, it's not a main or master bedroom bath, it's a side toilet, it can be a cool, retro one lol.
I would prefer no ceiling fans. They collect and spread dust, which I’m allergic to, plus some people do not dust them off or properly. When u do not dust a ceiling fan then turn the fan on dust will go every where. To me Fire places are a waste of money if u are using them to heat your house. Especially if the fire place is smaller than the room they are in. They will not be able to heat the whole room. Fire places and furnaces if not the right size will not be able to heat a room and whole house properly. The bigger the house and rooms the bigger the furnace and fire place needs to be. When people go camping and have a fire there is a reason they sit so close to the fire. The fire is in an open area. Which means the bigger the open area the bigger the fire needs to be to heat up the open area.
@SanbornConstructionGroup So how do they differ from a buyer? Is it exclusively investment capital? And if so, why are rent prices so unaffordable throughout north America? Someone told me the other day that our current model of tenancy is unsustainable and I'm trying to prove the opposite, but so far I've had trouble doing so.
What does a landlord do? Finds a tenant that needs a place to live and will hopefully pay on time and not damage their property. My last landlord who is still a personal friend is a great example. Dude came from poverty. Dude worked as a garage door installer managed to buy his first house. Rented it by the room while he lived in the basement. He now owns 5 rental homes and a personal home. Dude is legit. He rents fully furnished with big TV couches etc all u need is sheets and pillows. When the microwave blew he replaced it next day and left 10 bucks pinned to the fridge for my meal the other on destroyed. I got him set up with cameras and he took 200 off my rent for several months in a row. I can't speak for the guys in the video other than how I can hear them talking... But it certainly seems to me you're trying to build some case that all landlords are shit and.. Man you're just picking the shitty ones. There's personal accountability in everything. You need to pick somebody capable of respecting you. While you respect them and their investment. If you find that it really should be a symbiotic/mutually beneficial relationship. Big rental companies are usually not going to be though because that's corporate maximize profit at your expense. There are some really good private landlords out there though You just need to learn how to evaluate people. One more thing about my last landlord he would bundle it so everything was included. I went from starting over to 10 grand in the bank in a year. While making a max of 22 an hr that year and only at the end. Two and a half years in I moved to a private apt instead of by the room. I did so because I have got to the point where this still cost me the same percentage of my income as when I used to live for 650 and one of his rooms. I make 1.8times what I did years ago. This is kind of a tangent but part of being a responsible renter and adult in general is live within your means. If you aren't at a level where you can save something you're living outside your means. Having something saved allows you to make intelligent decisions like this landlord isn't going to respect me I need to move. I could have misread this but it sure looks like you want to tear apart the system rather than take responsibility for your actions within it. I literally started over from the street with out a car and in 3 years I have 30 grand in the bank
@@jingbot1071clearly they are a buyer. But they buy with the intent to rent or buy and then decide to rent. My last landlord grew up in poverty. He worked his way up as a garage and commercial door and gate installer. Managed to get a loan for his first house as just a standard buyer. Then he decided to finish the basement and rent off rooms in the ground and upstair floors. Until his renters were literally paying his mortgage and he still worked. He eventually bought 4 more houses to rent like that and a pretty nice house as his personal residence. Seems to me you want to like attack the wealth here or make some distinction. Landlord is one of the easiest ways you can have to be upwardly mobile / become that rich person. You just have to be a half decent person, work on your credit which is something anybody can do. Take responsibility for your actions. Find people to rent from you that will do the same. That dude didn't start out with millions of dollars or even enough to buy a house outright. He had a mortgage just like everybody else. And there's thousands to millions like him. With all varying levels of ethical behavior. That dude was hella solid. He did furnished rentals. So all you have to do is buy sheets and pillows. Kitchen and living room and even a bed was provided. I lived at his property for like two and a half years. Biggest issue I had was microwave blew up one day. The next day there was a brand new one with 10 bucks pinned to the refrigerator with a note that said sorry about your meal. Towards the end I helped him pick out and install cameras (I work tech) he gave me a couple hundred off rent for a couple months just for the help. First year I lived with him I made $45,000 between three jobs (only two at any given time but a lot of 60 hr weeks) because of that dudes rental model of by the room and all included.. I saved / put in the bank $9,000. I had literally started over with a junker car that year. I came from literally nothing but made choices that I needed to live within my means. I moved out of there half a year ago. Since then I've had that landlord to my new place and I sometimes hang out at his personal house. I started over 3 years ago and in large part due to how awesome he was I have 30,000 in the bank and I'm looking at buying my own home very shortly. It seems like you want to make this communist argument about abolishing personal property. Forgive me cuz there are assumptions here. But I'm here to tell you if you take personal responsibility and work your ass off you do have a chance. You also need to find someone that will respect you and respect them. You can't force someone to respect you and there are bad people out there. Part of personal accountability is good enough money so you can move if you have to. And that might mean living in a really shitty place for a little bit to do it.
There are certain cases where renting is more appealing than owning. I rent and am able to put more away for retirement than if I bought. But it will depend on your region. Where I live homes are usually $900k
@@SanbornConstructionGroup you guys likely just tear them out. Lamp lighter in Livonia was one of the last places get parts. But what a great electrical main panel, never need to up grade just add to the top.
This was great! Would love to see more walkthroughs and pointing out high ROI/low ROI fixes, and other things to look for or avoid when buying a rental
That’s a great idea! We can definitely do a high roi vs low roi video
In some venues, the number of "rooms" you can advertise depends on having doors. If you can't close a door to separate a space--you can't advertise it is another room. More commonly a problem in pre-War buildings where large foyers and hallways can be used as a spare guest bedroom or office space, but not advertised as "rooms" because there are no doors to separate the areas.
Great video/subject!
1.All bathroom fans need to be checked for operation, if noisy, slow, binding, or sloppy,.....replace them! They can and will seize up and catch fire, I've seen it.
2.The door to the kitchen was a terrible idea, yank it out.
3.The half bath is ugly.
4.Lever handles on exterior doors are a plus, especially for seniors.
5.Clean traps and snake drains, you never know what the previous tenant washed with, or washed down the drain. Previous tenant had three dogs? I'll bet lots of hair in those pipes. Might save you a late night call out.
6.Replace batteries in those programmable entry locks annually.
7.Garages in the burbs are a huge bonus! Many families have more than two vehicles and some renters have a lot of sentimental junk that needs to be stored. An extra $50-$100/mo saves them from paying the storage places $200/mo. Also, I find that a single 15A circuit in the garage is a turn off. A couple of 20A circuits is a big deal to some folks.
8.That yard, fenced is a pet owners dream. I can't see anyone balking at extra fees for a pet, they have to be accustomed to it.
Finally, that rental is easily worth the $1800 in that area.
There may be an ADA requirement for lever handles on doors. Needs to be looked into.
Some people like to work in the garage and or work with a beer/beverage fridge and or heater. 15amps (1800w) is tripping pretty fast in any of those situations. Average space heater is 1200w and now your miter saw is making it cold and dark every time you pull the trigger. Even a single extra breaker is the difference between having a functional space maybe even as an office... And having a place to store the car. Having two or three might even allow an electric car charger
Michigan now makes it illegal for a landlord to deny a new tenant who is section 8
Love these tips and walk through. Please do more walkthroughs on your Detroit properties.
We plan on it!
This was a GREAT Video - All these are wonderful tips. It was good to hear from both the contractor and a realtor/manager at the same time.
Tip #7 - Good one - When you respect your home, the tenant respects the home.
Tip #13 - Yes....long term tenants - they're the best.
I like how you mention all the switches should be the same color throughout the home, not all mismatched, same with fans and light fixtures.
Sorry - but that half bath was super tacky, I'd gut it also.
I bought a duplex in 2010, north of Tampa Florida, Craftsman style, 1945. I live on one side a 2 bed/1 bath and rent the other side out - 1 bed/1 bath.
It had been a rental for 50 plus years so it's certainly seen some wear & tear over the years. I have done some upgrades, mostly to the rental side since; income side comes 1st.
I completely gutted the bathroom down to the studs and built it back up. The tub, sink and toilet were all different colors, they are all white now. I took out a large square sink cabinet and replaced with a pedestal sink, more room. I tiled around the tub, neutral 1' square tiles with a decorative boarder about 4 foot high. Same square tile on the floor. It looks so much better and worth the upgrades. (When I say "we", I mean I hired workers for the job/projects).
I didn't do anything to the kitchen, has original cupboards but I like that they're original, thankfully they're in good shape, white. We're getting ready to do a few upgrades next month; new counters, handles, knobs, sink, faucet and light fixture. Floor tile was done 7 years ago and is still in good shape. My current tenant is a handyman and does remodels and renovations as his work.
He's offered to do the upgrades/labor, at a reduced amount, I pay for materials/supplies.
I have replaced all the windows, double pane, energy efficient, on the rental side. New exterior doors on both units.
Thank you! We may not have said it in the video but the plan for the half bath is a full gut so we plan on redoing it all.
@@SanbornConstructionGroup - I did hear him say it was a complete gut. The bath reminds me of one of the gaudy kinds you see in homes on the outside of Vegas! I wish you were in my area, I could sure use your expertise; of course I probably wouldn't be able to afford your company but sure would trust your work. TY
Man, I'd save the cost and keep things like that half bath as is so long as they are nice and well maintained. looks fine, aged sure, but age is nice in some instances, it's not a main or master bedroom bath, it's a side toilet, it can be a cool, retro one lol.
First shot of the front of that house i knew exactly what city it was in growing up there
Awesome!
Would be cool to see start to finish Timelapse of renovating one of these houses, keep it up!
We’re working on it now!
I would prefer no ceiling fans. They collect and spread dust, which I’m allergic to, plus some people do not dust them off or properly. When u do not dust a ceiling fan then turn the fan on dust will go every where.
To me Fire places are a waste of money if u are using them to heat your house. Especially if the fire place is smaller than the room they are in. They will not be able to heat the whole room. Fire places and furnaces if not the right size will not be able to heat a room and whole house properly. The bigger the house and rooms the bigger the furnace and fire place needs to be.
When people go camping and have a fire there is a reason they sit so close to the fire. The fire is in an open area. Which means the bigger the open area the bigger the fire needs to be to heat up the open area.
Same here! I’d rather pay the extra money for using a window unit in summer. Ceiling fans are a nuisance.
Lmaoo@RIP Little Buddy 🤣🤣🤣 Good Video fellas!
Thank you! 🤣 🕷️
I was surprised by the custom cat door, that would ensure never getting your security deposit back where I live.
Good and informative. Very good. Thanks for the video.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you!
Swapping out the porch supports in front wouldn't cost that much and would increase curb appeal A LOT. Current ones make the house look very dated.
It may, but it’s a rental, so not necessarily a good return on the spend.
What does a landlord actually DO, though?
Serious question.
Provides housing for those the bank won’t qualify or for who doesn’t want to handle expensive repairs
@SanbornConstructionGroup So how do they differ from a buyer? Is it exclusively investment capital? And if so, why are rent prices so unaffordable throughout north America?
Someone told me the other day that our current model of tenancy is unsustainable and I'm trying to prove the opposite, but so far I've had trouble doing so.
What does a landlord do? Finds a tenant that needs a place to live and will hopefully pay on time and not damage their property. My last landlord who is still a personal friend is a great example. Dude came from poverty. Dude worked as a garage door installer managed to buy his first house. Rented it by the room while he lived in the basement. He now owns 5 rental homes and a personal home. Dude is legit. He rents fully furnished with big TV couches etc all u need is sheets and pillows. When the microwave blew he replaced it next day and left 10 bucks pinned to the fridge for my meal the other on destroyed. I got him set up with cameras and he took 200 off my rent for several months in a row. I can't speak for the guys in the video other than how I can hear them talking... But it certainly seems to me you're trying to build some case that all landlords are shit and.. Man you're just picking the shitty ones. There's personal accountability in everything. You need to pick somebody capable of respecting you. While you respect them and their investment. If you find that it really should be a symbiotic/mutually beneficial relationship. Big rental companies are usually not going to be though because that's corporate maximize profit at your expense. There are some really good private landlords out there though You just need to learn how to evaluate people. One more thing about my last landlord he would bundle it so everything was included. I went from starting over to 10 grand in the bank in a year. While making a max of 22 an hr that year and only at the end. Two and a half years in I moved to a private apt instead of by the room. I did so because I have got to the point where this still cost me the same percentage of my income as when I used to live for 650 and one of his rooms. I make 1.8times what I did years ago. This is kind of a tangent but part of being a responsible renter and adult in general is live within your means. If you aren't at a level where you can save something you're living outside your means. Having something saved allows you to make intelligent decisions like this landlord isn't going to respect me I need to move. I could have misread this but it sure looks like you want to tear apart the system rather than take responsibility for your actions within it. I literally started over from the street with out a car and in 3 years I have 30 grand in the bank
@@jingbot1071clearly they are a buyer. But they buy with the intent to rent or buy and then decide to rent. My last landlord grew up in poverty. He worked his way up as a garage and commercial door and gate installer. Managed to get a loan for his first house as just a standard buyer. Then he decided to finish the basement and rent off rooms in the ground and upstair floors. Until his renters were literally paying his mortgage and he still worked. He eventually bought 4 more houses to rent like that and a pretty nice house as his personal residence.
Seems to me you want to like attack the wealth here or make some distinction. Landlord is one of the easiest ways you can have to be upwardly mobile / become that rich person. You just have to be a half decent person, work on your credit which is something anybody can do. Take responsibility for your actions. Find people to rent from you that will do the same.
That dude didn't start out with millions of dollars or even enough to buy a house outright. He had a mortgage just like everybody else. And there's thousands to millions like him. With all varying levels of ethical behavior.
That dude was hella solid. He did furnished rentals. So all you have to do is buy sheets and pillows. Kitchen and living room and even a bed was provided. I lived at his property for like two and a half years. Biggest issue I had was microwave blew up one day. The next day there was a brand new one with 10 bucks pinned to the refrigerator with a note that said sorry about your meal. Towards the end I helped him pick out and install cameras (I work tech) he gave me a couple hundred off rent for a couple months just for the help.
First year I lived with him I made $45,000 between three jobs (only two at any given time but a lot of 60 hr weeks) because of that dudes rental model of by the room and all included.. I saved / put in the bank $9,000. I had literally started over with a junker car that year. I came from literally nothing but made choices that I needed to live within my means.
I moved out of there half a year ago. Since then I've had that landlord to my new place and I sometimes hang out at his personal house. I started over 3 years ago and in large part due to how awesome he was I have 30,000 in the bank and I'm looking at buying my own home very shortly.
It seems like you want to make this communist argument about abolishing personal property. Forgive me cuz there are assumptions here. But I'm here to tell you if you take personal responsibility and work your ass off you do have a chance. You also need to find someone that will respect you and respect them. You can't force someone to respect you and there are bad people out there. Part of personal accountability is good enough money so you can move if you have to. And that might mean living in a really shitty place for a little bit to do it.
There are certain cases where renting is more appealing than owning. I rent and am able to put more away for retirement than if I bought. But it will depend on your region. Where I live homes are usually $900k
Where can i find his rentals ?
What did that turn cost to get done?
Ours I believe was 40k ish but I’m not sure about the other
Widowmaker never need to upgrade, detroit special.
This actually isn’t in Detroit
@@SanbornConstructionGroup I know, east side. Just miss my widowmaker.. Mine was inner belt
@@SanbornConstructionGroup you guys likely just tear them out. Lamp lighter in Livonia was one of the last places get parts. But what a great electrical main panel, never need to up grade just add to the top.
🎉
🎊 🎊
Will we see the aftermath of your work ?
The dude in the shorts definitely hasn’t built anything in his life just piles up stuff for others to do
That really comes off as projection 😬
Ahhhh the coveted “renters are subhuman trash” video.
10:38 I really like this guy's observations as a landlord. Seems like it's obviously a business for him but also a source of great pride.