In my long career of being a general
contractor turned investor, it has been my goal to teach people as many ways
as possible to get the highest quality work and results for the lowest
possible price. Bringing up the value of an investment property and creating
equity are two major factors in building wealth. More profit is lost in the
fix up cost of real estate than any other aspect of investing. Therefore
making a property look its best without losing your shirt is essential to
the rehab business.
One of the most common things I have run
across is kitchens and bathrooms with those old stained cabinets. To give
the house an inexpensive facelift, I use the following materials and
techniques to renew the cabinets to a fresh new and updated look. You may
also use these same techniques to do stained trim work, stained doors,
windows and paneling. I prefer a white semi-gloss look for updating older
homes and the new look can be done for under $100 if you do the following
steps from my Rehab 101 system.
First step is to remove all the doorknobs
or handles to the cabinets and drawers. Then get a good sponge or
cheesecloth and using white vinegar or distilled vinegar full strength,
clean all surfaces. This step eliminates oil from cooking over the years and
removes any greasy buildup on the surface.
Step two is to get a sanding sponge and
use some 200-grit sandpaper to lightly go over all surfaces. You are not
trying to remove the stain color, you are just taking the gloss off of all
the stained area. Once you are done with this, take a damp cloth or sponge
to remove any dust from your project.
The next step is to use an oil based
primer such as KILZ or BIN brand and give all surfaces to be painted a good
seal coat. This seals in any oils that will secrete through paints in time
if not primed right. After your primer dries we will use 100% acrylic latex
paint to go over all cabinets and drawers.
I want to stress that I always suggest
good quality paint, brushes and materials because you have not saved money
or time if you have to do a project twice.
O.K., with my quality brush and roller
nap (3/8 inch nap) I will cut in the brushed areas and roll the other areas
like normal painting, but here’s a great tip…I use Sherwin Williams Pro
Classic latex semi-gloss as my finish coat. The reason I choose to use the
Pro Classic is that no matter how it is applied, brush-roller or spray, it
is a self-leveling paint. What that means is that as it dries, it flattens
out smooth like an oil base paint and leaves a smooth look with no brush
marks.
My color choice is always white, because
clean white cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms make them look brand new and
also make the area look larger. Also since it’s latex, all my clean up is
with simple soap and water. Here’s another tip…if your ever having to prime
a surface or wall before painting, and your changing the color, have your
primer tinted ˝ strength of the color your finish coat will be tinted. This
eliminates an extra coat of paint trying to cover up white primer. Last,
replace all knobs and handles with fresh new hardware for great results,
saving hundreds over replacing old cabinets.
About the author:
Pete Youngs has been a general contractor/investor for almost twenty
years. For the past seven years he has taught a foreclosure rehab
bootcamp that he and his brother Tony had designed and together have
taught thousands from all over the U.S. and abroad. Pete has also
shared the stage at national conventions and seminars with all the
top names in their fields of expertise. He is also a highly sought
after speaker at real estate investment clubs seminars and
conventions. His expertise is teaching others how to rehab
properties for 50 to 75% below retail costs. He has authored many
courses, books, tapes and videos on the subject of rehabbing as well
as termite and property inspections.
Home Study Courses by
Pete Youngs
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