3593: Does Remodeling Pay Off - Probably Not by Sam of Financial Samurai on Real Estate Investing

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[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_01] This is Optimal Living Daily. Does Remodeling Pay Off? Probably not. By Sam of FinancialSamurai.com. And I'm Justin Malek. On Sundays, I share an extra episode from another podcast in our Optimal Network. And today's comes from Optimal Finance Daily. Please do follow Optimal Finance Daily wherever you're listening to this to support this show. It helps a lot. But for now, let's get right to the bonus episode and Diana's commentary as we optimize your life.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_00] Does Remodeling Pay Off? Probably not. By Sam of FinancialSamurai.com. Are you thinking about remodeling your home in this hot real estate market? What you must realize is that oftentimes, remodeling does not pay off. In other words, remodeling does not recoup 100% of the cost of the remodel. Therefore, you need to be strategic.

[00:01:53] [SPEAKER_00] I've remodeled seven times before across multiple properties I own in San Francisco. Let me give you some perspective on remodeling so you can get maximum profit. The Remodeling for Profits Fallacy In the article, How to Make a Lot of Money in Real Estate, focus on expansion. One of the questions was on whether remodeling really recoups the cost and provides such a large return.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_00] One of the biggest fallacies homeowners have is thinking whatever they spend on remodeling will automatically bring them great returns when it comes time to sell. I used to think this way as well until I started remodeling and property expanding myself. Let's be clear. Almost all property remodeling does not recoup the cost spent remodeling based on national averages.

[00:02:44] [SPEAKER_00] Only in super expensive cities does remodeling sometimes bring an extra value to a sale because time is more valuable to higher income buyers. In such cases, home buyers in places like San Francisco, London, or New York may be willing to pay a premium to avoid the hassle of remodeling. In order to create more value, remodeling or renovation must include expansion.

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_00] Do not confuse remodeling with expansion. Remodeling Cost and Return At no point since the year 2003 has value exceeded cost when it comes to remodeling. The trend has actually declined from a high of around 80% in 2005 to just 65% in 2015.

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_00] In other words, the average total renovation recoups only 65% of the total cost it takes to renovate. A negative 35% is a bad investment. One of the reasons for the decline in returns is because input costs have increased faster than sales price or value. Everything from wood, copper, and steel have all shot up in price.

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER_00] Whereas housing went through a tumultuous time in 2007 to 2011. I suspect the recovery percentage will start flatlining and then rise as home prices continue to rebound nationwide. The cost approach for property appraisers is one of the keys to assessing the value of a home during a refinance or a purchase where a mortgage is required.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00] I just got my uniform residential appraisal report back for my latest mortgage refinance. And the 22-page report uses three methodologies. Number one, sales comparison approach. Number two, cost approach. And number three, income approach. The very fact that input costs keep rising is a big reason why property prices can't get too cheap.

[00:04:50] [SPEAKER_00] Once input costs, including labor, reach selling prices, builders will stop building and prices will rise again due to lack of supply. Despite the decline in returns for remodeling, remodeling is not primarily about making a return. Remodeling has more to do with living a nicer lifestyle. Do you want that nicer porcelain tile? Do you want some new fixtures or a white marble slab?

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_00] How about a steam shower with nice brushed nickel finishes? In essence, remodeling can be deemed a want and not so much an investment to make money. Times when remodeling a home can create big value. Number one, layout improvement. In my other house, I used to have three bedrooms on the top floor and only one full bathroom.

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_00] I decided to blow out a hallway closet and take a corner of a bedroom to create a second full bathroom. To the majority of the people out there, having a second full bathroom versus a hallway closet is more desirable. Improving an existing home's layout based on existing market trends can improve resale value, such as creating an open kitchen or a family room off the kitchen. Number two, when the house is just too old.

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_00] Renovating a fixer is also a great way to create value if you buy at the right price. If a house is still living in the 1940s but is in a great location, it's probably a good idea to renovate from top to bottom. Most of the money is made before purchase. In other words, know your price and walk away if it's not met. And number three, you've got a fancy designer.

[00:06:36] [SPEAKER_00] Some people pay up for a name brand designer to remodel their entire house with different materials. Maybe purple fuzzy walls behind glass pocket doors that lead to a wood floor kitchen or inn. Who knows? At the very high end, those who are paying for famous designers typically have so much money that they can pay for superfluous things. It's kind of like buying fine art.

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_00] There are designer showcase events at multi-million dollar San Francisco homes every year, for example. Remodeling with permits. If you plan to remodel your home one day, I highly recommend you remodel with permits as well. Getting permits will go on your home's 3R report, its report card. Future buyers can see that your remodels were done by licensed professionals and inspected multiple times by city inspectors.

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_00] Remodeling with permits adds tremendous value to your home if you plan to sell. Remodeling with permits also provides peace of mind for safety. Expand your property for maximum profits. Property expansion is about increasing livable square footage. When a home is marketed for sale, the most common metric is the home's size. Increase the livable square footage of the home and you increase the home's selling price. It's that simple.

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_00] Make sure you get all permits so that the legal work can be documented in your home's 3R report or the home's report card. That 3R report is a very valuable piece of paper when it comes time to sell. It's a much better use of funds to build a new bathroom that never existed before, rather than remodel an existing bathroom. In my case, I'm expanding an existing bathroom which lands in the middle of the two.

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_00] I wish I could just build a third bathroom, but that project will have to wait until I get the expansion plans approved for the back of the house. Please don't confuse remodeling with expanding if your primary goal is to make a return on investment. Remodeling is a lifestyle choice with generally negative returns. Property expansion can also be a lifestyle choice, but with a much higher probability of earning a profit when it comes time to sell.

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_00] People ask me all the time what I spend my money freely on because of my frugal habits. The answer is property. I love being able to spend money on living in a nicer place that also has the potentials to appreciate in value. That's a two-for-one special, also known as a two-for. As someone who gave up the daily grind in 2012, I spend a lot more time now at home.

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_00] You just listened to the post titled, Does Remodeling Pay Off? Probably not! By Sam of FinancialSamurai.com

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[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_00] This is a timely article for me as I'm in the midst of my first major home improvement since I bought my house in 2018. Now, I bought a flipped home where someone else went through the trouble of remodeling, and I know it didn't pay off for the previous owner. She bought this house for $50,000, and she sold it to me for $150,000.

[00:12:09] [SPEAKER_00] However, she lost $40,000 with her first contractor who completely botched the flip. She told me she basically had to start over with a new contractor. She also bought this house with the intention of renovating it and keeping it as a rental. But due to things not going as planned, the financials of keeping it as a rental property no longer made sense, and she sold it to me. I'm fairly certain she took a substantial loss,

[00:12:38] [SPEAKER_00] but I don't know the specifics. The benefit of buying a completely renovated house is that I've spent very little money on this house since I've lived here. Just some minor maintenance stuff here and there. However, with my Midwestern gentleman moving in, we have a need for more usable space in the basement. I currently don't use my basement for much because it's pretty damp down there. The house is over 100 years old, so this is typical.

[00:13:05] [SPEAKER_00] So now, I'm water sealing the basement, and it's only costing me $5,600. I don't think it's worth finishing the basement, but if it's water sealed, we'll be able to store things down there and have much more usable space. I also think it will make the house more appealing if I decide to sell it one day, as the company I'm using offers a lifetime guarantee that can be transferred to future owners. While my motivation for doing this has nothing to do with increasing the value of the home,

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_00] based on what Sam shared in this article, I think he'd approve of my decision. That should do it for another edition of Optimal Finance Daily. I'll be back tomorrow as usual, so I'll see you there on the Wednesday show where your optimal life awaits. I'm going to get to see you there on the Wednesday show where your optimal life is. Let's go.