Realty411 Magazine Featuring Lee Arnold from Cogo Capital | Page 62

Notice that the UNIT SF works  together with the COST (unit  price) to calculate the total cost, as  in this case for a new roof.  You  can easily contact a roofing  contractor in your area to get a  square foot cost to replace a roof. Here are the categories for the Exterior: 1. Roof 2. Gutters 3. Finish 4. Masonry 5. Painting 6. Windows 7. Garage 8. Landscaping 9. Concrete/Asphalt 10. Decks 11. Fence 12. Pool 13. Septic Here are the categories for the Interior: 1. Painting 2. Hardwood 3. Carpet/Vinyl 4. Kitchen cabinets, flooring, counter tops, electrical & plumbing 5. Appliances 6. Bathroom 7. Framing 8. Insulation 9. Walls 10. Doors & Trim 11. Basement 12. Foundation Mechanical 1. HVAC 2. Plumbing 3. Electrical hard money lenders will only  allow 5% overall contingency, so  in that case pad your line items to  include a sufficient contingency.  Other • Demo & Dumpsters • Termites/Mold • Permits 5) When doing major renovations, it is wise to get SKU numbers for your kitchens, bathrooms and mechanical items. Concluding Remarks 6) The best use of a detailed cost estimate is to assure that you have covered your bases to have a profitable project, and to convince your investor as a wholesaler of your accuracy and credibility. 1) The unit cost in our example is based on the San Francisco Bay area. They will need to be revised for areas that have substantially different cost structures. Input from local contractors submitting bids should make this possible. 2) In many markets around the country, sale prices are now declining. Therefore, it is critically important that rehab costs be estimated accurately, and an extra margin be added for safety. 3) Put a Yes/No column, and that way you can walk through a home in minutes and mark Y or N based on your observations.  When you leave you can then calculate the cost. 4) Make sure you add a 10% to 20% contingency to the total project to cover unknowns.  Some 7) Your cost estimator will also come in handy when you negotiate your final offer on a discounted property to assure profitability. I f this article has helped you,  please let the writers know. Feel free to also r equest other topics.   Readers c an  reach e ach  contributor by calling or simply   emailing  them directly: Gary Massari,  CEO REI Fortunes,  https://reifortunes.com 925­451­1619  [email protected]  Bruce Kellogg,  Real Estate Consultant,  [email protected] (408) 489­0131 cost estimator 62