DESIGN POINT
DIY REHAB
removing nails seamlessly and easily. Simply position the wood block beneath the hammer and angle the claw so that it slides under the nail. This will give you better leverage for a smoother removal while protecting paint and wood finishes. When you’ve finished removing the last guy’s permanent lighting solutions, make sure that you do not end up having to do it again when your next tenant moves out. “Include de- tails about what types of holiday decorations are acceptable, when they can go up and down, how they can be fixed to the home, and who is responsible for any related fines and fees,” said Liberatore. “Put it in your lease for the best protection!” In many hot markets, investors are finding that they must rehab and renovate increasingly older properties to get the margins they need in order to be profitable on their deals. Because older homes were built, literally, during a different era, they often do not have the “flow” that today’s homeown- ers want in their properties. “The first step is to really spend time in a space and think about how the buyer and their family might use it,” said Erin Shipps, creator, executive producer, and host of Kansas-City Based web series ShowMe Renova- TOUGH FIX #3: BAD “FLOW” TOOL ON HAND: COLOR PALETTE
3 Insider Tricks for DIYRehabbers SOMETIMES, THE RIGHT TOOL IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.
on the ceiling, a hair dryer will usually take them right off,” said Jan Britt, 2017 Think Realty Educator of the Year and owner of Jan Britt Interiors. Before you invest in paint remover or anoth- er chemical-based “goop-remover,” simply apply some gentle heat to those aged-on decorations and watch them drift gently to the floor (or at least give way after some gentle peeling). TOUGH FIX #2: “PERMANENT” HOLIDAY DECORATIONS TOOL ON HAND: HAMMER AND WOOD BLOCK If the former owner of your property had a passion for lighting up the night during the holidays (or even all year ‘round), then the odds are pretty good that at some point in time, they decided to make those outdoor Christmas lights “permanent” using a hammer and nails. Even if they did not necessarily leave this holiday cheer lit all year long, you are going to need to get those fairy lights down before you finish your rehab. And no, you can’t just turn them on and pretend Christmas has come early! “A lot of neighborhood associations have rules about when decorations can go up, how long they can stay up, and when they must be taken down,” said Think Realty Coach Linda Liberatore, owner of SecurePayOne and Think Realty’s 2017 Property Manager of the Year. But how to remove those nails without destroying the look of wood walls on the exterior or interior of the home? Turns out, a nail and a block of wood will go a long way toward
tion. “There is so much to be said for function and flow, and investors can spend a lot of time jumping from one house to the next. You want your rehab to make sense when you’re done,” she said. Worried we’re about to tell you to knock down some walls? Don’t
by Carole VanSickle Ellis
elsh-born poet George Herbert once wrote, “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” While the 17th-century poet and minister was likely speak- ing of spiritual matters rather than do-it-yourself real estate, his message could not better apply to the real estate investor ready to get their hands dirty and sink some solid sweat equity into a rehab project. In fact, more than a century later, Napoleon Hill, arguably the first author in the personal-success genre, cited Herbert and eventually (and inadvertently by all evidence) received popular credit for authoring the “better tools” quote itself in his groundbreaking book, Think and Grow Rich. But what about when the tools you have on hand seem insufficient to the task at hand? Think Realty talked to three of our experts in DIY improvements and design in order to W
demonstrate that the right tool for the job is nearly always closer than you think.
be! If you do not have the tools, experience, or financial wherewithal to open up some physical space, use a color palette of related colors in the same family (warm or cool) and
TOUGH FIX #1: GLUED-ON, GLOW-IN-THE-DARK STARS TOOL ON HAND: YOUR HAIR DRYER These days, these popular luminescent decorations grace most children’s bedrooms, but they are stuck to the wall with harmless “sticky putty” that is easily plucked off the paint and leaves no residue or damage. If you purchase a property that was built in the 1980s or 1990s, however, beware. Those stars are likely held in place by years of seriously strong adhesive that has done nothing but gain strength over time. Fortunately, your hair dryer will help you easily peel these stubborn constellations off the wall. “If you have stickers all over the walls, which is very common now, or little stars stuck
make sure that any color in your sightline in one room from another works well with the colors in both rooms. Shipps also suggests being brave about wall color. “I love good bold color in my spaces. If you’re not confident in your color picking ability, consult an interior designer,” she said. •
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