Flipping a home is one of the most common ways to get started in real estate investing, but if it’s not done correctly, it could cause more time and money than it’s worth. You wrote a strong offer, the sellers have accepted the offer, and now you have to decide what to do next while avoiding major mistakes or setbacks.
Let’s look at three of the most common mistakes for first-time home flippers.
Not Doing Proper Research/Developing A Plan
Many assume flipping a home is easy; the most challenging part is finding the home, right? Wrong. You need to do a lot of research upfront to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Take some time to develop a plan so you know exactly what projects you want to complete and the estimated timelines for each one. Remember, there will be some setbacks, but having a plan from the beginning will help with your overall expectations.
Underestimating The Amount Of Time It Will Take
Flipping a home can be very time-consuming, and it’s not something you can do as a part-time job. Finding a home can take months, and renovating the property can take longer, depending on potential delays. After that, you must complete inspections before selling it to ensure everything is up to code. Once it’s on the market, it could take months to sell again. Don’t think this will happen overnight; it takes a lot of time if done correctly.
Not Having Enough Money
There’s more to flipping a home than just having money for the home and the renovations; you will need to make mortgage payments, pay property taxes, and often pay homeowner’s association fees, depending on the location. Keep in mind, you will also need to pay for utilities and any additional maintenance that’s needed while you’re renovating the property. Not to mention, if you have delays or setbacks, that could mean additional money out of your pocket to fix the mistakes. Make sure you have enough money saved up before getting started, or you could have major issues down the road.
Rental properties can be great investments to add to your portfolio if done correctly. If you have any questions or need recommendations on how to get started, reach out to us! We are always here to help.