10 House Flipping Items That Cost Less Than $20
If you want to Learn To Flip Houses, you need to make sure to make your money count.
House flipping can be an extremely expensive proposition. The average kitchen remodel costs around $20,000 and granite countertops are typically $50 per square foot. Properties themselves can cost upwards of $200,000 dollars.
Because of this, house flipping might not appear to be for people that are trying to pinch pennies. However, sometimes a few dollars can go a long way. You can often substitute an expensive solution with a cheap one.
If you want to learn to flip houses, you should invest in these cost-efficient items that can really make a difference.
10 Cheap Items To Help Sell Your House
Below are 10 essential items that can help you sell your property without killing your wallet. The combined total of all of the items on the list is only $106.
1. Bandit Signs - $1/Sign
When getting your name out, often times the most effective method is the use of bandit signs. You’ve probably seen bandit signs before around your town. They can be hung on telephone poles, street signs, lampposts, or even in a front yard.
The idea is communicate your message to other investors or sellers in the area. You might have a sign that says “We Buy All Properties – Any Condition”. Or if you’re selling, you could list the specific information of the property
However you decide to use them, make sure you find out the legalities of bandit sign use in the town you’re posting the signs in. Sometimes, the towns permit you (or simply don’t check) the use of bandit signs on weekends. Many house flippers will post the signs on Friday night and take them down on Sunday night.
2. Garden Hose - $15
A new driveway can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to pave. While a freshly paved driveway can really do wonders for the curb appeal, sometimes the cost is out of your budget.
If you want to evoke the same effect, you should always hose down the driveway before both taking the exterior photo for the house listing and hosting an open house
3. Mailbox Decal Numbers - $6/Number
At House Flipping School, we stress again and again the importance of buying a new mailbox, or painting an old one in a bright color. The mailbox is the first thing that the potential buyers will see when scoping out your property for the open house.
However, the mailbox is useless if the buyers can’t see the house number posts on it. A new mailbox decal is an extremely inexpensive way to make a big effect.
4. New House Numbers - $10/Number
Similarly, the metal or wooden house numbers secured to the front of the house are also very important. Not only will the potential buyers most certainly see them, they will look at them right when they are entering the house—potentially their own future home.
These numbers, along with a few other front door related accouterment, can go a long way.
Which brings us to our next item…
5. New Doorknob - $15
A new doorknob for your front door is essential for two reasons.
First, the doorknob is the first part of the house that the potential buyer will touch. This may seem insignificant, but it is actually quite important.
Research has shown that potential buyers don’t only consider the visual, rather, they use all five of their senses when recollecting the twelve or so houses they looked at. Maybe they don’t remember the doorknob specifically, but it attributes to the overall welcoming feeling they get from the house.
Second, after you purchase a new house, you will want to change the locks. By buying a doorknob, you replace the lock and kill two birds with one stone.
6. LED Walkway Lights - $4/Light
To enhance your curb appeal, you don’t have to get too fancy. Cheap solar-powered LED lights to line your walkway, lawn, or driveway can be quite effective.
They make the whole front yard seem more uniform and calculated, rather than untamed and wild.
7. Measuring Tape - $17
Before buying a property, you’ll want to comb the landscape, so to speak, and assess all of the different areas of the house. Quite frequently, this will include measuring the exact dimensions of each room by hand.
This way, you can give any potential contractors measurements ahead of time to get a more precise estimate for the cost of their work.
8. Faceplates For Outlets - $3/Plate
When designing a house, something that many experts will talk about is that you should make all of the rooms flow together. While a seamless hardwood floor is perhaps the best way to accomplish this, it might not be within your budget.
However, if you are consistent with the little things—the door hinges, doorknobs and wall trim—you can offer a similar effect. One of the cheapest accessories to add to every room is a new faceplate to each electrical outlet.
9. Cookie Dough - $15
As mentioned before, you should try to stimulate all of the buyer’s senses during an open house. Perhaps the most important (other than visual) is the buyer’s sense of smell.
Studies have shown that the smell of home made baked goods can trigger potential buyers, so that they remember that particular home in the future.
If you don’t believe any of that, at the very least you are offering a tasty treat to the potential buyers, and you might leave them feeling happy.
10. A Cheap Bottle of Wine - $20
Finally, if you want to bring something to the open house that’s a little more classy than baked goods, you could try pouring some wine into a set of glasses and offering it to your guests. You don’t have to go expensive either—cheap wine will do the trick (most people can’t taste the difference).
Or, maybe you could drink some wine to celebrate after your first successful house flip!
