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Apr 2025
36m 38s

Home Renovation Q&A: Permits, Building a...

BIGGERPOCKETS
About this episode

Does your rental property need some updating? Maybe you’re buying a house with unpermitted work, and you’ve got to go back and fix a few problems. Or, this could be your first home renovation as you try to squeeze some sweat equity out of your property. Regardless of your situation, if you’re planning a home renovation, you’ll need to know how to do a few things: build a scope of work, pull permits, manage contractors, and ensure the job is actually getting done. We’ll help you do all of those today!

We’re taking questions from the BiggerPockets Forums today and answering topics like:

What to do when your home has unpermitted renovations

How to analyze your first rental property or house hack

How to build a scope of work to ensure you get the HIGHEST appraisal value

The best way to check in on renovations, especially if you’re investing out-of-state

Some of these seem tricky if you’re a first-time investor, but don’t worry, ANYONE (even a newbie) can handle a home renovation IF you take the right steps and follow our suggestions.


In This Episode We Cover:

Should you EVER buy a house with unpermitted renovations? And how to get permits retroactively 

How to analyze your first rental property (or house hack) to make sure it’ll pencil out

Building a scope of work (SOW) so you have a bullet-proof renovation plan 

How to check in on your home renovation if you’re investing from a distance 

The one contract contingency to add IF you’re worried about renovations the seller made 

And So Much More!


Links from the Show

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Apply to Be a BiggerPockets Real Estate Guest

Get Early Bird Tickets to BPCon2025 ($100 Off!)

BiggerPockets Real Estate 1103 - April 2025 “Upside” Update: Making a BIG Change to My Portfolio (Cashing Out)

Real Price of Gold

Try REsimpli, The Only All-In-One Real Estate Investor CRM Software That Helps You Manage Data, Marketing, Sales, and Operations

BiggerPockets Forums

BiggerPockets Calculators

BiggerPockets Market Finder

Real Estate Rookie Podcast

Resource Hub

Maximize Your Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA from Equity Trust

Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums

Ready for Your First Home Renovation? Grab “The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs”

Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Real Estate Newsletter

Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area

How to Renovate a House—Whether You’re Renting, Flipping, or Moving In

Connect with Ashley

Connect with Dave



Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1107

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