logo
episode-header-image
Apr 11
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

Join BiggerPockets for FREE

Let Us Know What You Thought of the Show!

Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums

BiggerPockets YouTube

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

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
2025 Long-Distance Investing Blueprint (Listen Before Buying)
Can’t make the numbers work in your local market? No worries—long-distance real estate investing is the natural next step. We’ve done it before, many times, and made the beginner mistakes, so you don’t have to. Now, we’re gearing up to do it again. Dave and Henry are heading out ... Show More
41m 2s
Jul 7
Replacing His Income with Rentals (in 3 Years!) by “Recycling” Money
In just three years, this investor scaled up to making over $100,000 per year thanks to real estate. He did it all starting in 2022 when interest rates were beginning to rise, the market was turning, and many investors decided to sit on their hands. Thanks to a strategy that allo ... Show More
40m 2s
Jul 4
How to Buy Real Estate Without Banks (Private Money Lending)
Can’t (or don’t want to) get a bank loan? We have another option for funding your real estate investments: private money lending! If your DTI (debt-to-income) is too high, you’ve maxed out how many mortgages you can get, or you need quick cash to finance a renovation, house flip, ... Show More
40m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
422: Rookie Reply: How to Invest with $100K & Managing Home Renovations
You have home renovations in the pipeline…but who’s going to manage them? Do you need the expertise of a general contractor, or can you manage tradespeople yourself? With so much at stake, including your budget and timeline, we’re here to help you make the right choice! Welcome b ... Show More
45m 13s
Jul 2024
434: Rookie Reply: Buying Your NEXT Rental & How to Save a Fortune on Renovations
Home renovation projects aren’t cheap, and it’s easy to let your budget spiral out of control if you’re not careful. Fortunately, we have several tips, tricks, and hacks that will help you save a fortune on your rehabs—from finding deals on materials to an investor hack that give ... Show More
43m 29s
Jul 2024
435: Transforming a Risky First Rental Into a Profitable Property by Doing THIS w/Noreen & Derek Eddy
If you’re holding out for the “perfect” deal, you’ll always be on the sidelines. Today’s guests weren’t afraid to take on a challenge with their first rental property, and it paid HUGE dividends. Not even an expensive market or extensive rehab could stop them from making money an ... Show More
50m 54s
Nov 2024
Investing in Real Estate WITHOUT a W2? How I Bought 3 Properties in 2 Years!
Can you start investing in real estate WITHOUT a stable W2 job? How will you get a loan? What happens if you have a fluctuating income? Are you completely out of luck? Not at all! Today’s guest, David Sladewski, proves that you can STILL invest in real estate no matter your age, ... Show More
44m 1s
Jul 2024
433: The Million-Dollar Real Estate Business YOU Can Start Today with Just $150 w/Brittany Hailey
Starting a real estate business is one of the best ways to achieve financial freedom, replace your W2 income, and leave your nine-to-five. Why? Because you don’t need a ton of money OR a rental property to get started. Today’s guest built a million-dollar business with just $150, ... Show More
52m 51s
Nov 2024
Quitting His Job with Real Estate After Cracking the Cash Flow Code
Want to quit your job with real estate investing? Rookie investor Miller McSwain has a strategy anyone can copy to make serious cash flow. This investing strategy is rookie-friendly and allows you to learn the real estate investing ropes while making serious money. Miller now has ... Show More
45m 11s
Jun 9
6 Rental Properties (in 2 Years!) While Working 9-5
Want to invest in real estate but fear you don’t have the time or energy? You DON’T need to quit your day job to build a cash-flowing real estate portfolio, and today’s guest is proof. In just two years, he scaled to six rentals (12 units) while holding down his nine-to-five—all ... Show More
40m 56s
Jul 2024
426: 6 Properties & Financially Free in Just 3 Years ($20K/Year from ONE Rental) w/Jayson Ewert
Do you dream of becoming a full-time real estate investor? Having the financial stability to leave your W2 job might seem like an eternity away, but if you start investing now, it doesn’t have to take as long as you think. Just ask today’s guest, who was able to achieve financial ... Show More
48m 10s
Aug 2024
240: BiggerPockets Real Estate Episode 1,000: Real Estate Is Changing, and So Is BiggerPockets
For the past 999 episodes of the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast, we’ve heard stories from investors who have achieved financial freedom through rental property investing. However, when we started this podcast in 2013, it was a different time. The housing market had crashed jus ... Show More
47m 42s
Feb 2025
7 Best (Beginner) Markets to Buy Rental Properties in 2025 (Rookie Reply)
Where should YOU invest in 2025? Stay tuned because we’re going to share our top seven real estate markets for buying rental properties this year. We’ll tell you why we like them, why they’re growing, and whether it’s worth moving there to invest!Welcome back to another Rookie Re ... Show More
41m 15s