How to choose a good fixer in Santa Clarita?

There are many opportunities for buying a good fixer upper house in Santa Clarita. I have helped purchase fixer houses in Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, Castaic, Valencia and even in the most affluent areas of Stevenson Ranch. When choosing to buy a fixer-upper house or fixer house to rehabilitate it is best to first decide whether you are buying it for either the purposes of renting it out or flipping it and reselling it after the repairs are made.

It is usually best as an investment to find least desirable house in the best neighborhood. It is important to work closely with a local Santa Clarita Realtor to help you determine the true market value of the property in its repaired condition and what its rental value would be if you are considering renting it out. Next you must determine the expenses that would be involved to repair the property and rehabilitate it. A house is only a bargain if the cost of repairs are not so excessive that it costs much more to repair the house than what the market value of the house would be onece the repairs are completed

Usually the easiest type of house to repair would be a “cosmetic fixer.” This would be a house that looks “ugly” so it is not bringing a high price to the seller. However, when you calculate the repairs for flooring, paint, wallpaper, gardening etc, the house would not be very expensive to fix up, just time, effort and a little elbow grease on the part of the buyer. These types of houses can be great finds and once fixed up can bring a nice profit as a sale or as a rental.

When remodeling any type of house in Santa Clarita, including a fixer you must be careful in determining your return on investment or how much money it will take on repairs to yield a higher profit on the sale of the house.

It is generally agreed by most real estate and contracting professionals that the greatest return on investment would be to remodel the kitchen, bathrooms and add or remodel a home office.

• One of the best ways to start is by asking friends, neighbors, coworkers and people who you know such as your Realtor, mechanic, plumber etc for some recommendations of contractors who work in the Santa Clarita area.

• Next you should find out if any complaints were lodged against the contractor from the State licensing board or if he is in good standing.

• You should also ask the contractor not only for references but also for properties that he has worked on where the owners would be willing to allow you to visit their properties to see his actual work. A contractor should be willing to provide you with references. Satisfied clients usually are very happy to allow a future customer of their good contractor to come by and see the work he has performed, if that is a problem then I would not use that contractor.

• It is also a good idea to see if the contractor carries insurance for any accidents that may happen to his employees or subcontractors during the job so that you are not held responsible as the home owner.

• Take your time in choosing wisely and interview several contractors, don’t necessarily go for the “cheapest” since you usually get what you pay for but don’t allow yourself to be “rushed” in deciding. You should only pay a small deposit up front and “pay as you go” for the job and materials involved.