Real Estate Help is at Hand and Home Renovations - On the Improve of Real Estate

Got a real estate renovation question? Who better to ask than Reno King Paul Eslick? Published in API January 2007 magazine in Australia.

Question: My home renovation involves pulling out a kitchen cabinet and a wall to create more open space at the back of our house. After much hunting around, I’ve found some terractotta tiles that look almost identical to the tiles already in place through the rest of the kitchen. However, these tiles are somewhat thinner than the originals. What’s the best way to lay tiles so I get a level end result?

Answer: I assume we’re talking about floor tiles here. Tiles that require padding for levelling purposes should be laid onto a finished correct height solid base which has been attached to the original floor with nails and glue. Tiles are then fastened as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. Reno Kings usually tile all their wet areas with 200mm x 200mm white tiles for a BBC room – bigger, brigher and cleaner!

Question: What’s the best approach to painting concrete path or driveway? Is any special preparation needed?

Answer: For unpainted surfaces, new concrete requires curing for at least 12 weeks before painting. All unpainted surfaces, new and old, need to be etched to give good adhesion. Mix one part spirit of salts to nine parts water and spread with a stiff broom until fizzing action has ceased. Repeat on smooth concrete surfaces, wash off and allow drying before painting.

For painted surfaces, scrape off all flaky paint and remove all contaminants like oil, grease etc. Sand smooth surfaces to rough for better adhesion. Paint a small section only and allow it to dry and then test compatibility with old paint, looking for signs like lifting. If poor adhesion is visible, remove old paint. If not, paint as per manufacturer’s instructions.

Painting concrete sounds harder than it actually is. The Reno Kings paint these surfaces often. It gives the house a left and dries in two hours. What a bonus instant equity!

Question: I’m currently renovating a Queenslander real estate property and will be sanding the paint off the old deck and recoating it to show off the natural timber. I’m unsure whether to use a decking oil or a lacquer. What would your recommend?

Answer: Maintaining a natural look of timber deck equates to a lot of challenges to both the timber and the coatings. Decking, either hardwood or treated pine laid horizontally, has weather and foot-abrasive traffic to contend with. For this reason, I’d prefer decking oils as they can penetrate better into the cellular structure of timber. Keeping the natural look will require the deck to be recoated every 12 months.

The Reno Kings love decks and so will your tenants! They add value and increase rents. Pay special attention to the condition of stairs and handrails. You don’t want your tenant having an accident.

Question: Do you have any tips on how to get tradespeople to turn up at the appointed hour?

Answer: It’s a sign of the times unfortunately. The tradespeople have too much work and not enough time to do it in and a small number of workers can tar the rest. Getting tradespeople for real estate renovations from the Yellow Pages without checking previous work ethics is fraught with danger. I suggest you only approach tradespeople reno real estate recommended by reliable sources. When you find a good tradesperson, pay the promptly and you’ll become a preferred client.

The Reno Kings are flexible. If one tradie is a no-show, we move into another area to kept the job going.

Question: I’d like to add a water feature to the front yard of my real estate investment property but don’t know where to start. Is this a project a DIYer can handle or does it call for a professional?

Answer: There are plenty of complete systems that can easily be assembled by anyone. Costs vary from $200 up to $800. My friend Tony at Bunnings says they’re big sellers and all stores regularly conduct free DIY installation classes.

The Reno Kings say be careful of money suckers on your real estate investment property. How much will the rent increase and the house revalue with a water feature? Not much. This sounds like an emotional project. Forget it!

Visit the Reno Kings at www.renos.com.au. Do you have a real estate renovation question? Email it to editor@apimagazine.com.au and we’ll answer it in a future issue of API. If you would like more Real Estate Renovation Tips and Checklists, please visit this link.
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Home Renovations | On the Improve of Real Estate

Australians are spending more on major real estate renovations than they have in two years, as resilient house prices, a strong labour market and high vacant land prices drive people to improve rather than move.

Home Renovators spent $891 million on major works in September 2006 quarter, up 5 per cent on three months earlier, according to the latest Renovations Monitor from the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

HIA chief economist Harley Dale said market conditions in real estate were making major renovations an appealing option. “This is especially the case at a time when land supply constraints, higher interest rates and unjustifiably high government-imposed costs are conspiring to make new real estate residential construction a less appealing option than it should be.”

The average cost of a major home renovation was $86,476 in September, up 3.1 per cent. However, Dale noted that the real estate renovations most susceptible to interest rates – ground floor and upper floor extensions – lost ground.

Published on Page 6 of the Australian Property Investor Magazine – February 2007.