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How to plan a 30-day flip with Three Birds Renovations

February 8, 2016 Leave a Comment

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By Lana Taylor (one-third of Three Birds Renovations)

Youโ€™ve all heard the clichรฉ that โ€œyou donโ€™t plan to fail, you fail to planโ€. Well, in the world of property flipping that couldnโ€™t be more accurate. And the most crucial thing to realise is that most of this planning has to take place before the house is even yours โ€“ in the settlement period (which usually takes about six weeks).

So for all you budding flippers out there, get your notepad and pencil out as I interview our Operations Guru-slash-Standover-Woman, Erin Cayless, to share the 10 steps to success when planning a 30-day flip. And even if youโ€™re not flipping a house, just renovating your own home, you might pick up some tips on how to make your reno as fast and painless as possible. Thereโ€™s nothing worse than a home reno that drags on ’til the cows come home — all that dust!!

river bennett photography 078

Lana: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PLANNING STAGE OF A RENO?

Erin: In my opinion it is the most important part of a reno. Without thorough and detailed planning, the reno will fall apart and run over budget. This is especially important if you are running the reno yourself to maximise your profit rather than paying a builder to do it.

Lana: WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO PLANNING A 30-DAY FLIP?

Erin: I think there are 10 main steps:

Step 1. Before buying the house, contact a local certifier to get the 149 certificate checked. This will confirm that the renos you want to do at that property, can be done e.g โ€“ a 149 will tell you if you are in a flood zone which could mean you need to get a DA (Development Application) and that could take months. That would be a showstopper for us as we are only interested in doing renos that are either Exempt or Complying Development as a CDC can get passed through council much more quickly.

Step 2. Assuming you get past step 1 and have purchased the house ie โ€“ exchanged contracts, you need to spend time at the property to work out exactly what changes you want to make. This will include drawing up a new floor plan. We hand-draw our plans using a pencil, ruler and rubber (itโ€™s easier and more enjoyable than you think). Remember, you donโ€™t actually own the property yet, as it hasnโ€™t settled, so you need to negotiate โ€œaccess visitsโ€ with the agent. On one of our projects, the house was already vacant and the owners were happy for us to spend as much time in the house as we wanted. This is the ideal scenario as it gives you maximum time for planning. If the house is still occupied, you should still get at least 2 access visits and if thatโ€™s the case, try and stretch them out to be several hours in duration.

Step 3. If your reno plans extend beyond replacing just fixtures and finishes you may need to engage a structural engineer. If so, meet them onsite to discuss your hand-drawn plans and see if they are possible. The engineer will tell you how much significant structural work will be required to meet your reno vision.

Step 4. Meet a builder on site to run through your plans. Share with him any feedback your engineer may have given you. Give the builder a written scope of work (which you may have adjusted during his visit) and ask him to come back with a quote. You should repeat this step with a few builders to get comparative costs. Once youโ€™ve received all the quotes from your builders, check to see if they are within your budget. Discuss with each builder if necessary โ€“ especially if you need to bring costs down. Appoint a builder.

Step 5. Engage a draftsman to draw up official plans for the certifier and ask your engineer to return to the site so he can prepare final drawings. Give the draftsmanโ€™s and engineerโ€™s plans to the certifier for the CDC (Complying Development Certificate) application. The sooner you get the plans to your certifier the better. This also allows the certifier time to give you feedback on your plans if they think they need adjusting in order to get them through council.

A Three Birds reno BEFORE
A Three Birds reno BEFORE

House 2 after

Step 6. Choose a proposed start date for your reno. You canโ€™t start your reno the day after settlement because you need to wait for council to issue the CDC, and that process canโ€™t commence until they you are confirmed as the new owner. Get your solicitor to send a letter to your certifier confirming you as the new owners. How long the council will take to issue your CDC depends on the council and can take between 2-21 days. Ask your certifier to give their best estimate on how long approval will take based on the complexity of your plans and their experience with that council. Use that as your start date.

Step 7. Sit down with your builder and develop a week-by-week, day-by-day reno schedule with him. His work schedule will determine when other trades need to be onsite so itโ€™s important to sort this out first before locking in other trades like plumbers and electricians.

Step 8. Co-ordinate all other trades (eg โ€“ tiler, plumber, electrician, landscaper, glazier, painter) to meet you on site and quote. Give them a written scope of work including the dates they are required on site (which you should have worked out with your builder prior). Get a few different companies to quote for the same scope of work so you can compare costs, then appoint your Tradies. This should ideally happen 2-3 weeks out from settlement.

Step 9. Determine what fixtures and fittings you want and can afford. You need to know this so you can order in advance and have them ready onsite when the Trades need them. Some things have long lead-times (eg window shutters) so you need to place orders in the pre-settlement planning phase.

Step 10. Youโ€™ve settled on the property and the house is yours. Get the letter from your solicitor (see step 8) and await your CDC. You may need to adjust your reno schedule based on exactly when the CDC comes through.

Lana: IS THERE ANYTHING YOUโ€™VE EVER FORGOTTEN TO DO?

Erin: Ordering the porta-loo and working out where to put the man-hole — gets me at every house.

Read all Three Birds’ posts | Send Three Birds ย question | Find out more about Three Birds

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Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
Kids and husband messing with my vignettes again๐Ÿคจ

PS. The coaster was RIGHT THERE ๐Ÿคช
#weatherforit ๐Ÿฅถ Need a new blanket? Look no fu #weatherforit ๐Ÿฅถ

Need a new blanket? Look no further than these gorgeous South African blankets from @baobabcollective, sustainably sourced, ethically crafted and imported by a Southern Highlands couple.

On the blog now via link in bio.
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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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  1. AvatarGarden Design says

    February 10, 2016 at 8:53 am

    Good tips, I’m about to start this myself and i hadn’t heard of number one before.

    Reply

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