Real estate investing is becoming more and more popular and for good reason. Perhaps one of the best ways to get into this market is by house flipping. Sure, we see plenty of television shows about it, but how practical is it for the everyday person?
Thankfully, it’s not nearly as intimidating as it might sound. One of the biggest roadblocks is trying to figure out where we can get our materials, along with knowing what is currently popular. For the latter, you can look at resources like this one, but where can you start for the former? Well, it’s a good idea to know what to get!
The Basics
For anyone planning to go the do-it-yourself route, safety gear is one of the primary things you should consider before you get started. Goggles, gloves, and a hard hat are just some personal protective equipment that could make the difference between a serious injury and a minor inconvenience. This is especially true if you are considering working with any power tools.
Some other pieces to think about are a face mask to prevent inhalation of dust or wood, and earmuffs or plugs. While muffs are bulkier and often uncomfortable, they do provide more protection. Still, plugs are a valid option for those on a bit tighter of a budget since the sound dampening is almost as good.
Hand Tools
Now, this is where you might start to ask where to get home renovation materials since there are a variety of options to choose from. It can almost feel overwhelming, even. However, once you assemble a list of what you want, locating them becomes easier. Power tools are helpful but having handheld ones is important too.
One piece I would absolutely recommend is a screwdriver. Ideally, get both a flat head and a slotted one. There are even some that have a removable head and several different pieces that you can use, meaning you’ll have one for most screws that you encounter.
For measuring, measuring tape usually does the trick. The one I have is twenty-five feet long, but you could get a larger one if you anticipate having large-scale projects. A pencil and a marker are also helpful to include in your box, if only for marking things.
The final things I’ll recommend in this section are a hammer and a hacksaw. Hammers are essential for almost any project you can think of, and a hacksaw might seem more niche but has plenty of applications as well.
Other Materials
Now I’ll cover some that don’t seem so obvious but are no less vital. If you’re going to start house flipping, the painting will be an activity you find yourself doing quite often. This means that you’ll need the items to do this, of course.
For any walls that need patching beforehand, a putty knife and a taping knife are usually sufficient. As for the painting itself, it is not overly expensive to get rollers and brushes that are high quality, and it saves you a lot of time in the end. You can learn a few more tips on this topic here: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/tools/21072548/tools-for-building-and-remodeling.
Naturally, it’s a good idea to incorporate some power tools into your box as well. A cordless drill is one of my favorites for its versatility, and I don’t like dealing with the hassle of a cord. However, the corded options are plenty useful as well, so that’s up to your own preferences.
A bit more of a niche choice is a circuit tester. This is mostly meant for electricians or anyone who renovates homes often, so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re serious about house-flipping as a means of investing. It allows you to make sure that the power is off before you start working with any wires.
Last but not least, some items for outdoor work aren’t a bad idea either. A ladder, for example, can be used both indoors and outdoors, and help you to safely reach areas up high without the risk of standing on a chair, for example. Additionally, some gardening tools like a shovel or trowel might come in handy for yard work.
At the end of the day, the goal is to make the home presentable and more sellable, after all!