Books about Renovating from Amazon.com

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Price: $12.73 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"This book is designed for realty investors who want to profit from buying below market, making cosmetic improvements to add value, and then quickly reselling. But real estate agents and home buyers should also study it because of the valuable insights offered by a longtime, very successful real estate broker. On my scale of one to 10, this superb book rates an off-the-chart 12."
—Robert Bruss

You've probably seen TV shows like Flip This House and Flip That House, in which Real estate investors buy, renovate, and sell a house in a matter of weeks for tens of thousands of dollars in profit. They make flipping houses look so easy that you want to jump out of your recliner (during the next commercial, of course), run down the street, find a house for sale, flip it for a 50 percent profit, and run back home to continue watching the show.

I, Ralph Roberts, have flipped hundreds of houses, and it's never as easy as it looks on TV. People don't generally line up at your front door begging you to buy their house for 30-50 percent below market value. Renovation expenses always exceed estimates. And you can't always sell a house for what you think it's worth.

Flipping houses for a profit requires time, money, and what I like to call sticktoitism—dogged determination in the face of overwhelming uncertainty.

Not just another house flipping book

You can find plenty of books about flipping houses that claim "anyone can do it" and make flipping look easy and risk-free. Flipping Houses For Dummies takes a different approach—honesty. We don't claim that flipping houses is "easy" or "simple" or "risk-free," because, quite frankly, it isn't.

Flipping Houses For Dummies reveals the risks and rewards of flipping properties; helps you determine whether you have the time, energy, cash, and other resources to be successful; and then conveys the expert knowledge that those who wish to pursue house flipping need in order to minimize risk and maximize potential profits in a very competitive market. Did you know?

Most books on flipping houses gloss over the key factors that that make or break the novice house flipper. These are the very items we focus on in Flipping Houses For Dummies. For example, did you know:

• You should secure financing before you look at houses.
• As a flipper, you want dontwanners—houses that the owners obviously don't want.
• You make your profit when you buy the property. You realize your profit when you sell.
• Always plan on earning at least 20 percent after your total investment—purchase price, repairs and renovations, real estate agent commissions, and holding costs (monthly mortgage payments, insurance, property taxes, and utilities).
• Working with a top-notch real estate agent can save you thousands of dollars more than what you pay in commissions.
• You should choose a limited geographical area to work and then become an expert on the houses and property values in that area.
• Your goal when renovating a home should be to bring the property up to market standards, not exceed them.

A flipping book for real people

Flipping Houses For Dummies speaks to the mom and pop investor, steering you clear of the gray areas, which tend to carry high-risks and low-returns, into safer, more potentially profitable areas. We encourage you invest in your comfort zone and take on bigger, riskier projects with higher profit potential only when you're ready.

In Flipping Houses For Dummies we stress that the first flip is the most important one, and we take the guesswork out of the first transaction, to lead you through a positive first experience on which to build a promising real estate investment portfolio.

Flipping Houses For Dummies provides plenty of examples of successful and not-so-successful property flips, presenting the total investment (in time and money), the work involved, and the net profit. Before-and-after photos visually illustrate the positive transformations from run-down-shacks to showcase homes..
Price: $4.10 [Notify me when price goes down.]

For those who love to live in old houses or want to invest in one, this completely revised and updated book leaves no stone unturned From evaluating a property to making foundation repairs to adding on a porch, it's a comprehensive guide to every aspect of making renovations and repairs — whether you already live in, or are contemplating buying, an older home. Over 450 color photos and drawings are featured..
Price: $18.89 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Taunton's new series, Updating Classic America, provides a unique combination of design inspiration and proven ideas for renovating, remodeling and building classic American homes. The first book in the series, Bungalows, provides a history and overview, along with proven, tasteful design solutions for a variety of bungalow-style remodels, additions, renovations, and new construction. Respected architects and bungalow owners Louis Wasserman and Caren Connolly inspire bungalow enthusiasts and homeowners to "put down the coffee table books," and "get to work on their own houses." Bungalows contains a wealth of successful design ideas for updating vintage homes and creating well crafted contemporary bungalows. More than 20 bungalows from around the country are highlighted with before-and-after floor plans, as well as options for a wide variety of budgets, styles and sizes of homes. 211 color photos and 56 drawings are included..
Price: $13.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Master the art of flipping with KIRSTEN KEMP, host of the hit TV show Property Ladder!

"This book establishes a new standard for real estate authors Kemp gives her readers delightfully written prose packed with her wealth of experiences. She lays out so many profit-generating (and loss-avoiding) ideas that while reading the manuscript my highlighter never got a rest."
--Gary Eldred, Trump University Professor of Real Estate, coauthor of the bestseller Investing in Real Estate

Real estate isn't just for the rich! And this book proves it. In Flipping Confidential, Kirsten Kemp, the host of TLC's runaway hit show, Property Ladder, gives first-time investors the guidance and inside tips to buy cheap, fix fast, and sell high. With a positive attitude and a healthy dose of humor, Kirsten Kemp walks you through every step of a successful flip--from finding the right house to getting your financing in order, from making big improvements to pricing the home to sell.

If you've ever seen Property Ladder, you know that successfully fixing and flipping a property can be a deeply rewarding experience--both personally and financially--when you do it right. Kemp makes sure you do it right in Flipping Confidential, revealing all the inside knowledge she has amassed as a successful flipper. You'll learn how Kemp became a successful flipper and much more, including how to:
* Get started with little savings or free time
* Find great leads and follow up on them
* Clean up your credit and find financing
* Sign up a great agent, lender, or contractor
* Learn when you can do it yourself, and when to hire a pro
* Keep costs down during renovations
* Set schedules and plan for costs and fees
* Master home staging for higher profits
* Manage mistakes before they become disasters


Real estate is the key to your financial freedom, and flipping is the fastest way to unlock that door. If you want to get out of the office, be your own boss, spend more time with your family, and make a truckload of money in the process, this is the ultimate guide to your new life. The key to financial success isn't a secret, it's Flipping Confidential..
Price: $10.46 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Barns, sheds, garages, and storage buildings all age as houses do. And, like houses, they will eventually need renovation to save them from disrepair and to restore them to their former glory. And they can even be converted into spaces that are once again useful to their owners, including a storage area, a studio, or a home office.

Readers will learn to save money, history, and architecture simply by renovating and restoring rather than by replacing their old outbuildings. From the foundation up, from the walls in, and from the roof down, craftsman Nick Engler, author of dozens of books and hundreds of magazine articles on woodworking, construction, and home how-to, takes readers through the process of renovating existing outbuildings.

Engler gives seasoned advice on how to square and strengthen the structure, repair or replace the roofing and siding, enlarge and modify the building, install new doors and windows, and add electricity and plumbing. He also includes practical information on how to evaluate an old structure in light of current building codes and how to then preserve the original charm of any outbuilding while making it usable again..
Price: $7.75 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Ranches is a unique combination of outstanding designs and proven ideas for renovating, remodeling, and building a ranch-style home. Featuring over 20 examples of updated homes and new ranches, the book is illustrated with inspiring original color photography and before and after floor plans..
Price: $6.73 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Colonial is one of the most beautiful and enduring home styles, with a rich past and numerous offshoots including Georgian, Dutch Colonial, Adams style, and even Colonial Revival. This thorough guide combines outstanding designs and proven ideas for redoing an existing Colonial or building a new one. Featuring over 20 case studies of updated homes and Colonials built from scratch, the book is filled with hundreds of inspiring original color photographs and before-and-after plans..
Price: $11.31 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Capes is a unique combination of outstanding designs and proven ideas for renovating, remodeling, and building a Cape Cod-style home. Featuring over 20 case studies of updated homes and capes built from scratch, the book is illustrated with inspiring original color photography and before and after floor plans..
Price: $3.07 [Notify me when price goes down.]