Remodel Contracting Podcast

Jeff Bass Talks About Profit-First Renovations for Resale

• Jeff Bass • Episode 12

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Should You Remodel For Investors Or To Sell A Property?

Want your remodel to move the market instead of drain your budget? We dig into the investor mindset that turns outdated spaces into profitable listings, with Jeff Bass sharing the playbook he uses to balance cost, speed, and buyer appeal. From estate clean-ups to rental turns and flips, we break down where to spend, where to save, and how to plan so surprises don’t eat your margins.

We start by reframing decisions around return on investment: kitchens and bathrooms lead, but not with boutique choices that lag timelines and balloon costs. Jeff walks through value engineering that still looks premium—think LVP that reads like wood without the install drag, pre-finished cabinets that deliver a crisp look without the custom wait, and lighting and hardware upgrades that photograph beautifully. We talk selection discipline, ordering materials before demo wraps, and creating a finish schedule that keeps crews moving and avoids the standstill that tanks your ARV.

Then we tackle the pitfalls that stall profits: the “cheapest bid” trap, HGTV speed myths, and skipping contingencies for what’s behind the drywall. Jeff explains how a bulletproof scope and clear communication cadence cut change orders, and why treating your general contractor as a partner—not just a vendor—earns you better pricing, faster scheduling, and less stress on every project after the first. If you’re prepping to sell or planning your next flip, you’ll get a practical blueprint for finishes that sell, timelines that hold, and decisions driven by math, not ego.

Ready to level up your flips and listings? Follow the show, share this episode with a friend who’s renovating to sell, and leave a quick review so more investors can find these strategies.

To learn more about Remodel Contracting visit:
https://www.RemodelContracting.net
Remodel Contracting
801 Alpha Rd, Ste 133
Richardson, TX 75081
469-831-5620

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to the Remodel Contracting Podcast, where outdated spaces meet their modern makeover destiny. Hosted by Jeff Bass, general contractor, home renovation expert, and guy who firmly believes your avocado green bathroom has gotta go. Based in the DFW Metro, Remodel Contracting is here to help you level up your living space. Because hey, you updated your wardrobe. Now it's time to update your home. Expect more, live better. Let's remodel.

SPEAKER_01:

Whether you're flipping a house or prepping for markets, smart renovations can make or break your bottom line. So let's talk strategy. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio today with general contractor and home renovation expert Jeff Bass. Jeff, how's it going?

SPEAKER_00:

Having a great day. Thank you for uh having me here today.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, it's great to have you back on. Now, Jeff, let's get right into it. What should people know about remodeling for investors or to sell a property?

SPEAKER_00:

You know, this is a great topic. And one thing we have to think about, it's the mindset, the investor mindset versus the homeowner mindset. Homeowners want perfect and they want unique for themselves. Investors want profitable. And when I say investor, that may be someone who buys houses and flips them for a profit. It may be somebody who is buying a house and holding it as a rental, or it could also be a homeowner who is selling, whether they're selling their existing home, or quite uh quite a lot of times what we run across on large uh remodel projects like these are estate situations where you have um something through your family that's you know, a grandmother passed away and the whole house hasn't been updated since 1964, and the whole place needs to be updated. So with all of those in mind, we need to think like an investor and and not a homeowner. Like I said, homeowners want perfect, investors want profitable, and that's the main difference.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, what are the top renovation priorities when prepping a home for sale?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, so what we need to look at is we need to look at where we're going to spend and where we're going to save, which is what you're talking about there. And examples are, you know, um, put your put your money where it's going to have the most effect. And that's going to be things like kitchens and bathrooms, as opposed to picking an expensive designer tile or custom wallpaper. Um, we need to uh think about our decisions being driven by math instead of emotion. And your general contractor has a responsibility to help you with that. And if he understands that we're looking at profitability as the main goal, then he's going to keep those things in mind the scope, the budget, the timeline. You know, every day, every day is money. Every day somebody's losing money on the project. So um we need to we need to make sure to keep that in mind as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Most definitely. Now, how do investors' goals differ from a homeowner's goals?

SPEAKER_00:

So with an investor, things need to be, there needs to be more work done up front. You know, we don't want change orders because everything that happens that costs time or money is going to affect our return on investment. You know, projects need to be value engineered, such as, you know, I can get the same look that you want with this custom thing, but we can let's look at getting it for less. Um, you know, no guesswork, have a bulletproof plan to begin with. Investor jobs move faster when there's communication and materials are chosen early. And um, and choosing materials such as, you know, using a LVP product instead of uh an engineered floor or tile floor that's gonna take longer to lay and cost more money, uh pre-finished cabinets instead of custom cabinets that are gonna take a lot longer and cost a lot more money, things like that, ordering materials up front, even before the demo is finished, those those are important things to think about on investor projects.

SPEAKER_01:

And are there budget-friendly upgrades that still deliver high ROI?

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely, absolutely. And you know, and I do this for my for my you know homeowner projects as well. I try to value engineer everything that I can. If someone comes to me and they're like, oh, I really like this tile and it's$30 a foot, then you know, I'll look at some other options that are maybe$5 a foot. Save a lot of money that way. Um, and and I do that with every project, and especially on investor projects. And unfortunately, sometimes I feel that I know more than the investor, but I do try to share that experience and show them how decisions they're making are affecting their ROI.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, let's get into something a little bit different now. What mistakes do sellers often make when remodeling for resale?

SPEAKER_00:

It's a great question. Um, you know, uh it's a mistake a lot of people make um is thinking the cheapest bid is going to be the best value. You know, the cheapest bid might take longer, and time is of the essence. Time is money. Changing direction mid-project, not budgeting for unexpected repairs. You know, if they're if their uh project is too tight, they might not have budgeted for what's going on behind the drywall. And every time I take down a piece of sheetrock, we don't know what's behind there until we get back there. Could be electrical problems, could be plumbing problems, could be code issues, you know, trying to trying to DIY the project themselves or managing the GC instead of partnering with the GC. Even having unrealistic timelines. You know, a lot of people, and especially when they, you know, when they first start uh flipping properties or it's their first estate sale, um, they see the TV shows on HGTV and they think that projects move that fast. You know, uh projects don't move as fast as they do on TV. TV only has a half hour, you know. We have to get everything done properly. Um the smart, you know, a smart investor uh builds a partnership with their general contractor. And the general contractor wants a partnership. They want someone they can communicate with, they want somebody to understand, they want to build a long-term relationship. Building that long-term relationship is gonna get the investor better pricing, faster turnaround, less stress. You learn their style, they learn your systems. Um, you know, repeat clients are definitely gonna get priority scheduling. If you treat your GC like a partner, not a vendor, you will make more money.

SPEAKER_01:

Any final words of advice for us today, Jeff, before we wrap up here?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you know, I probably talk about this every podcast. The number one thing is communication. Always communication. Uh be clear, be decisive, be realistic. You know, as far as choices go, pick finishes, pick choices that sell, not ones that suit your individual unique taste. Pick pick things that sell. Um, you know, build a team you can trust. You know, have a trusted realtor, have a trusted GC. Um, you know, build those relationships. You know, the investor who wins isn't the one who spends the least, it's the one who plans the best.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, Jeff, thank you for those great insights today. We'll see you next time for more renovation wisdom.

SPEAKER_00:

My pleasure. It's great to be here today.

SPEAKER_02:

That's a wrap for this episode of Remodel Contracting Podcast. Ready to kick that 90s kitchen to the curb? For a free in home consultation, call 469 831 5620 or visit Remodelcontracting.net. Expect more because your home deserves better. And honestly, so do you.