Although the high rental prices the property brothers help investors achieve on their new show “ Backed by the Bros” aren’t great for renters, they sure do help those investors make a profit!
But you don’t have to be on the investors’ side of the coin to benefit from Jonathan and Drew Scott‘s extremely savvy renovation tips.
In the episode “Garage Gambling,” the brothers have to decide between two separate Venice, CA, projects that involve garage renovations and help Christine and Arek from last week finish their second garage accessory dwelling unit.
That’s a lot of ADU advice. It might be enough to make you think twice about parking your car on the street and converting your own garage into a profit center.
Check out what the brothers have to say.
When in doubt, hire an expert
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Mike and Becky are contending for the brothers’ services. As they show them around the Venice Beach bungalow they have already remodeled, Jonathan and Drew notice a few flaws.
It seems the couple tried to save money by doing some of the renovation work themselves, and that didn’t always work out so well. They had trouble with the kitchen cabinet installation, which led to their leaving a partial hole in the ceiling where the vent should have gone. Also, the power outlets were left exposed.
“If you’re trying to save money by doing the work yourself, in the end, it will probably affect how much money you can get if things don’t look as good as a quality renovation,” says Jonathan.
The more expensive option may be the better investment
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Christina and Arek, whom the property brothers helped with a junior ADU in the previous episode, are planning a back deck for their detached garage ADU on the lot next door, which they also own. Christina wants the deck to be built of real wood.
“Why do you want real wood on the surface of your deck?” asks Jonathan.
“I like being able to change my mind on the color,” she replies.
“I don’t like having to sand down and refinish,” explains Jonathan. “And real wood does fade pretty fast.”
Showing them samples of composite, he tries to persuade them “to go with a composite material.”
“It really doesn’t look that bad in the sun,” concedes Christina.
“If you would go with composite rather than natural wood, you will thank me,” says Jonathan. “It’s an amateur mindset to think cheap natural wood now is the right solution for down the road.”
Cheap wood costs $5 to $8 per square foot, he adds, whereas composite goes for $104 to $115 per square foot.
“Spend now on something that you know is going to make life easier down the road,” he concludes.
Cabinets should go up to the ceiling
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Christina had purchased discount cabinets before she knew the size of the space they were intended for, and they don’t exactly fit. There is a big gap between the cabinets and the ceiling.
Drew says this is a big problem, but when he finds out she got all of the cabinets for $1,000, he says it’s a good deal and the gap is acceptable.
It’s OK to leave the cabinets as is, he says. “Because it’s a rental, I don’t think it’s going to be the end of the world that it has the space on the top. But next time, don’t buy cabinets before you know the size of the space.”
Glass countertops? Yes, please!
(HGTV)
The brothers have decided to give Christine and Arak countertops for their garage ADU—they have a lot in their warehouse—and suggest an interesting material choice.
“It’s made up of 70% recycled glass,” says Evan, their counter expert. Bonus: It looks just like marble.
“Environmentally, it’s great, and durability? It’s going to perform like a quartz,” Evan continues. It’s also “very easy to maintain.”
Staging is important—even for rentals
(HGTV)
Even though renters will be bringing their own furniture, it’s important for them to see how comfortable they could be in the space.
The property brothers donate $7,500 worth of staging material—furniture, artwork, decor, floor coverings, and more—so potential renters can get a better idea of what it would be like to live there.
“The main thing is that the place looks finished, it looks refined, and it looks clean,” says Drew. “That’s what tenants want.”
“Staging is just going to make it so more people are like, ‘Yes! I really want this! Give it to me!’” says Jonathan.
But there’s one thing more.
“Remember, if you do decide to furnish it, to get a higher rent, in reality, you’re going to pay yourself back for all the pieces that you purchased very quickly,” says Drew.
In the end, while no work was done on the project the Scott brothers chose this week, Christine and Arek were able to finish the second ADU on their property.
It’s now such a nice two-bedroom, two-bath dwelling that the brothers believe the couple could easily rent the converted garage for $3,500 a month.
But we’ll probably never find out. In an interesting twist, Arek and Christine decide to move into the ADU themselves while they finish renovating a larger family house that is also on the property, which they eventually plan to move into while renting out their two ADUs.
