How Much Does It Cost to Flip a House? [+ Fix & Flip Cost Worksheet]

The cost to flip a house equals the sum of the acquisition cost, repair costs, carrying costs, and marketing and sales costs. Costs vary based on where the home is located, property type, and the extent of the renovations needed, but the total cost to flip a house is usually around 10 percent of the purchase price.

Our free fix and flip costs worksheet shows easy to follow calculations on the costs of flipping a house, including rehab costs, carrying costs, and a flipping house cost breakdown.

How much it costs to flip a house will be different from project to project. That’s part of what makes flipping real estate so appealing—it’s feasible on almost any budget. While the exact dollar amount for a flip will vary widely, each fix and flip project will typically have the same four expenses.

The four main costs of flipping a house are:

1. Purchase Price of Fix and Flip Property

Property acquisition is how much it actually costs to acquire the property. These costs will include the purchase price of the property and the associated closing costs. The closing costs are the fees paid at the settlement of a real estate transaction and they generally include title insurance and fees, transfer taxes, and financing fees.

The purchase price is how much you pay for a property. If it’s a single family or multi-family home, the purchase price will include the property itself and the land it sits on. A condo or co-op does not include the land. The purchase price doesn’t include taxes or insurance, but depending on how the deal is structured, it may include appliances, custom window treatments, and light fixtures.

Before purchasing a property, there are two main things to consider, which are using comparable properties to see how they measure up to the property you are interested in purchasing and then considering the rule of thumb where you pay 70 percent of the after repair value (ARV) of a property minus the rehab costs. If you are new to house flipping, purchase a property that only needs cosmetic repairs, since this will make the costs easier to figure out.

We spoke with Lucas Machado, Real Estate Investor and President of House Heroes LLC. Lucas uses this formula to ensure profitable deals and avoid money pits:

Maximum Allowable Offer = (After Repair Value x .70) – Repair Cost

“This creates around a 30 percent margin by accounting for the most significant costs: purchasing the property and making repairs. It’s a quick measure indicating if it’s a good deal for the home flipper. We use a six-month metric as the key time frame, but go further back if necessary to evaluate enough comps to reach a higher level of certainty.”

Closing Costs When Purchasing a Fix and Flip Property

When purchasing a property to flip, you’ll be responsible for some of the closing costs pertaining to the deal. These costs will include the transfer taxes, your share of property taxes, property insurance, title company fees, and title insurance. If you’re financing the purchase, the financing will have its own costs at closing, too. Your realtor and lender will both provide you with a breakdown of your closing costs.

A conservative rule of thumb is that a buyer’s closing costs will be 5 percent of the property’s purchase price. If you purchased a property for $200,000, then expect to pay around 5 percent of $200,000, which is $10,000. So the $200,000 property has now cost you $210,000. These costs will affect the budget and your ROI, so it is imperative to remember to include them when calculating how much it costs to acquire a house to flip.

When you find a fix and flip property, contact LendingHome for financing. They’re a reputable, nationwide, online hard money lender. They offer competitive rates to prime borrowers and can get you pre-qualified in a few minutes.

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2. Cost to Rehab a House

Rehab costs are the costs associated with rehabbing or renovating the property you intend to flip. These costs vary depending on the extent of the rehab, the property condition, how large the property is and how expensive labor is in the area you purchased a property in. Rehab costs include both materials and labor.

Types of rehab costs are generally:

Fix & Flip Material & Labor Costs

When calculating the cost of materials for your fix and flip property, include delivery fees and if an appliance requires a certain professional to install it. Some items will need to be special ordered, which adds days to your timeline and increases your carrying costs.

The cost of materials will vary depending on the scope of the rehab project but generally fall into two categories:

• Building Materials: Common materials including lumber, paint, hardware, etc.
• Appliances: Typical appliances such as HVAC, stove, refrigerator, etc.

Labor is how much contractors charge for their time and effort in rehabbing your fix and flip project. They will charge you to install all of the purchased materials. Some contractors charge per hour, but the majority of them charge per project. This will be negotiated and put into a signed contract before any work begins. Depending on the extent of the rehab, different laborers will be used.

Some common laborers include:

• General contractor (GC)
• Electrician
• Plumber
• Day laborers or Handymen
• Painters
• Landscapers

The extent of the property rehab is a major factor in determining how much it costs to flip a house. As a beginner, it is ideal to choose a property that needs cosmetic repairs in order to keep your rehab costs down and project manageable. Once you have experience, it is fine to choose a property that needs moderate or extensive repairs.

Cost of Cosmetic Home Repairs for a Fix & Flip

Cosmetic home repairs are minor improvements and repairs needed to enhance the property. When completed correctly, they add value to the property. These repairs are done on a shorter timeline, which reduces carrying costs. Your material and labor costs are also lower, but your acquisition costs are higher since the property is already in better condition than one that needs a full rehab.

Larry Friedman, Real Estate Investor and Co-Founder of SDF Capital, says that:

“In terms of estimating repairs, generally to refresh a property, we budget approximately $30/ft. A refresh would entail purely cosmetic fixes such as new paint, carpet, minor repairs, new lights, refinish floors, new toilet bowls, new vanities, new faucets (no extensive plumbing, electrical or foundation work). I would advise first time rehabbers to stick to cosmetic rehabs initially as they are easier and less risky.”

Cosmetic repairs include:

• Interior painting and patching walls
• Replacing carpet and/or refinishing hardwood floors
• Replacing cabinet hardware and painting cabinets to update the look of the cabinets without replacing them
• Basic landscaping, including cutting the grass, planting flowers and tidying up the entranceway

Here is an example of how cosmetic home repairs affect your ROI:

You purchase a home for $100,000 and spend $5,000 on cosmetic repairs. The home is now worth $115,000 (this doesn’t account for closing costs or carrying costs). This means your ROI for this one project is: $10,000 / $105,000 x 100 = 9.5 percent.

For more information on fix and flip repairs and renovations that have a high ROI, check out our article on 25 fix and flip projects with high ROI.

Cost of Moderate Home Repairs

Moderate home repairs are substantial repairs to upgrade a property and increase its value. Since they are larger projects, a licensed contractor will be needed to complete them, which will add to your labor and material costs. Your acquisition cost will be lower, but your timeline will increase, which increases your carrying costs.

Moderate home repairs include:

• Renovating the kitchen to include stone countertops, new light fixtures, appliances and new flooring
• Updating bathrooms with modern, matching plumbing fixtures, new toilets, and new, neutral-colored tiles
• Adding exterior landscaping such as pavers and shrubs to increase curb appeal
• Painting the exterior of the property to give a great first impression

Here is an example of how moderate home repairs affect your ROI:

You purchase a home for $100,000 and spend $15,000 on cosmetic repairs. The home is now worth $135,000 (this doesn’t account for closing costs or carrying costs). This means your ROI for this project is: $20,000 / $115,000 x 100 = 17.4 percent.

Cost of Extensive Home Repairs

Extensive home repairs are needed when a house is either structurally unsound or in need of a full renovation to bring it up to date. These repairs lower acquisition costs but increase your material and labor budget. Since they will need contractors and permits, they will increase your timeline, which also increases your carrying costs.

Extensive home repairs include:

• Fixing a structural issue such as a crack in the foundation
• Adding on a room to increase square footage
• Adding another bathroom to increase the property value
• Adding a garage if it is an expected feature in the neighborhood

Here is an example of how extensive home repairs affect your ROI:

You purchase a home for $100,000 and spend $25,000 on cosmetic repairs. The home is now worth $155,000 (this doesn’t account for closing costs or carrying costs). This means your ROI for this project is: $30,000 / $125,000 x 100 = 24 percent.

When you find a property you want to fix and flip, contact LendingHome for financing. They’re a reputable, nationwide, online hard money lender. They offer competitive rates to prime borrowers and can get you pre-qualified in a few minutes.

Visit LendingHome

3. Carrying Costs to Flip a House

Carrying costs are the recurring costs you spend from the time you purchase a property until the time you flip it. These costs are generally paid monthly during the time that you own the property. The most significant carrying cost is generally financing, but also included are property taxes, insurance, and utilities.

Financing Costs for Flipping a House

Financing costs are the costs that are associated with borrowing money to purchase and renovate a property. For example, a flipper may use a private money loan to purchase the property and float the renovation costs on a credit card. These costs will include any points, interest, and prepayment penalty charged by the lender.

Typical fix and flip lenders offer high interest rates and short-term loan products. A mortgage calculator is a handy tool to do some preliminary calculations yourself. There are a number of good fix and flip lenders and it’s great to be able to compare the lenders and determine the best terms for your fix and flip project.

Hard money lenders and homestyle renovation loans both charge financing fees in one form or another. Financing costs may be in the form of points, fees at closing, or interest payments.

Here is an example where we isolate the cost of financing a fix and flip project and compare three financing methods. These numbers do not represent the total cost of the project (such as other carrying costs, etc.).

Example of Financing Costs for a Fix & Flip Project

As you can see from the example, a lender may charge points and a higher-than-market interest rate to finance a flip. But financing allows you to buy a property that you may not have had enough cash to purchase. Additionally, financing can enable you to have multiple flip projects going on at once after you get the hang of fixing and flipping properties.

For a more in-depth look at how to flip houses and everything involved, check out our guide to starting a house flipping business.

Hard Money Loan for a Fix and Flip

A hard money lender is a lending source that primarily lends money to real estate investors. This is an asset-based loan where the property serves as collateral for the loan. Hard money loans are typically issued by private companies for short-term financing solutions.

Some costs associated with a hard money loan include loan origination fees and points paid at closing. The borrower will also be charged an appraisal fee. This fee is for a licensed expert to complete a written estimate of the property’s market value. Each lender has their own requirements.

To find hard money lenders in your area, check out our hard money lender directory.

Homestyle Renovation Loan for a Fix and Flip

A homestyle renovation loan incorporates the costs of the rehab and the purchase price of the property into a single loan. This loan enables borrowers to purchase a property that needs repairs, and is a Fannie Mae, government-backed loan product.

A property is eligible for the Homestyle Renovation Loan if the repairs being done are permanently fixed to the property and add value to the property. Fifteen-year and 30-year fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgages are offered. The lender must approve the contractors who are doing the work. Renovation costs are limited to 50 percent of the ARV value of the property.

All Cash Financing for a Fix and Flip

An alternative to financing a property is using all cash. This saves you money in the short term because you don’t have any lending fees, interest or points. However, purchasing a property will use up cash that you could have used for something else, and you won’t have the leverage of being to purchase multiple properties.

When using all cash, you will need the cash required to purchase the property and the cash to rehab the property. In addition to this, you will need to have cash available for unexpected expenses. The other out-of-pocket expense will be the carrying costs, including utility, insurance, and property tax payments.

If you want to see what rates your fix and flip property qualifies for, take five minutes and get pre-qualified with LendingHome. They offer competitive rates, lend nationwide and can have you funded fast.

Visit LendingHome

Property Taxes Cost to Flip a House

Property taxes affect the cost to flip a house in two ways. Firstly, at settlement, you may be required to prepay the remaining taxes for the rest of the year. Secondly, there may be monthly property taxes due, which will become part of your carrying costs.

Property tax rates are wide-ranging throughout the U.S. That is because states and municipalities are the ones that set their own property taxes. Even properties within the same state, sometimes even within a few blocks from one another, can have drastically different property taxes.

Property taxes that are too high can be a deterrent for home buyers. This should be considered during a fix and flip, since you want your renovated property to attract as many qualified buyers as possible. The faster your property sells, the less your carrying costs are and the higher your ROI is.

Insurance Costs

Property insurance is a policy that provides financial reimbursement to the homeowner for the property structure and its contents if damage or a loss occurs. Insurance is also important to protect you, the property owner, from potential litigation. Some types of property insurance include fire, hazard, and flood. A fix and flipper will generally need a vacant or unoccupied property insurance policy, which is different than a homeowners policy.

It covers the property during the flip in case it’s vandalized, broken into, or suffers damage from a storm. Generally, you can pay the policy upfront at or before settlement or monthly. Vacant and unoccupied insurance costs vary based on the property location, expected length of vacancy, and property value. However, the average vacant or unoccupied insurance policy is $1,842 or more.

Utility Costs to Flip a House

Utility costs relevant to a property flipper include water, electric, gas, and oil. These expenses need to be factored into your monthly carrying costs. Some utility companies also require upfront deposits, especially if you own an apartment building or the previous owner had high monthly bills.

Utility bills vary based on usage and size and condition of the property. You can contact the previous owner for an estimate of monthly costs. When you purchase a property, it may take a week or more for utility providers to turn on the services, so schedule them right away. Contractors can’t work without water and electricity. If they get stalled, it will cost you more money and increase your timeline.

4. Fix and Flip Marketing & Sales Costs

When using a realtor, most of the costs of marketing and selling a property are not out-of-pocket expenses, but rather come from the settlement proceeds. However, if you sell the property yourself and choose not to use a realtor, you’ll have to pay for all your marketing expenses up front.

These marketing and sale costs include realtor fees (unless acting as your own realtor), marketing costs and closing costs.

Three fix and flip marketing and sales costs generally include:

1. Realtor Fees when Flipping a House

Realtor fees are usually paid by the seller. These fees will cover the commission of both realtors if two realtors are used. Generally, one realtor represents the seller and one represents the buyer. The standard realtor fees are 6 percent, but they can be any amount agreed upon by the seller and the realtor.

Realtor fees are included in the marketing and sale costs. They represent the highest percentage of the closing costs that the seller is responsible for. If the subject property sells for $200,000, then the realtor fees will be $12,000. They are not an out-of-pocket expense but are deducted from the sales price of the house at settlement.

2. Marketing Costs to Flip a House

Marketing costs are minimal if you use a realtor to sell your fix and flip property. If you sell the property yourself, these costs will increase and will need to be paid out of pocket. Marketing costs include for sale signs, flyers, online postings and open house expenses.

These costs are often overlooked when calculating carrying costs. However, they are an important factor in getting positive exposure for the house. The property will be advertised to more potential buyers and the likelihood of one of those buyers purchasing the house is high. This will decrease your carrying costs.

“The marketing costs to flip a house vary depending on buying strategy and skill set of the investor. As a hard money lender, our clients do everything from invest in franchises like Homevestors, which spends hundreds of thousands monthly (radio, TV, billboards, and mailers) to almost zero dollars working as an investor doing cold calls and door knocking. Each investor finds a niche and owns it.”

– Aaron Norris, MBA, APR, CSPG, The Norris Group

3. House Flipping Selling Closing Costs

Closing costs are the fees paid at the closing, or settlement, during a real estate transaction. This occurs when the title of the property is conveyed to the buyer. They are not paid up front but subtracted from the sales price of the property. The majority of the seller’s closing costs come from the realtor fees.

The other closing costs that the seller is responsible for include any outstanding property taxes and utilities, any credits the seller gives the buyer, and transfer taxes in most states. Typically, closing costs equate to about 2 percent to 5 percent of the sales price of the house.

How to Determine Your Fix and Flip Costs

Start with potential ARV and work backward to keep all four of your major costs in line. If you know how much the property will be worth before you purchase it, you will know how much to acquire it for, the budget for rehab costs, your budget for carrying costs and the marketing and sales budget.

You can determine the cost to fix a flip based on the following:

ARV (After Repair Value) of Flipping a House

After repair value (ARV) is an estimate of what a property will be worth after all the proposed renovations are completed. You can estimate the ARV for your property by using comparable properties that have sold within the last 90 days in the same neighborhood as the subject property. The comparables should be properties in similar condition to what the finished (rehabbed) property will be in.

ARV is such an important tool because it will guide you in the right direction when making an offer on a house. It accounts for carrying costs and rehab costs, and if you carefully calculate the numbers during each transaction, you won’t overpay for a property. ARV affects your ROI and the less you pay for a property, the more potential profit you will make.

Budget to Flip a House

A budget is an itemized summary of estimated expenses recorded over a given time period. When flipping a house, it will include your property acquisition costs, your rehab costs, and your carrying costs.

The budget is so important when figuring out the cost to flip a house. It will keep you on track with your contractors and material costs. It will also be a helpful tool to keep track of what money is being spent where and if too much is being spent in one place. By staying on budget, your expected ROI will be met and your fix and flip should be a profitable project.

Fix and Flip Timeline

A timeline is how much time you expect the fix and flip process to take. It will be set at the beginning of the project, along with the budget. The timeline starts when you purchase the property and ends when you sell the property.

For example, your timeline might be 60 days from the time you purchase the property to when you expect to sell it. The timeline needs to take into consideration:

• The scope of the rehab work
• The size of the property
• Your schedule and availability
• Contractors’ availability
• Marketing and selling the property

The timeline is just as important as the budget. The shorter the timeline, the less expensive your carrying costs are. This means that your expected ROI will be on target and your profit will be greater. The opposite is also true. If the timeline goes over the goal, then your carrying costs will increase and your ROI will decrease.

“The number one common mistake when calculating costs is not realizing the time value of money. This one hits close to home but if you are flipping and you let it drag on, you could still ‘turn a profit’ but you could wreck your entire year’s goals by losing focus.”

– Michael Perna, Investor & Owner, The Perna Team

Expected Return on Investment

The expected return on investment (ROI) is how much you expect to gain when flipping a house. The higher your ROI, the higher your profit, which is the goal after spending time and money on a project. The lower your ROI, the lower your profit. The ARV, budget, and timeline all affect your ROI. The formula for calculating ROI is:

ROI = Net Profit / Total Investment x 100

For example, if your net profit is $40,000 and your total investment is $200,000 then your ROI = 20 percent.

We spoke with Dr. Alex Roher, a real estate investor who has flipped 16 homes in the past four years. He prefers to think about ROI on an annualized basis rather than project by project.

“My formula takes into account time to renovate so I can pay more for easier flips (paint and carpet), since turnaround time is quicker. I target a 50 percent annual return on total capital invested. I take into account all costs (holding costs, rehab costs, closing costs, selling costs, etc.). If I can make 17 percent on capital invested on Flip A, and buy, renovate and sell it in four months, I’m good. That would allow for a 51 percent annual return since I can do three similar projects per year.”

Cost to Flip a House Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below we will answer some frequently asked questions on how much it costs to flip a house. If you have any additional questions or would like to comment on the subject, please visit our forum.

What Is the Average Return on Investment When You Flip a House?

The average return on investment for a fix and flipper is generally 10 percent to 20 percent. Your ROI depends on your house flipping cost, which includes the cost to rehab a house, your timeline, acquisition cost and sales costs. Generally, the shorter your timeline, the higher your ROI. Keep in mind that every decision you make during the house flipping process affects your ROI, so remember to stick to your budget and keep your costs as low as possible.

How Long Does It Take to Flip a House?

The time it takes to flip a house depends on a few key things, including the experience of the flipper, the type of financing used, the extent or rehab needed, the size of the property, and the local real estate market. Typically, experienced fix and flippers can purchase, rehab, and flip a house within 90 days. Keep in mind that larger properties and those that need extensive rehabs may take longer to flip.

How Much Does It Cost to Rehab a House?

The answer to how much does it cost to rehab a house depends on the acquisition price of the house, the amount of renovations needed, the location, size of the house, and the timeline. If the property is located in an area where building supplies and labor are more expensive, then it will cost more to rehab a house.

Generally, a rehab costs about 10 percent of the purchase price of the house. For example, if you purchase a fix and flip property for $500,000, you should expect to spend about $50,000 to rehab the house.

Bottom Line

How much does it cost to flip a house varies, depending on a variety of factors including the property acquisition costs, rehab costs, carrying costs and financing costs. The average cost to flip a house is about 10 percent of the purchase price. By accounting for each of these factors, you should be well on your way to knowing how much money you need to flip a property.

If you need financing to flip a house, contact LendingHome. It only takes a few minutes to get pre-qualified online with this reputable fix and flip lender. They lend up to 90 percent LTV and 75 percent ARV, and offer competitive rates to prime borrowers.

Visit LendingHome