I would budget around $20,000, but it's very difficult without seeing the property. It's also very hard to get contractors to come and give you bids when you don't own it yet.

Once you purchase a home, I would call PJ Rielly who is an honest contractor. PJ's number is 415-317-7371.

Your real estate professional should also be able to tell you how much the improvements should cost or at the very least give you some sort of idea. Your agent should also be able to give you some names and numbers of contractors and handyman's.

Take care,

Dave Tapper

Hello David, I am going to echo Matthew and say that its really too hard to give an accurate estimate. I used to hate answers like that, but then I started doing my own projects and hiring people to do work and realized how different each home can be. I will include a link to some projects I have done so you can see what I'm talking about. Can you or do you want to do any of the work yourself? On a bathroom remodel you can spend between $10,000 on up to $25,000 if you really wanted to. For the same work you can get really large bid differences between contractors. Some contractors do a better job too than others. typically they are the busy ones so that can be frustrating to wait for them. In recent times there seems to be more competition between contractors so that could work in your favor. I know a guy(painting contractor) that puts about three coats of paint on a house and spends several weeks on a home. Then I've seen 3 man crews come in with their sprayer and finish in a day. Probably costs less for the crew but is the job the best? That is your preference I guess. Same goes for landscaping, some guys charge a bunch and others thousands less. Sometimes its seems like its just so you can say Steve so and so did my yard. You can buy high end granite counters that no one else has or you can get prefabricated granite of not as high quality for $200 per 8 foot section plus cutting and labor charges. Is the house in San Carlos or San Francisco? That may even affect pricing some. Talk to friends that have had work done and get names of good workers and have some come by and give you bids. Here is the link to some of my projects http://www.maui4rent.com/remodel.html

Your cost will depend on the quality of the work and materials you are looking for, getting several bids from different companies for each project, and deciding what will work for you. Remodeling your home is very personal and it is hard for anyone to know what it is you want without walking through your home while discussing with you what your options are.

If you are looking to maximize resale value or determine which projects will protect your equity in your home, a qualified real estate professional will be a great resource. They are also a great resource for referrals to local craftsmen that can give you a bid.

Contact local contractors who can do the majority w/o seeing a property, difficult for a realtor make suggestions or comments.
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