The Complete Renovation System is a step by step process that shows you how to make profits from renovating.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about Dean Parker, who, with his wife, Elise, developed The Complete Renovation System. The Complete
Renovation System is a complete package for anyone wishing to undertake property renovation for profit. It includes a renovation cost calculator, renovation checklist (many of these, in fact), case study DVD, seminar audio and more.
I received a few emails asking for further information on the product and how I had found using the product to assist me with me recent renovation project, so this article will provide a more in depth review of the Complete Renovation System.
Many people looking for a renovation calculator or renovation checklist to assist them with a potential project or looking to use renovating for profit as an ongoing strategy may have heard of this product and be a little unsure of whether the financial commitment provides good value for money. I’ll discuss here the key features of the product and the pros and cons as I see them and hopefully this may help you to make a decision if the product is for you. Please be aware that some links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you purchase the product as a result of clicking links on this page then we may receive a commission. Please also note that this review, however, is my honest and open opinion after using the product extensively. If you have questions about it that are not answered here, please just email us and I’ll be happy to offer my opinion (as always!).
Click here to get the Complete Renovation System
Complete Renovation System – What’s in the Box?
It was exciting to actually receive a large package in the mail just a few days after purchasing The Complete Renovation System.
Firstly, for some reason just receiving something big in the mail these days has become exciting! Secondly and more importantly, though, the package was professional looking and jam packed with information that I wanted to devour from the first minute I got it! In the box you receive two main items, which are:
- A large folder which is the step by step Complete Renovation System manual
- A smaller folder which is the digital media library
- A getting started guide
- A manual which covers each of the steps of the renovation process, which include:
- Understanding the basics
- Deal and self preparation
- Finding an area
- Finding a property
- Buying a property
- Renovating a property
- Completing a property
- Becoming a renovator with little or no cash
- A series of case study notes covering several renovation projects undertaken by Dean Parker and Elise Parker
- Not just one renovation checklist, but a series of renovation checklists
- A getting started DVD
- 3 DVDs of virtual seminar which is a filmed one day renovation seminar that was held with Dean and Elise
- 2 DVDs of case studies covering all the details of successful renovation projects that Dean and Elise have completed
- 5 audio CDs of a one day renovation seminar
- 1 data CD which houses electronic copies of all of the renovation checklists, MP3s and the Complete Renovation Tool spreadsheet renovation calculator.
So what did I find most useful?
- Renovation Seminar Audio CDs/MP3s: I listened to the renovation seminar recordings on MP3 in my car over and over and over. In fact, I think I could probably recite some of it back word for word!
- Case Study DVDs: My partner and I loved watching the Case Study DVDs – neither of us had really renovated anything before, and having Dean walk us through several case studies, including the numbers side of things as well as the practical aspects of the renovation really gave us confidence to believe that we could do it. That is wasn’t that hard!
- Manual – I read the manual from cover to cover at least twice and I read and reread the section on renovation formulas many, many times. In fact, I created an online spreadsheet that contained the renovation formulas that I could access from my iPad and this enabled me to plug in values whilst I was out and about actually looking at property and assess the property right then and there. This was really useful.
- Checklists – Initially I printed out all of the checklists and planned to use them for each property I was looking at. What ended up happening though was that I sat down and combined and altered a few of the checklists and then ended up using my checklists going forward. The checklists in the Complete Renovation System are extremely thorough and there are many. They were a great basis for me creating a renovation checklist and series of checklists that would work for me.
- Complete Renovation Tool spreadsheet – this is the ‘master plan’ for you renovation and absolutely invaluable in managing your renovation. The hardest part of using spreadsheets or checklists that you have not created yourself is just not being familiar with them and how they work. With the spreadsheet the best way, I found, was to get in and do a full renovation costing with it. We did at least 3 full costings on 3 different properties before we actually purchased the one that we ended up buying. We made offers on a couple of these properties and actually purchased one of them but pulled out of the deal later. The reason we pulled out was based on us finding a major structural item that needed to be fixed in the building inspection. Having a full and complete costing spreadsheet made the decision for us to pull out a no-brainer and really highlights how important having this sort of tool is. Of course, in my usual geeky way, I decided to alter and enhance the renovation spreadsheet quite a bit, but it was definitely having this initial tool that showed me the way.
So what did I think? Is this value for money?
I would have to say, for me, without a doubt. This was a very considered purchase for us as it is not a ‘cheap’ product. But when I look at the value, the knowledge and the experience that has gone into this product and now having the knowledge that I have learned from The Complete Renovation System I cannot even imagine how I could have considered doing a renovation project without having this level of planning, management and information available to me.
I believe that the money we spent on the Complete Renovation System was money well spent. If your project goes well, you could make yourself thousands, of course, but the important thing, I believe, is that if you use the tools and watch/listen to the information then you will definitely save yourself thousands!
Who is the Complete Renovation system for?
The main target audience is those who wish to undertake a renovation project for profit. Whether that is a buy, renovate and sell deal or a buy, renovate and hold deal. All of the renovation formulas offered are geared at assessing the deal as a strategic investment.
The lessons learned and the tools in this product, however, could easily be used in managing the renovation of your own home. Budget planning and budget tracking are a big focus of the Complete Renovation Tool spreadsheet.
So pretty much, anyone looking at doing a renovation project would benefit from using this system.
My project
As you may know, if you follow this website or our Everyday Property Investing podcast, I used this product to complete my own first time renovation project and have been documenting and videoing the project along the way.
What are the downsides here?
This is a very thorough and comprehensive system and one that Dean Parker and Elise Parker have refined over time by doing many renovation projects for profit. For me, there are a few too many checklists and I think a few could be combined – which is what I did!
There are also a few changes to the spreadsheet costing tool that I made that helped me and I’m sure there are a few things you may wish to change too – but I guess that’s the benefit of this being delivered in a recognized and commonly used format, such as MS Excel – it means propeller heads like me can change it up all they like!
The quality of the physical product is fantastic – generally – the folder, the paper quality, colour images, it’s all great. The one thing that I found really annoying though was that the digital media folder has these little things that are supposed to hold the CDs/DVDs in place and they starting falling out really early on, so now the CDs and DVDs fall out when I pick up the folder. Trivial, I guess, but a little annoying!
The only other downside I think is price – but when I say that, I only mean that at first thought some may balk at forking out the money. But realistically we are talking about property renovation here – the purchase price of the property, the buying costs, the selling costs, the renovation costs, the holding costs, the potential profit – all of these numbers are far, far bigger than the cost of this product. And the potential loss from getting this wrong – well that is far, far greater also. So my advice here is to factor in the cost of this product to your renovation as it is worth it.
So what now?
Well, I hope that you have found this review of The Complete Renovation System useful. Basically, the Complete Renovation System combines a renovation checklist series, a detailed renovation cost calculator, renovation case studies and thorough education about the complete renovation process.
You can purchase it now online, or even if you just aren’t sure then you can get the free renovation DVD from the Property Systems website www.propertysystems.com.au which shows show great case studies and shares some valuable information for anyone interested in taking a renovation for profit project.
Click here to get the Complete Renovation System or find out more