Union County is one of the most under-covered flip markets in North Jersey. Everyone chases Bergen and Morris, but Union has legitimate ARV upside in Cranford, Westfield, Summit, and Berkeley Heights, plus faster-moving inventory in Linden, Roselle, and Plainfield. Here's what we see across dozens of Union County flips.
The four Union County flip archetypes
The Cranford / Westfield full renovation. Older colonial or split, purchase price $500K-$800K, needs kitchen, bath, floors, paint, and often HVAC or roof. Total budget $80K-$180K in renovation. ARV $750K-$1.1M. Days on market when done right: 5-15.
The Summit / Berkeley Heights luxury flip. Buy at $900K, put in $200K-$400K for kitchen, primary bath, second bath, floors, paint, and often a rear addition or basement finish. ARV $1.4M-$2M. Longer hold, bigger margin, more risk.
The Linden / Roselle rental-conversion flip. Multi-family or SFH with rental potential, purchase $250K-$450K. Cosmetic renovation $30K-$60K. Either flip at $400K-$650K or hold as rental yielding 6-8% cap rate.
The Elizabeth / Plainfield light rehab. Fast turnaround, cosmetic-only refresh. Purchase $200K-$350K, budget $20K-$40K for paint, flooring, kitchen refresh, bath refresh. ARV $300K-$450K. Volume play, thinner margins per unit but faster velocity.
Where the value adds are
In every Union County flip we've done, the same 5 things drive the most ARV lift per dollar:
- Kitchen. White cabinets, quartz counters, stainless appliances, subway or basic tile backsplash. Budget: $18K-$45K depending on size. This alone often adds $40K-$80K to appraisal.
- Primary bath. New vanity, new tile, new fixtures, new tub or shower. Budget: $10K-$25K. Adds $20K-$40K to appraisal.
- Hardwood floors refinished or replaced. Refinish where possible ($3-$5/sq ft), replace where needed ($10-$14/sq ft). Universally adds value.
- Neutral paint everywhere. Cheapest ROI item in flipping. $5K-$8K, adds $15K-$25K.
- Curb appeal. Landscaping, front door, mulch, mailbox, house numbers. $2K-$5K, moves days-on-market significantly.
What NOT to overspend on in Union County
- High-end appliances in sub-$700K markets. Buyers don't pay for Wolf/Sub-Zero at that price point.
- Radiant floor heating in bathrooms. Nice, doesn't appraise.
- Custom cabinetry when semi-custom looks the same.
- Wine cellars, movie rooms, etc. Rarely pay off in Union County.
Timeline
Most single-family Union County flip renovations run 4-8 weeks with GeoBrix crews. Multi-unit or full-gut jobs run 8-14 weeks. Weekly photo/video progress reports for out-of-area investors.
GeoBrix does investor renovations across Union County and all of North Jersey. Fixed-price contracts, milestone billing, no surprises. Book a walk-through.