Refurbing Red Weber 1000 to flip. How far should I go?


 

Jerry Bodow

New member
I am completely cleaning and restoring the entire unit. Clearing rust and traditional paint(black and black high temp). Also restoring the wood slats, which will be beautiful. I am buying new ignition system, some caps for open frame holes, a new crossover burner tube, two new 2"caster wheels and bottom tray rails. The whole grill cost me $10.00. The new stuff above will be about $55.00. My question is will I recoup the costs, should I get new flavorizer bars, 8" wheels, and grill? The present ones are serviceable, but funky. The bars are enamle with rust creeping up the edges. The grills are enamel and clean, but rust on underside, and the wheels will clean up well if I remove the "Weber" whitewalls and polish them.
It comes down to a matter of what the market will bear. If I were to keep it, I'd go stainless on bars and grill, and get new 8" wheels with the weber whitewalls. But my end game is to sell at a profit, so, what will the market bear here? I dont want to make it so I lose $$ on it. Not sure how many appreciate a 1990 grill's value. your experiences and thoughts appreciated.
 
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First welcome to the forum Jerry. In most parts of the country grilling season is winding down, so that causes a slow down in rehab grill sales because the big box stores are dumping their grills to gain space for the holiday stuff.

I have rehabbed a few earlier genesis grills and had good success selling them at a profit anywhere from a profit of $50 -$125. That was during the spring and summer.

The draw on the earlier grills and I've been told this by a few is that they remember their parents having a weber grill and want to relive that.
If you do all that you say your going to do you will have about $65 -70 in it you should be able to get $125-150 for it. But you may have to sit on it until spring/summer comes around.

If the grates are good on the top that might be okay., but if it's pretty on the outside and in bad shape on the inside that will turn people off. just think how you would react to that situation.
If flipping it you can get generic FBs and grates when people see new FBs and grates that really helps, but it will cut into your profit.

I'm sure Jon and Bruce and some of the others will chime in here and they have a lot more experience at this than I do.
Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck.
 
Thanks Rich, I am fortunate enough to live in San Diego, so its always time to grill.

I am fortunate enough to live in San Diego, so its always time to grill. You are correct about the sales though. Deep discounts, Lowes and Home depot. I have no trouble waiting. I was just trying to figure out whether there;s a rule of thumb anyone uses regarding how $$$far to go.










QUOTE=Rich Dahl;827593]First welcome to the forum Jerry. In most parts of the country grilling season is winding down, so that causes a slow down in rehab grill sales because the big box stores are dumping their grills to gain space for the holiday stuff.



I have rehabbed a few earlier genesis grills and had good success selling them at a profit anywhere from a profit of $50 -$125. That was during the spring and summer.

The draw on the earlier grills and I've been told this by a few is that they remember their parents having a weber grill and want to relive that.
If you do all that you say your going to do you will have about $65 -70 in it you should be able to get $125-150 for it. But you may have to sit on it until spring/summer comes around.

If the grates are good on the top that might be okay., but if it's pretty on the outside and in bad shape on the inside that will turn people off. just think how you would react to that situation.
If flipping it you can get generic FBs and grates when people see new FBs and grates that really helps, but it will cut into your profit.

I'm sure Jon and Bruce and some of the others will chime in here and they have a lot more experience at this than I do.
Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck.[/QUOTE]
 
So Jerry it depends on what you mean by recoup your costs. Are you doing this simply to resell? If so than maybe not. Bruce has kinda set the defacto standard on restoration and flipping. If though you're looking at personal enjoyment than investing in good stuff will reap you better enjoyment and performance BUT only you can really put a "number on that"
 
I am fortunate enough to live in San Diego, so its always time to grill. You are correct about the sales though. Deep discounts, Lowes and Home depot. I have no trouble waiting. I was just trying to figure out whether there;s a rule of thumb anyone uses regarding how $$$far to go.










QUOTE=Rich Dahl;827593]First welcome to the forum Jerry. In most parts of the country grilling season is winding down, so that causes a slow down in rehab grill sales because the big box stores are dumping their grills to gain space for the holiday stuff.



I have rehabbed a few earlier genesis grills and had good success selling them at a profit anywhere from a profit of $50 -$125. That was during the spring and summer.

The draw on the earlier grills and I've been told this by a few is that they remember their parents having a weber grill and want to relive that.
If you do all that you say your going to do you will have about $65 -70 in it you should be able to get $125-150 for it. But you may have to sit on it until spring/summer comes around.

If the grates are good on the top that might be okay., but if it's pretty on the outside and in bad shape on the inside that will turn people off. just think how you would react to that situation.
If flipping it you can get generic FBs and grates when people see new FBs and grates that really helps, but it will cut into your profit.

I'm sure Jon and Bruce and some of the others will chime in here and they have a lot more experience at this than I do.
Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck.
[/QUOTE]

Jerry we lived in Lake Forest formally El Toro in Orange County for over 30 years and I lived in California since 1963. Loved the weather hated and still do the traffic and congestion when we go to see our kids.
You stand a better chance at getting yours sold than the snowbound folks. But it still won't be as many looking for grills as there would be in the summer. At least that's what happens here and we are in a mild climate also.
 
Jerry, I agree with Rich I just did a craigslist search in San Diego no less than 5 brand new Weber's had to be the Lowes deal so even in your neck of the woods as you said.

Probably a better time to be picking up potential rehabs when they show up then selling down the road but even at a $150 bucks your still cheaper depending on what you have into them. To me if its a Redhead, Blue or Green something other than black a skyline exempted you have something that is different. Those might sell problem is every market is different probably then my suggestion is keep looking at offer up and craigslist to see if somebody has done a makeover and what they listed for and how long were they there before they sold.

I live in ATL there are no less than 6 new Webers for sale again the Lowes deal but in the last week 2 Redheads popped up I got one the other one sold and they both need to be done over. I had not see a Redhead show up in the last 5 or 6 months.
 
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Hi Jerry,

I am not at all a very successful "flipper" but I have renovated a number of grills. If you want to flip you need to find ways to reduce costs wherever you can while paying attention to the things that buyers look at. Grates are a good example. For flipping you almost certainly can't fool around with high end stuff like the beautiful ones "rcplanebuyer" makes. But you can find decent stainless rod grates on Amazon or perhaps other sources. I think new stainless rod grates are a BIG selling point. The flavorizers matter, too, but there are some acceptable alternatives available if your existing ones don't look good (most likely the case for any old grill :mad:!). The combination of new grates, flavorizers and a firebox and hood that have been TOTALLY cleaned up makes a compelling selling point. The cleanup doesn't cost anything but sweat. If you don't already have an angle grinder and wire cup brush combo, then scoot down to Harbor Freight and get set up! (You might want to search for my recent thread about angle grinders if you want to compare what HF offers-of course you may already be way ahead of me on that...) Finally, a nice clean up on the outside and a paint job on the frames and hood sides helps a lot and doesn't cost much. I also think it is worthwhile to treat the wheels and any other black plastic with a trim restorer product.

If you want to do more than just one grill don't overlook chances to get free or near free "parts grills" to take apart and keep just what can be readily salvaged. If you start buying Weber parts for everything you will have a nice new looking grill that you won't be able to get your $ back in a sale. Trust me, I know the hard way!

As to what the market will bear, my personal opinion is that while there are a lot of old Webers for sale sometimes, seldom are they properly cleaned up and restored. I also feel that redheads attract attention, especially with real wood slats. Of course the slats add even more labor and metal cleanup for the tray holders. A classic redhead with stained wood does strike a responsive chord for many prospective buyers who may remember them fondly (even if a neighbor had them) and are surprised to see one all rebuilt and looking new. Some of our members have had good success selling Genesis Silvers, but I don't think they have as much appeal. Just my opinion, and I DO really like the last Silvers with the modern thermoset tables and black controls knobs/handle if you can find one.

The Genesis 300 grills pose a challenge with their usually rusted out bottoms, but if you are up to some grinding and can judiciously source replacement parts these grills look more impressive to some buyers (no matter how much some of us lament that:confused:). They can command a pretty good price if fixed up nicely.

I agree that the current Lowes glut makes this a less attractive time to sell but also a good time to look for bargains from others trying to sell into a tougher market.
 
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Yesterday in ATL there were 6 of those new Webers from the lowes deal now this morning there are 8 of them and they are competing with each other with prices all over the map. I think some of these people are going to get burned and either get real on their prices or wait until the spring. Might have to wait till spring anyway.

That's a lot of new grills to absorb on Craigslist plus how many people have already bought new ones on clearance. Also not sure there are that many people looking for brand new grills on Craigslist.
 
In many cases, you actually make more by NOT buying new grates and FBs if the ones that are there are serviceable and can be cleaned up. That said, it takes some selling on your part. Get the outside looking fantastic and get the inside of the firebox looking great as well. Knock the rust off the FBs and the grates. When a prospective buyer comes to look at it, that is when you could talk about how you could have replaced both the bars and the grates, but that would have driven the selling price much higher. That the current bars/grates are still solid and will last for "X" many years. That it didn't really make sense to just throw them away. You could also talk about how even brand new ones would quickly discolor and show wear once used a few times and subjected to heat.


You could even point them to grates/bars that you'd suggest IF they wanted to go ahead and get the nice shiny bling. FWIW< I've never lost a sale over grates or bars not being new. But, then again, I usually do quicker, less detailed "refreshes" as opposed to full nuts and bolt restores.
 
I think a lot depends on your market.

I have been closely watching the market around me in MA and it seems that you can get decent money for good condition propane Webers of most shapes and sizes.
That has been pushing me to try to do a flip or two if the initial buy-in is right and see what happens.

As an example, I am pretty sure I am headed to pick up a mid-2000s cabinet-style 3 burner Spirit tonight for $50 with a propane tank.
It is close by and therefore a very easy pickup for me.

I have not flipped any grills at all so far, but I am nearly positive I can take one of 3 strategies with it:

1) Do nothing to it at all and simply resell it for $50 without the tank (I want a couple of extra tanks around and I currently don't have any).
2) Clean it up with no part replacement at all and try to get $75 or $100.
3) Clean it up and refurbish it (new grates, new burners if needed, new igniter if needed, any other reasonably priced new parts necessary) and probably get $150.

We'll see if I do in fact get it and what I end up doing with it when I get it, but I've been studying the market around me long enough to know that these 3 strategies seem to be pretty realistic.
 
In the Phoenix CL this morning there are 11 brand new Weber's for sale. I'm not that familiar with the retail prices of Weber's so I really don't know if the prices are good.
I can't believe what people are asking for unrestored or even just" as is" Weber's, no 3 burners under $125 and some as high as $290. Most of them are Bs and Cs and a couple of 3XX.
 
I think a lot depends on your market.

I have been closely watching the market around me in MA and it seems that you can get decent money for good condition propane Webers of most shapes and sizes.
That has been pushing me to try to do a flip or two if the initial buy-in is right and see what happens.

As an example, I am pretty sure I am headed to pick up a mid-2000s cabinet-style 3 burner Spirit tonight for $50 with a propane tank.
It is close by and therefore a very easy pickup for me.

I have not flipped any grills at all so far, but I am nearly positive I can take one of 3 strategies with it:

1) Do nothing to it at all and simply resell it for $50 without the tank (I want a couple of extra tanks around and I currently don't have any).
2) Clean it up with no part replacement at all and try to get $75 or $100.
3) Clean it up and refurbish it (new grates, new burners if needed, new igniter if needed, any other reasonably priced new parts necessary) and probably get $150.

We'll see if I do in fact get it and what I end up doing with it when I get it, but I've been studying the market around me long enough to know that these 3 strategies seem to be pretty realistic.



One problem with #3 is that new grates, burners, igniter and FBs can be upwards of $100, added to the $50 initial cost = $0. Plus, there's additional costs that many don't think of. How many green scrubbies will you destroy ? How much Simple Green will you go through ? Even $10 or $20 spent on supplies will affect the numbers/calculations.


Also, just an FYI, but since it's an enclosed cabinet, check the bottom very carefully for rust.
 
In many cases, you actually make more by NOT buying new grates and FBs if the ones that are there are serviceable and can be cleaned up. That said, it takes some selling on your part. Get the outside looking fantastic and get the inside of the firebox looking great as well. Knock the rust off the FBs and the grates. When a prospective buyer comes to look at it, that is when you could talk about how you could have replaced both the bars and the grates, but that would have driven the selling price much higher. That the current bars/grates are still solid and will last for "X" many years. That it didn't really make sense to just throw them away. You could also talk about how even brand new ones would quickly discolor and show wear once used a few times and subjected to heat.


You could even point them to grates/bars that you'd suggest IF they wanted to go ahead and get the nice shiny bling. FWIW< I've never lost a sale over grates or bars not being new. But, then again, I usually do quicker, less detailed "refreshes" as opposed to full nuts and bolt restores.

Great idea, Dave.

Perhaps I will try to use it with this Spirit if I pick it up.
 
One problem with #3 is that new grates, burners, igniter and FBs can be upwards of $100, added to the $50 initial cost = $0. Plus, there's additional costs that many don't think of. How many green scrubbies will you destroy ? How much Simple Green will you go through ? Even $10 or $20 spent on supplies will affect the numbers/calculations.


Also, just an FYI, but since it's an enclosed cabinet, check the bottom very carefully for rust.

Agreed completely, but I think with the right parts purchased, you can still make a profit.
My review of the market tells me that if you are spending $100 on all those parts you aren't buying from the right places or you are buying stainless everything.
I also think I'm being conservative - I could probably get $200 out of the right grill.

And thanks for the tip on the bottom shelf.
If it is rotted out, I am out - I already asked the seller and he told me it was in very good shape.
 
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Also keep your eyes open for just parts being sold on various sites. A few months ago I got an original brand new set of Weber SS flavorizer bars for the 3 burner Genesis B/C for $25 and about two weeks ago I found a pair of brand new channel formed SS grates for $20. The seller bought the wrong size. I am not a big fan of them but they are perfect for a grill to flip.
I only replace parts if I cannot clean them anymore. As for the burners I normally only have to replace the cross over burner. They are about $10 a piece. The main burners just need to be cleaned most of the time.
 
Agreed completely, but I think with the right parts purchased, you can still make a profit.
My review of the market tells me that if you are spending $100 on all those parts you aren't buying from the right places or you are buying stainless everything.
I also think I'm being conservative - I could probably get $200 out of the right grill.

And thanks for the tip on the bottom shelf.
If it is rotted out, I am out - I already asked the seller and he told me it was in very good shape.


Just for curiosity sake, can you show me a "basket" of Flavorizers, burner tubes, grates and an igniter that would be substantially less than $100 ? As for how much you could get out of the grill, it depends on your local market. One big thing working against us all right now is that it's the "end of the season" and stores are dumping grills and also, many people are off loading them now instead of storing them over the winter when they plan on replacing next year. We're heading into one of the worst times to be selling grills, unless you live in Southern/Western areas.
 
In the Phoenix CL this morning there are 11 brand new Weber's for sale. I'm not that familiar with the retail prices of Weber's so I really don't know if the prices are good.
I can't believe what people are asking for unrestored or even just" as is" Weber's, no 3 burners under $125 and some as high as $290. Most of them are Bs and Cs and a couple of 3XX.

Same here. Lots of new Weber grills. Some folks must have bought the 50% off grills at Lowe's in bulk and now try to resell them closer to MSRP. However I wonder about the warranty which is not transferable from the original buyer. Unless they hand the buyer their original purchase receipt which then also shows what they actually paid the buyer may not be eligible for any warranty claims.
 
One big thing working against us all right now is that it's the "end of the season" and stores are dumping grills and also, many people are off loading them now instead of storing them over the winter when they plan on replacing next year. We're heading into one of the worst times to be selling grills, unless you live in Southern/Western areas.
Very well said Dave. But even here in Texas it is hard to sell any refurbished grills right now for all these reasons you mention above. I have to wait and see how the market looks around Thanksgiving when stores have depleted their inventories and the "flippers" sold the grills they got for cheap. If not I will wait till spring.
 
Just for curiosity sake, can you show me a "basket" of Flavorizers, burner tubes, grates and an igniter that would be substantially less than $100 ? As for how much you could get out of the grill, it depends on your local market. One big thing working against us all right now is that it's the "end of the season" and stores are dumping grills and also, many people are off loading them now instead of storing them over the winter when they plan on replacing next year. We're heading into one of the worst times to be selling grills, unless you live in Southern/Western areas.

Respectfully, Dave, I cannot do that. I do not have the time. I price many of these items on Ebay and Amazon and buy where they are cheapest, aftermarket if necessary.
I refurbished my Silver A Freebie for $49 for everything it needed. $22 for burners, $16 for a new grease tray and bracket which it only needed because I was keeping it, and $11 for a new igniter.
Sure, if your flip project needed everything, flavorizers, burners, grates, an igniter, and a new grease tray and bracket, you might be pushing $100.

I get your point.

I agree about the end of the season as well.

As with any other market, it is the businessman's responsibility to watch the market and do his research, sell when you can make a profit, and watch the cost of items that go into refurbishment.
 
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Up here in the mountains of AZ things will stay pleasant for a couple of more months. We usually don't get into the 30s until late December.
But Phoenix is coming into their prime grilling season, where it's not 110 degrees at 5pm. I have seen craigslist activities pick up on grills in the September/October.
 

 

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