Hardie Real Estate  ·  Residential Transformation

Professional Rehab Management
for Real Estate Investors.

Owner-side planning and project oversight for residential investors across the DMV — DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

Submit Your Project → Just evaluating a property? Get a Pre-Purchase Assessment →
The Problem

Most rehabs don't fail because
of bad contractors.

They fail because no one owned the plan. The scope — the full list of what needs to be done and what it will cost — gets defined after bids go out. Budgets shift after demo. Change orders pile up with no one to push back. Timelines slip and holding costs climb.

By the time you close, your margin is gone. The problem isn't construction. It's the absence of real project management working for the investor.

6 weeks
Typical timeline slippage we see on unmanaged residential rehabs
25%+
Common budget overrun when scope isn't defined before bids go out
0
General contractors whose fee goes down when costs run over
Our Services
Before You Close
Pre-Purchase Rehab Assessment
$500 flat fee  ·  Credited toward Phase 1 if you proceed

Thinking about buying a property but not sure if the numbers work? We walk the property, assess what it needs, and give you a written cost estimate broken down by type of work — so you know what you're getting into before you make an offer.

  • Property walkthrough and condition assessment
  • Written cost estimate — broken down by type of work (plumbing, electrical, carpentry, etc.)
  • Written summary to evaluate the deal

The $500 fee is credited in full toward your Phase 1 planning engagement if you move forward.

Get a Pre-Purchase Assessment →
Phase 1
Planning
$5,000 flat fee  ·  Paid before work begins

Before any contractor touches the property, we spend two weeks defining exactly what needs to be done and what it should cost. You get a complete written plan — room by room — so every contractor is bidding on the same job and there are no surprises once work begins.

  • Property walkthrough and condition assessment
  • Room-by-room scope of work
  • Detailed cost estimate — every expense broken out line by line
  • Material and finish selections — flooring, fixtures, cabinets, and finishes chosen before work starts so there are no delays mid-project
  • Contractor bid package with a written scope for every contractor — everything needed for an accurate quote
  • Project schedule and sequencing
Phase 2
Project Oversight
10% of approved budget  ·  Locked at project start

We run the project from contract to completion. Day-to-day contractor oversight, scheduling, and site coordination — managed on your behalf.

  • Contractor coordination and scheduling
  • Weekly site oversight
  • Cost tracking against approved scope
  • Change order review and investor approval
  • Weekly status reports
  • Issue identification and resolution

On a $150,000 rehab, a 25%+ overrun costs $37,500 or more. Our fee is locked at $15,000 — and it doesn't move if contractors ask for more.

The oversight fee does not increase if contractors ask for more money.

Recent Work

A project we've managed.

Full scope delivered as planned, under budget.

Mid-Rehab
Oxon Hill, MD — framing and rough-in Oxon Hill, MD — framing and rough-in Oxon Hill, MD — framing and rough-in
After
Oxon Hill, MD — after renovation, primary bedroom Oxon Hill, MD — after renovation, bathroom Oxon Hill, MD — after renovation, kitchen and living area Oxon Hill, MD — after renovation, entry room
Oxon Hill, MD — mid-rehab and after
Why Hardie Real Estate

Experience on your side.

Our team brings 30+ years of hands-on renovation experience, hundreds of completed projects, and millions in real estate bought and sold — all in the DMV market.

Most investors work with a general contractor who is working for the contractor's interests — not yours. We know what a project should cost, how long it should take, and where contractors cut corners. That benefits you.

We're paid to plan and manage. Not to build. Our fee doesn't change based on what contractors spend.

Why Not Just Use a General Contractor?

Their incentives
are not yours.

Most general contractors
Paid on construction volume — more work means more revenue
Benefit financially from change orders
Do limited upfront planning — it costs them time with no return
Construction expertise is on the contractor's side
Hardie Real Estate
Paid for planning and oversight — not construction volume
Zero financial incentive for costs to run over
Upfront planning is our core product — it's where we earn our fee
30+ years of construction expertise and 30+ years of project management — both working for you
Who It's For

We're selective.

We work with investors who —
  • Own or are acquiring single-family homes, townhomes, or small multifamily properties (2–4 units)
  • Are running anything from cosmetic updates to full gut renovations, additions, or vertical expansions
  • Have a rehab budget of $70,000 or more
  • Have one clear decision-maker who can approve scope and changes on the spot
  • Understand that two weeks of upfront planning is how good projects start
We decline projects involving —
  • Condos, co-ops, historic homes, and mixed-use properties
  • Investors who want to skip the planning phase
  • No single person empowered to approve scope and changes without a committee

We'd rather refer you out than take a project we can't own.

Who We Are

Construction expertise
working for you.

We are a professional services firm that works exclusively on behalf of the investor, planning and managing renovation projects from start to finish — and remaining accountable for scope, budget, sequencing, and outcomes.

We bring two things most investors don't have in their corner: structured project management and deep construction knowledge. No construction markups. No referral fees from contractors. No conflicting interests.

We are paid to plan and manage. That's it.

Rob Hardie
Rob Hardie
Principal
Licensed Maryland Realtor®  ·  SFR®  ·  Project Management Professional (PMP®)
30+
Years of hands-on general contractor experience behind every scope we write
30+
Years of project management experience working on the investor's behalf
DMV
Active across DC, Maryland, and Virginia

You bring the deal.
We run the rehab.

Ready to move forward, or just evaluating a property? Submit your project and Rob will follow up by email within one business day.

Submit Your Project →
Active across DC, Maryland, and Virginia  ·  Minimum rehab budget $70,000
rob@hardie.realestate