House Flip Calculator: Return on a Property Flip
See how a house flip performed by setting the full cost of buying and renovating against the net price the property sold for.
Adjust the inputs and select Calculate for a full breakdown.
Year-by-year value projection
Compare Common Scenarios
How the numbers shift across typical situations for this calculator:
| Scenario | Total ROI | Annualized ROI | Net profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| $280k in · $360k out · 1yr | 28.57% | 28.57% | $80,000.00 |
| $150k in · $210k out · 1yr | 40.00% | 40.00% | $60,000.00 |
| $400k in · $440k out · 2yr | 10.00% | 4.88% | $40,000.00 |
| $190k in · $185k out · 1yr | -2.63% | -2.63% | -$5,000.00 |
How This Calculator Works
Enter the all-in cost — purchase price plus renovation, holding, and selling costs — and the net sale price after agent and closing costs. Add the holding period. The calculator reports the profit, the total return, and the annualized return.
The Formula
Return on Investment
V_start = amount invested, V_end = amount returned; annualized ROI = (V_end / V_start)^(1/n) − 1
Worked Example
A flip with $280,000 of all-in cost sold for $360,000 net after one year is an $80,000 profit — a 28.6% total return. Over a single year, the annualized return matches the total return.
Key Insight
Flipping lives or dies on costs that are easy to forget — holding costs, financing, and the agent's cut at sale. Counting them in the all-in figure is what separates a real return from an optimistic one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should the all-in cost include?
Purchase price, renovation, financing and holding costs such as interest, taxes, insurance, and utilities, plus the selling costs. Omitting these overstates the return.
What is the net sale price?
The sale price after agent commission and closing costs. It is the cash actually received, which is what the return should be measured against.
Why does the holding period matter?
A flip held longer accrues more holding cost and annualizes a fixed profit over more time, lowering the annualized return. Speed is part of a flip's economics.
What return should a flip target?
There is no universal figure, but flippers seek a margin large enough to absorb cost overruns and a slow sale. Thin projected returns leave no room for error.
What are the biggest risks in flipping?
Renovation overruns, a longer-than-expected sale, and a softening market. Each erodes the profit, which is why a conservative all-in cost estimate matters.
Related Calculators
Data Sources & Benchmarks
This calculator draws on 3 independent, dated sources.
Methodology & Review
Return is measured from the all-in cost of the flip — purchase, renovation, holding, and selling costs — and the net sale proceeds. Annualized return reflects the short holding period typical of a flip.
Written by Ugo Candido · Last updated May 17, 2026.