Rv12 planning help

[Jcy482]

I’m an aspiring RV 12 builder and planning out what I want to do. Knowing myself, I won’t keep the plane too long after building it as I’ll probably want to do something new (building is as exciting as flying to me). I want to make sure I make the best decisions for recouping most of my money. I’ll be using it for day VFR only. Below are my biggest questions, but open to any additional advice.

Does interior color matter?
Paint or don’t paint?
One screen or two?
Autopilot or not?
Wheel pants or not?
Extra lights or no?
Any other features I should include or avoid?

I am certainly not looking to make money off this process, but would like to minimize losses to the extent possible so that I can move on to the next project. Any and all advice is much appreciated.

[mturnerb]

Originally Posted by Jcy482

I’m an aspiring RV 12 builder and planning out what I want to do. Knowing myself, I won’t keep the plane too long after building it as I’ll probably want to do something new (building is as exciting as flying to me). I want to make sure I make the best decisions for recouping most of my money. I’ll be using it for day VFR only. Below are my biggest questions, but open to any additional advice.

Does interior color matter?
Paint or don’t paint?
One screen or two?
Autopilot or not?
Wheel pants or not?
Extra lights or no?
Any other features I should include or avoid?

I am certainly not looking to make money off this process, but would like to minimize losses to the extent possible so that I can move on to the next project. Any and all advice is much appreciated.

If you're building with selling sooner rather than later in mind, with the RV-12 it's probably better to go "light" on extras as most of them can be easily added by future owners if they wish. I think neutral colors (i.e. gray) are best for resale and paint is a plus if it's done well (again probably best to go with attractive but not garish/complex schemes), especially to drive interest in a "competitive" marketplace.

I would also go ahead and install autopilot servos during the build if it were me. Other considerations would be priming as this is a value enhancer, good documentation (including lots of photos) of your build, and good "quality control" to differentiate your airplane - build it safe but also pay attention to little details that are noticeable during casual inspection. Having documented site visits from an EAA tech counselor will help with both quality control and marketability.

[rv9builder]

I agree with all of Turner's suggestions with the possible exception of exterior paint. I could go either way on that one. Having it painted certainly reduces the hassle factor for the new owner, but a lot of buyers will see it as a plus to be able to choose the paint scheme for their new plane. You could always try to sell it unpainted, and if it doesn't sell quickly, you could invest in a paint job.

[joe gremlin]

Interior color shouldn't matter so long as its neutral.

Unpainted exterior could make it more attractive to some, but will likely make it less attractive to lots of others as they won't want to deal with getting it painted themselves. So I would say paint will make it sell faster. But you'll likely take a loss on the cost if you pay someone else to paint it. DIY vinyl wrap could be a compromise that gets you closer to break even.

A 2nd screen probably won't pay for itself at resale.

Auto pilot will definitely make it sell faster.

Same with wheel pants.

Adding a sun shade and some interior panels will also make it more attractive at resale. Oh and a 3-blade prop.