Buying a property that needs some repairs is a good strategy for getting a home that may otherwise be out of reach financially. However, it's important you connect with several experts who can help you turn a dump into a beautiful, livable home. Here are three people you must call before and after you buy a fixer-upper.
Structural Engineer
It's a given that you should have a home inspector look at the house. The issue with this is, regular inspectors are generalists who can point out problems as they find them, but they may be a thorough as you need, particularly when it comes to structural issues. If the home is older, been subjected to environmental damage (e.g., flooding), or has been sitting vacant for a significant period of time, you'll want to contact a structural engineer.
A structural engineer specializes in determining a building's soundness. For instance, this person can tell you if there are problems with the foundation and how much it will cost to fix it. It's critical you know upfront whether the home's bones are still strong or if they need to be repaired and the associated price tag for bringing them up to code.
Pest Control Expert
Unless you want to be sharing your new home with creepy critters, another expert you'll want to call in is a pest control technician, especially if the home has deteriorated quite a bit or no one has lived on the property for months or years. Pests are experts at working their way into a house using the smallest cracks and will make themselves right at home if no one is around to send them packing.
Unfortunately, it's not always readily evident the home has an infestation. Additionally, not all pests can be evicted with one day's notice. For example, one family purchased an old home that had an endangered species of bats in the attic, and they had to wait several weeks before the exterminator could legally get rid of them.
Thus, a pest control expert can more readily identify whether your home has pests and let you know how and when those pests can be eradicated so that you can plan accordingly.
Plumbing Expert
The best time to replace bad plumbing is during a renovation when everything is already ripped up. So, the next expert you should contact is a plumber who can inspect the lines and let you know if there are any problems.
This is particularly important if there are trees on the land, as the roots commonly break underground lines. The plumber can snake a camera line down the pipes so you can see what they look like and let you know whether they need to be repaired or replaced.
For more recommendations on experts to call when buying a fixer-upper or someone to help you buy real estate that fits your needs, contact a real estate agent.
After thinking long and hard about what kind of home to buy, I began talking with a real estate agent about getting a deal that I could live with for the rest of my life. I really wanted to find a home and a deal that offered pleasant terms for me and my business, so I began focusing seriously on getting things done. It was amazing to me to see just how different various real estate deals were, and before I knew it, I was making some changes that would work for my lifestyle. Within a few months, things were a lot better. This website is all about understanding and applying real estate deals.