Buyers Nervous About Flip Houses
Buyers in my area have become hesitant to purchase homes that have been renovated or remodeled by investors / flippers. A buyer told me today that she’s been advised by her friends to never ever buy a house that the seller has not lived in because they haven’t personally had the chance to fix the little things that will go wrong once a home is lived-in.
I’ve thought a lot about the advise and believe it makes sense, except for one thing: Home Inspectors. A home inspector should test wall outlets, check the heat and air unit, water pressure, appliances, attic, ceilings, crawl spaces, and more. There should be no major surprises after you move into a remodeled home if the inspector has done a thorough job.
However, like humans when we break an arm or catch a cold, houses can also “get sick.” Whether it’s been one month or three years since you moved in, problems inevitably occur. Home maintenance is part of the package that goes along with home ownership and part of that maintenance is making repairs as needed so a house doesn’t wear down.
YouTube has great videos about do-it-yourself home repairs. Before you begin a home repair, you might visit Evansville, Indiana’s Better Business Bureau to determine if you have what it takes to do it on your own. They say,
Cosmetic changes, such as painting or wallpaper are easy DIY projects. Structural changes, such as plumbing, wiring, or framing are typically best left to the professionals. Even moving a bathroom sink a few inches can become a huge hassle involving re-routing the plumbing, painting, caulking, and tiling.
My biggest home project was stripping wallpaper (I failed) and painting (success!). I know my limitations.
Photo from here (which incidentally shows you how to remove wallpaper).
