Property Preservation Companies Are Amazing
I have toured homes that are so indescribably filthy that my head hurts when I walk through, along with my nose and all my more gentle sensibilities! It’s shocking how some people choose to live or how they’ve decided to treat a home when they know they’ll be leaving it.
We heard from a gentleman today at our meeting who works for a company called Zoom Property Preservation. The company specializes in getting a property back to sellable condition once it’s vacated. They do trashouts (cleaning out trash piled in a home), board up, lawn maintenance, photo documentation, repairs, and secure the property by changing locks. Apparently they do whatever is do-able to get a home back in good condition.
The worst home I’ve been in was trashed due to a very bitter divorce. Clothes were strewn everywhere, the garage was filled top to bottom and end to end with trash bags. You could SMELL the house as you drove up the driveway. The family had at least one dog, as well, that had full use of the home - apparently no one ever let the poor thing outside nor did they clean up after it.
Dan from Zoom explained that nothing can surprise him anymore after what he’s seen. He said, “People are more cruel to each other than any other species.” Schadenfreude aside, my belief is that people who trash their homes are not doing it with the intent to be cruel to another single person. They’re doing it to get even with their lender or the bank for taking away the home.
One thing Zoom does is recycles property that the seller has left. For example, if there is a couch in decent condition, it’s donated to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. The company makes every effort to be green in the sense that they don’t want to create more waste than needed for the environment.
When most property preservation companies work on a home that’s been nearly destroyed, there are standards that must be met when restoring. Berry of the Property Preservation Resource Blog pointed out that HUD requires certain conditions be met before a title may be conveyed to a new owner. In the summer, a mowed lawn within two weeks of conveyance is required. In the winter, a home must be winterized to prevent pipes from breaking. Other conditions include (but are not limited to):
• The mortgage company has clear title to the property which is usually accomplished as a result of the foreclosure sale
• The property must not be occupied
• The property is secure and has been secured following the guideline requirements including lock codes
• Outbuildings must be secured with proper locks and key codes
• Exterior debris and health hazards have been removed from the property
• Interior debris and health hazards have been removed from the property
• Personal property has been removed from the property
If you’re considering the purchase of a HUD property or other bank-owned, give Berry a visit to read additional requirements. They’re quite interesting and will help protect you from being taken advantage of by unwitting or dishonest sellers.
Photos from Hollywood Services, a company in central Florida that specializes in revitalizing property on behalf of owners.
