What You Can’t See

You can’t always see what’s wrong with a home you plan to buy and flip. Very often a quick cosmetic make-over can make a place look much better than it actually is. The main areas you should consider are plumbing and electricity. The condition of these household systems can’t be seen with the naked eye and unless you put a hole in the wall or start ripping up the floor you may not know until after you purchase the house. But don’t put yourself at risk; follow some simple steps to avoid getting burned.

A good plumber should be able to give you an indication about the state of the pipes and plumbing system in a house you’re interested in. Bring one in for an evaluation. Even if he charges for the evaluation it’s worth spending a few dollars to find out the truth. You can also ask the seller if they ever did any work on the plumbing and pipes, if anything was ever replaced or if there is a history of damage or burst pipes in the walls. If so they should have receipts to back it up. This will show you when the work was done.

Also, as soon as you tell the seller you plan to bring a professional in for a true evaluation they will either be totally fine with it or else have reservations. If they do, then you know they are trying to hide something. All that has been said above also holds true for the electrical system. If the house is very old then my law you may be required to change the system because if it’s too old it can be a fire hazard.

Finally, be sure to check for any kind of infestation or termites. Again, this may not be visible to the naked eye but any wood in the home may be rotting from the inside. A professional exterminator will be able to tell. It’s worth paying professionals to give you an honest evaluation – in the end it will save you a lot of money.