Blog Posts

How to Avoid the Yuppie House Flipper

DON’T FLIP OUT!

The non-standard definition of a house flipper:

An opportunist who seeks the purchase of real estate at below market value to make superficial cosmetic repairs, without addressing the underlying infrastructure, then hoping to find unknowledgeable buyers to purchase said real estate at an inflated price, often times by finding unscrupulous sub-contactors to do the work.

Andy’s Home & Business Repair will not sub-contact to the flipper, because we refuse to do sub-standard work. We get at least one call a month, from someone wanting to take advantage. How can you protect yourself from the flipper?

HIRE A HOME INSPECTOR!!!!

It is their job to see thru the fluff.

Look for the clues yourself, some of the obvious ones are:

In the basement: check for cracks in the foundation and water marks on the walls.

In the kitchen: If the countertop has tiles over it, chances are that was done to enhance an ugly countertop, without replacing it. If the cabinets are painted instead of replaced.

Check to make sure the door frames and baseboards are real wood and not foam. Make sure your supply lines are braided and have stop valves. Check the drain trap for rottage. Look for floor tiles on walls or any tile on top of tile make -over. Pull the floor vent up in the kitchen and see how many layers of tile are underneath.

See if bathtub has been glazed over and not replaced. Beware of plastic, thin mill shower kits. If there is a piece of trim around the base of your bath cabinet it may be covering up particleboard damage. This is done to avoid the plumbing issue. Make sure the furnace; water heater and air conditioner are updated.

Look at the manufacturer’s dates. Check for worn-out doors and foggy windows full of fresh paint and putty, worn-out receptacles with new cover plates, old electric panels with copper wire mixed with aluminum, hidden termite damage (usually fresh board to cover up problems), roofs that have been patched and not replaced, de-humidifiers running in basement to cover-up mold smell, patched and painted cast iron plumbing stack, old toilets freshly caulked to the floor so they don’t rock (for now), excessive concrete patching instead of replacement and slapshot landscaping thrown together for a fresh look.

Look for painted-over wallpaper, painted over mirrors, older spray painted appliances, fireplace screens covering damaged fire walls and outdated log burners. Watch for freshly stained decks covering rotten wood, or Cedar wood decks repair with pressure treated planks. Make sure to open and close every window of the house!

Andy’s Home & Business Repairs

WE MAKE YOUR SPACE A BETTER PLACE!