Home improvement television shows like to tell us that anyone can be a real estate investor, which is technically true. Anyone really can remodel or flip a house with the right amount of time, money, patience, and—above all—education. That education doesn’t have to be formal at all, but it does have to take place in the form of extensive research, active learning, and sometimes trial and error. Unfortunately, not everyone understands this. That’s when we get flippers who are only concerned with the cosmetics of a house. Buyers get stars in their eyes when they see a gorgeous kitchen and a fully upgraded bathroom, but when their home inspection comes back, it might be full of structural or electrical issues. Save yourself some time and money and be on the lookout for a few warning signs before you make an offer on a home. That gorgeous flip could very well be a flop!
Kitchen Details
It’s easy to be blinded by beautiful new appliances, cabinets, and tile backsplashes, but try to look beyond the shiny newness. Look for little details that could point to a rushed, careless job. Look out for things like cabinets that don’t align properly or don’t close tightly; gaps between the countertop and backsplash; and new cabinet doors that have been been installed to cover old cabinets. Pay attention to the layout too. The stove, sink, and refrigerator should form a triangle shape. This is a common design theme that creates good flow in a kitchen. If the locations of those appliances don’t form a triangle in some way, chances are the sellers used the old, existing layout, only concentrating on cosmetics and not structure.
Electrical Work
Take a close look at the wiring in the house. Is there a jumbled bird’s nest of wires hidden away in the attic? If so, it’s probably been quite a while since the electrical work was last addressed. This is something a home inspector will be able to catch, but you might not even get that far if you find something like this at a showing. Test the lights, air conditioning, and garage door opener and make sure circuits aren’t overloaded. Also pay close attention to the light switches and outlets. Switches that are positioned awkwardly and outlets that aren’t easily accessible are warning signs of a lazy flipper.
Unaddressed HVAC System
Check the HVAC system to see if it has been replaced or updated recently. If it hasn’t been touched at all, that’s a huge red flag. HVAC systems should always be addressed in a flip house. The last thing you want is to move into a beautiful, updated and upgraded home only to find out that the entire HVAC system needs replacing when summer comes. Even if the system is brand new, it should have been cleaned before the flippers left the house. Construction zones are obviously dusty and dirty, and all of that drywall dust can get sucked into the system.
Haphazard Safety Features
Some features are only installed because code requires them to be present. Check for things like loose handrails or rickety fences. Sometimes a safety feature is simply tossed up to comply with code but isn’t double-checked. It isn’t necessarily out of malice or an uncaring nature; but if a flipper is one who’s mainly concerned with cosmetics, they might not understand the risks of, say, not mounting a handrail to wall studs instead of just drywall.
Mismatched Fixtures
A house full of mismatched fixtures is a warning sign that the seller was more concerned with saving money over presenting quality work. Flippers are notorious for raiding the clearance section at the hardware store. While you can definitely score some sweet deals that way, outfitting a house with fixtures that don’t match is a big design no-no. It’s one thing to use different metals in different rooms, but mixing styles within one area of the house isn’t exactly easy on the eye.
These are just a few simple ways to tell that a flip might not be up to par, but there are lots of others. If you’re not sure, it’s always a good idea to bring along an expert. An experienced real estate agent will also be familiar these warning signs. If you’d like an extra keen eye on your side, make sure to get in touch with us today!
