Buying a Foreclosure

With the housing market down, a lot of homes are going into foreclosure. A lot of homeowner, angry with the banks, or for other reasons, are trashing the homes before they leave. As a buyer, these foreclosure homes are a great deal, but require a lot of work. More so than the "handyman special" homes of a decade ago, these homes may require new pipes, lots of wall replacement, all new fixtures, and electrical work.

If you are considering buying a home from foreclosure, here are some tips:

1. Have the house inspected by a General Contractor before making a bid. This will ensure that all aspects of the home are verified and you will know what you are getting into before you put forth any money.
2. Keep my number in your cell phone. Being a general contractor who is familiar with both new and existing construction, renovation and remodeling, I can assist you with making a budget, planning projects, prioritizing, and completing each task to your satisfaction.

Drywall

Drywall is a labor-intensive job. Certainly, like painting, it is a job many do-it-yourself-ers choose to, well, do themeselves. Also, like painting, a poor job will show a lot of imperfections for the life of your home.

Drywalling is actually two separate jobs. The first part is the sheetrock installation which entails cutting, shaping, putting the panels into place and then fastening them. The second part includes taping the seams and then sealing both these and the screw heads with drywall compound. This latter process revolves around coating and sanding these surfaces until the walls and corners are smooth and you can't tell where one sheet begins and the other ends.

We hope you will ask questions like this before hiring Benchmark, or any other contractor:

• How long has your company been in business?
• Are you licensed?
• Can you provide proof of insurance?
• Do you have your own crew?
• How would you do this job? Inclusions?
• When would be the tentative start and finish dates?
• Will you obtain the required permits?
• What is you payment schedule?
• Can I see your references?
• Will you bring the right drywall tools and will you clean up and take all garbage away when you leave?
• Will you provide a written contract with all the details agreed upon?

Source: Handyman America