In the era of HGTV and YouTube, everyone thinks they could be the next millionaire house flipper, and the result is you get some folks in the biz who are either a) really bad at it, or b) unethically cutting corners to turn a profit.
If you are purchasing a home that has been flipped or recently renovated, it’s important to work with a home inspector to closely check out the property to make sure the work was done correctly. There are great people and companies who rehab and renovate properties, using quality materials and licensed professionals and pulling all the appropriate permits. And then you have your lipstick-on-a-pig outfits that are mostly doing surface things like slapping on some paint, new carpet, landscaping, and doing some DIY construction, leaving the big ticket items to the next buyer.
Here are some things we’ve found in flipped houses:
Freaky Light
There’s nothing scarier than a flipper who does their own electrical work (well, you know, unless they happen to be an electrician). If you’re buying a home that has been recently renovated and things look shady, you can ask the seller for receipts, or you can ask your Realtor to help you pull permits for the work that was done.
When you start installing new appliances in much older homes, you often have to upgrade the electrical work to support that. Flickering lights, outlets that don’t work, or tripping breakers are signs that something may be wrong. And this … well, this is just weird as hell.
[This phenomenon is likely caused by “backstabbing” the wires in the outlet, or just pushing them in loose rather than using a screw connector, which can cause them to get cross-wired and do wacky things like this.]
Missing Insulation
Here inspector Boyd points out a super common find in flipped homes, in a 1925 home that he’s inspecting. It’s not the end of the world, but the cost of insulating an attic ranges from several hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the square footage.
Water Heater Problems
Who knew there could even BE this many things wrong with a water heater? Suffice it to say, it’s old, it’s not set up correctly or safely, and the new owners will need to get a new one or at least repair the old one, stat.
We’re not saying don’t buy the house of your dreams because it was flipped. But just like any house, you should do your due diligence and learn as much as you can about it before you buy, so you can plan for current and future expenses that will go along with it — and that’s what your home inspector is there for.
