If a home you are looking at has been remodeled after fire damage, you may not be sure how to proceed. Is the fire damage still a limitation, or should you consider this home for sale just like any other since it has been rehabbed? Read on to learn what you should do before making an offer on a home with fire damage.
Hire an inspector with experience dealing with fire damage.
Previously fire damaged homes are not something you see every day. So there are a lot of home inspectors who have not seen a lot of homes like this and are not overly experienced in assessing fire damage and subsequent renovations. Your first goal, when looking at this type of home, should be to find an inspector who has specific experience with fire damage. Your realtor may be able to recommend someone in the area.
Have the home fully looked over before you make an offer. The inspector will verify that the repairs have been made properly so that there are not any lingering concerns of smoke damage, water damage, mold, or structural damage.
If the inspector discovers that the home has lingering "issues" from the fire damage, your best bet is usually to walk away – unless your goal is to buy a remodeling project! If you're handy, you could make a low offer on the property and spend the extra cash fixing the issues that are still lingering. Just make sure you don't overstep your capabilities. For instance, replacing some drywall that's still smoke damaged is a manageable project for most people' repairing structural beams is generally not.
Have the home mold tested.
The biggest problem with homes renovated after fire damage is often lingering moisture from the water used to put out the fire. It's hard to get a home dry and keep it dry after a fire. Oftentimes, mold starts creeping up again behind the walls. It may not be obvious yet if the home has recently been remodeled, but it will cause health problems and will eventually creep out from behind the walls.
If your regular building inspector does not test for mold, it's worth your while to have a separate mold inspection team come test the place. If mold is found, walk away. Mold that's still lingering after a remodel is going to be a costly, ongoing issue that's not worth dealing with.
Buying a home that has been remodeled after fire damage is often a great way to get a nice home at a deeply discounted price. Just make sure you have an inspector and mold testing team verify that the home is, indeed, in good condition before you make an offer.
Share28 December 2016
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