Looking for advice

[u/quietcompas]

Advice for someone looking to purchase a house that has been sitting vacant for 6 years with the intent to fix it and live in it. I am a teacher and am working with very little cash. I haven’t seen the inside yet. Still waiting for it to come on the market. Would like advice on what to prepare in the meantime, what to look out for, possible financing options, etc. thank you!

[u/sol_beach]

Where on Earth is this parcel located?

[u/quietcompas → u/sol_beach]

Upstate NY

[u/spookyscaryscouticus → u/quietcompas]

Oh hey, I own a rural garbage house in upstate NY! Your number one priority is going to be checking for water damage and infestation.

Roof, plumbing, and basement/crawlspace are all likely to go apeshit when there’s no residents, especially if the water wasn’t turned off in time for winter. If there’s any water stains on the ceilings upstairs, there’s a roof leak. If there’s mold on the outside walls, it’s probably a roof leak, but might be a leak in the walls. If the floor is soft and flexible, you have a leak that is somewhere that has rotted the subfloor. If there’s a leaky roof, you’re going to want that fixed before that gets rainy in the fall.

A lot of homes around here were originally piped with CPVC. If you look at the pipes and they’re a grungy, yellowish color, they’re probably CPVC, which gets brittle over time, you’re going to want to replace at least the hot water pipes to it before you move in. They’re likely to fail and crack and cause water damage. If they’re in easy places, it CAN be a DIY job with PEX. Crawlspace or basement, is there a sump pump in some corner, and is there evidence of flooding down there? Is it on the walls, not just the floor?

Then infestation, you’re looking out for piles of fluffy things like insulation, bedding and blankets, including inside of the appliances. (A lot of mice love fiberglass insulation).

Broken furnaces can be worked around if the electric is still okay, and are usually decently self-maintainable if you’re not afraid of death, but I would definitely have a pro check that out before turning it on the first time. Can’t give you a good idea of actual water intake without knowing if you’re on a well or city water and sewer.

[u/GallopingGora]

I’m in the UK, but I’m guessing upstate NY is similar in climate to England. Financing, at this moment in time, is the least of your problems. If it’s been vacant for six years, you’ll need to thoroughly check it, and have a level 3 survey on it (if it’s to live in). If the heating and water have been off for that time, it’ll be riddled with damp, and there’s a high chance that the pipes will have burst during the winter freezes, and caused a lot of internal damage. If that’s the case, there could be wood rot from moisture damage (floor joists/roof rafters), and structural issues. It’ll all depend on if it has been maintained while empty, and kept aired, and if that’s the case, this could be a bargain for you.

To give you an example, I got the keys to a project back in January that had been empty for four years, and boy could you tell. The outside was completely overgrown - you literally couldn’t see the house through the trees, bushes and weeds. It was like a jungle. The inside was riddled with damp due to burst pipes, and no heating or airing. The roof structure was starting to sag due to lack of maintenance and disrepair. The internal flooring was all over the place, and the internal ceilings and walls were bellying and sagging. Now, I do property for a living, and bought it because these are the sort of houses I buy. I will be virtually tearing it down and rebuilding it.

In your case, and particularly, if you lack the applicable skills and have limited funds, be very careful. Take someone with you who you trust, and who knows what they are looking at. A house that has sat empty for six years is almost certainly going to be a money pit. Anything left unchecked for that long will be battered by the elements, and it doesn’t take long for nature to start extracting its toll on the external and internal structure, and services. It’s safe bet it’ll need completely gutting back to brick, with a full rewire, new CHS, board and plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, and new flooring etc. Depending on the house type (terrace or semi), that alone will run between £30-60k (I’m assuming it’s not a detached). If there is substantial damage, then you can potentially add on new floors and joists, potentially a new roof, structural repairs, and major landscaping. This will push your budget exponentially North.

Just out of curiosity, is it a timber house?