Hi Reader,
When my wife and I were house shopping years ago, we walked away from a lot of homes that had been renovated.
I could tell just by looking at them that the work hadn’t been done well. We’d have to undo it all and start over… and that was without knowing what kind of issues were hidden behind the walls.
Most people think renovated homes should come at a premium, but if it wasn’t done right to start with, you're not actually buying an upgrade. You’re paying for the privilege to start again.
So how do you spot a bad renovation when you’re house shopping? We discussed this in our community Q&A call last week and here are the tips that came up:
Bring someone who knows what to look for.
When you walk into a renovated kitchen, you see this bright, airy space and all the future dinner parties and lazy family brunches you’re going to enjoy.
When a good contractor walks in, they're looking at structure and systems: things like where the roof peak lands, where a post comes down, and whether there's a beam that can carry that load. They’ll be able to help you avoid major structural issues and landmines.
Get the original house plans.
Even basic ones are a goldmine, and you can often get them from the city. Compare them to what's there now, and you can start to see where things have been changed — like removing walls or opening up layouts. It’ll give you a starting point for asking what else has been changed and how.
Look at the finishing and details.
You don't need a trained eye for this one. Pay attention to the moldings, the trim, and spots where two materials meet. You’re looking for things like sloppy transitions, odd little gaps, or finishes that don't quite line up. If the visible work is careless, it's fair to wonder about the stuff you can't see.
Bottom line, don't assume a reno was done right. Assume it might not have been, and go prove it was. A little detective work up front beats a very expensive surprise later.
Till next time,
Gerald
P.S. These tips came out of our discussion at our first community Q&A last weekend. It was a fantastic discussion and I can’t wait to do it again. Our next event will be later this year — you can get notified here.