Foreclosure, foreclosure, foreclosure, consumers, and investors alike are constantly being bombarded with talk about the foreclosure market and how great the deals are or could be. Well this particular property is exactly that. Purchased for under 30K, this property was appropriately zoned and the certification statement (a conveyancing instrument required on all PA real estate transactions) indicated no violations. I know, almost unheard of. The property was located only 2 days after it was on the market. An offer was placed on behalf of the buyer and the rest is history. This article and the subsequent articles to follow uncover and discuss what you don't hear a bout in the foreclosure buzz. What steps to take next? How to get started and some techniques for getting things done quickly. 
A thorough building assessment should be performed to determine which critical building elements require replacement and/or upgrading. A simple floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows approach usually will cover the basics. For the more critical building systems; electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, a good rule of thumb is to replace it instead of upgrade it. 
Take the time to walk through the building prepare a comprehensive quantity takeoff of all the spaces. this is a beneficial exercise and will save you countless hours of recalculation for every purchase of materials. Carefully measure floors, wall heights, door and window sizes. Now is a good time to count hardware, the number of light fixtures both existing and those planned to be installed. this a perfect time 
to envision the end product and establish controls for controlling cost. Don't rush it. make sound decisions on what to keep and what not to keep. Keeping elements, fixtures and components of an existing building for the wrong reasons can be very costly down the line. Remember character comes with a price and it has to fit into the budget. Did somebody say budget? With measurements and quantities in hand formulating the budget is easy. Make a small drawing of each room and make list of what needs to be done in that room. Do this for every room in the building. Remember, be realistic. If you are going to change the floor calculate how much flooring you will need. If your going to paint the walls calculate how much paint you need to buy (hint: read the side of the paint can). Now that you have a rough plan of each room and a rough idea of what will go into the room and a conceptual cost estimate. you can take a break, get some rest and come back to it tomorrow. When we return we'll discuss some good techniques on how to start with major system replacements.
Take the time to walk through the building prepare a comprehensive quantity takeoff of all the spaces. this is a beneficial exercise and will save you countless hours of recalculation for every purchase of materials. Carefully measure floors, wall heights, door and window sizes. Now is a good time to count hardware, the number of light fixtures both existing and those planned to be installed. this a perfect time 
to envision the end product and establish controls for controlling cost. Don't rush it. make sound decisions on what to keep and what not to keep. Keeping elements, fixtures and components of an existing building for the wrong reasons can be very costly down the line. Remember character comes with a price and it has to fit into the budget. Did somebody say budget? With measurements and quantities in hand formulating the budget is easy. Make a small drawing of each room and make list of what needs to be done in that room. Do this for every room in the building. Remember, be realistic. If you are going to change the floor calculate how much flooring you will need. If your going to paint the walls calculate how much paint you need to buy (hint: read the side of the paint can). Now that you have a rough plan of each room and a rough idea of what will go into the room and a conceptual cost estimate. you can take a break, get some rest and come back to it tomorrow. When we return we'll discuss some good techniques on how to start with major system replacements.
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