Lipstick on a Pig ~ Remodeling Woes

In this PC world we live in, I am surprised that no one has been offended by comparing a mess of a house to a pig. Great post, have a great day!

Paula, I imagine we see that everywhere. If I had clients or my son buying in a flood area, I'd also consider having mold test done to make sure it isn't in the walls. Good luck with finding your son a home!

Good morning, Paula... an apt description -- lipstick on a pig. I've used it quite often when looking at homes with buyers. Sellers think they are fooling us, but most of the time, not so much.

Good morning Paula,

We see this so much especially with flip houses.  The seller thinks they are going to turn a quick profit, not realizing it's all going to come out in the wash!  Although we are not home inspectors, I usually just point out things like this, and say, that is something you might want to have checked out by a home inspector.  Great read!  Have a great day!

Good observation.  Paint hides a multitude of sins and you have to look very closely.  Even pushing on some siding at ground level will reveal whether it's sound or not.  Thank you

Good morning, Paula McDonald I've seen many fix and flips by those who have a truck and a hammer and call themselves builders.... they do not remodel....they hide the damaged areas and hope to get the home closed....

Good morning Paula. I think you have exposed some real concerns. I agree. Please use a bigger font though.

When people put lipstick on the pig rather than doing things the right way, I hope they end up losing money on their investment.  Buyers can often see clearly when a job was not done properly.

A quality product stands on its own.  It's not difficult to differentiate between two extremes.

Don't you just hate it when listing comments say "remodeled" or "rehabbed" and when you walk through the door you automatically know it's a carpet and paint job?

So true. Very common here. 

Important to spot what is wrong before you spend your money and regret the purchase, by then it is too late. Better to look for the lipstick from the beginning. And always get a home inspection.

My husband and I spent decades remodeling Victorians in Downtown Colorado Springs. As a trim carpenter I was always impressed with his work and attention to detail. Can't tell you the number of times we would see homes that had been "remodeled" with the cheapest materials and shoddy workmanship. Good to have an expert in the Grandbury, TX area to help people avoid those pitfalls.

We've had our share of bad flippers in my area and it's still going on , just not to the level it did in the down market. Very easy to spot poorly remodeled homes.

This is certainly a common problem with flippers who get $$$$ signs in their eyes when they find a fixer-upper.  It happens with cars too.  A thorough inspection by a qualified inspector isn't a suggestion but a must for EVERY purchase... including new construction.

I just viewed one that was a bad job. So bad that the buyer spotted it all within entering the home.  

The signature behaviors we leave behind tell a story of those who left them.....

Yep, lipstick doesn't really hide anything. It is up to us to find those instances and point them out

Yes, when you walk enough homes and attend enough inspections, it isn't difficult to spot the pigs wearing a coat of fresh lipstick. 

Flipped homes, whether by owners, private capital, or father and son companies that just buy-fix-and-flip are a real problem for buyers. We inspect so many that don't meet modern standrds. While some are easy to spot just by looking -  poking around as inspectors do can result is some rather dramatic findings. Typically we charge more for flipped homes because they take more time to inspect, and they create more liability on everyone's part.

Bottom line is to make sure and use a detailed home inspector that can locate those problem houses. Referrals and return customers are gold.