RicodJour wrote:
Bob wrote:
Basic plan: get a better house that requires less work, or burn this
one down 'accidentally' after you have some insurance, and start over
with a fresh house.

Seriously, don't buy this house. Start with a simpler one (less
problems) and work up to one like this, so you can better understand
what you are about to do to yourself.

That's your advice? After sitting down and thinking about how to
respond, and knowing absolutely _nothing_ about the property, the house
or how much the house is selling for, you tell him to burn it down.
Riiiiiiiiiiight.
Actually, I told him several points that would be involved with each of
the remodels he is planning, but my biggest advice I told him several
times was not to buy it, and to get it inspected if he is going to.
This is his first renovation, and those are all very advanced things to
do. Burning the house down was a 'joke', which you obviously missed.
Not to mention, I have undertaken many of those renovations in the
past, and even with help they are hard if going the DIY route,
especially on an old house. If he does it himself, just with a book,
it will either burn down itself from an electrical mistake or flood
from a poorly installed pipe. But once again, I assume! I also don't
know what etc, etc was in his post. Could be: raise and level the
foundation, fix the moisture problem in the crawlspace and walls, or
replace the badly leaking roof, or some other fun problem like that.


For what all of this would cost, he should be able to buy a much nicer
house, enjoy it, live a normal life, have a happy marriage if he is
married. He won't make money on this house if this is his goal anyway,
and if his goal is just to renovate and he has loads of cash, then it
isn't much for him to be proud of, because he isn't doing squat other
than spending money. And most wives don't like to live in homes
undergoing major renovations, so you'd better have somewhere clean she
can live if you want to keep her, I assume.

What I would suggest is that he get a house that just needs a kitchen
remodel and a few other minor items, and start with that. A starter
home is much better for your first renovation than this house.