Need help with Contractors

[Andrew Grimmett]

Hey everyone.

Super new here so be gentle..... I recently got this house for 47k and am looking at getting it cleaned out and rehabbed to rent. There obviously were some squatters living here and am leaning towards a company I have talked to to clean it out and clean the floors and walls. Then I know it has got to have rodents and bugs in the property that will need taken care of ASAP once the place is cleared out. I got this house at such a discounted rate because of the shape that it is in and because it was a friend who I am trying to help out. My plan is to make it rentable and really just give him the profit minus vacancy and my expenses from the HELOC I am taking to make the repairs. The house is a 3 bed 1 bath 1200sq ft house on a concrete slab (no basement) and a detached 2 car oversized garage. I have attached some pictures for reference but they are pretty gross so be warned.



I really am new to all of this and really only got into it now to help someone out. I'll take any advice I can get on contractors and and best practices on getting this project done.

Thank you

[Aaron Schrader]

Great advice to have all that detail in the scope of work.  It will give you something to fall back on should the work not be done how you want and gives a contractor clear expectations, which is all-around helpful.  I'd say that in your scope of work to make sure timelines are a part of it as well, and that you make it a goal of yours to never have the house "empty", meaning there's not a day that a worker of some sort isn't scheduled to be in there.  This will help keep the project from dragging on.  Even one day here and two days there can add up to a month pretty quick, a whole month of an empty house.