Meth Mitigation....Worth the Work?

[Mitzmichael Sumilang]

Hey all, I've come across a property that's deeply discounted because it requires Meth Mitigation. Can anyone tell me what kind of work it takes to clean up a meth house and how much that would cost? Wondering if it's worth going after. I would be using an FHA 203k loan to acquire the property. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Shawn Byrd]

You have to hire a certified company that specializes in decontamination and cleanup of drug operations, including meth. This is important because you cannot hide from a buyer that it was previously a meth lab or meth had been used in the house. Most of the time meth can be broken down into a concentration of chemicals that seep into the walls. A specialized spray is sprayed onto the walls to decontaminate the area, and a good scrubbing afterwards is done. The company will most likely advice you to strip the walls of paint and remove all carpet flooring. Most surfaces, like counter tops, can be cleaned and disinfected. This CANNOT be done yourself. The best way to sell the property is to have it certified decontaminated and have paperwork showing it is safe to live in. This will most likely affect the ARV of the house, regardless if it has been 100% cleaned. I'm not a house flipper, but had a family member smoke in the bedroom for years and when everything came to light, the entire floor had to be cleaned. It was a bit more hectic for us because we were living there at the time, but its much less intrusive if you are not living there while the cleaning is done. DO NOT DO ANYTHING INSIDE BEFORE THE CLEANING. I decided to scrub the walls with bleach to try and "clean" the room before hiring professionals and was sick for 24 hours from the chemicals leeching into my skin. Above all health and safety should be your concern, and then profit.