Does it “Just Need Cosmetics??”


“The Right Things Wrong”

How do you know when you’ve found a home that’s a good candidate for rehab/remodeling?

In the words of one of my favorite contractors, Phil Raskin, “it has the right things wrong.”

Definition: the home has good bones and a nice floor plan, but discrete, correctable problems.

Black, White — and Gray

So, what are some examples?

An ancient gravity furnace (“octopus”), decades-old wallpaper, or ancient appliances.

Even better: all three.

By contrast, examples of “the wrong things wrong” include: a foundation problem; “location issues” (in the shadow of a busy freeway); an incoherent floor plan; and/or poor construction quality.

P.S.: a bad odor would be . . . an example of something that’s in the gray zone.

If it’s attributable to a single, obvious source — yes.

If it’s pervasive — for example, animal odors — the risk that it will linger even after extensive remediation efforts is much higher.



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