Buying tax-lien property and remodeling to make a house a home

When you are first looking at tax-lien properties imagine it as your property and use your imagination to realize the endless possibilities.

The remodeling may seem overwhelming but break the massive down into small jobs and always keep your dreams in front of you. Involve your loved ones, ask about their dreams, and as much as possible make them part of your remodeling.

As a family works together to make a house into a home the respective members learn quite a bit about each other. The children learn skills to use later in life. They learn how to be self sufficient and self reliant as well as how to work together as a team. The husband and wife learn to work together in order to benefit the entire family. They also learn to respect each others strengths as well as learning how to help each other overcome their weaknesses.

The woman, usually, more than the man has a grasp about the aesthetic value and looks. The man, usually, is more inclined to just worry about the functionality of things. Together they make an awesome combination and every member of the family benefits.

After clearing and cleaning the yard to make the place look better I started to have the windows replaced, a few at a time (paycheck to paycheck). The pictures are some before and after photos. After I get the house in "move-in condition", and I am able to live in it, I can do more projects where I don't have to keep stopping, because of having to go to work, and put everything away until the next time I have some "free" time. As I worked on the inside I cleared out the different rooms as I began to work in them.

The first major project I should have done or hired someone to do was the roof. I believed the roof was in fairly decent shape and it would last at least 3 years. I messed up by not having it replaced as soon as possible. I used my money on new windows and other projects on the inside of the house. We had an exceptionally wet and snowy winter and the freezing and thawing was extra hard on the roof. I found the leaks the next Spring and now the roof has to be done as soon as I can scrape together the money.

I put rolled plastic sheeting on the attic floor to catch any water that does leak in and I used expanding foam on any holes I could see. I can still do small projects to get the house livable but will not be able to move in until the roof is replaced. This is a learning experience that stays with you and hopefully helps others to not make the same mistake.

The first thing I did was to update the electrical breaker box and I ran all new wiring throughout the house. I have the electric turned off during the winter because I don't have as much time to work on the house and the days are shorter and I would have to use an electric heater for each room. I have the electricity turned back on in the spring and summer so I can work on the house after dark and the weather is milder and no heater is required.

The next thing was to find and fix any weak spots in the floors. I than put 1/2 inch OSB on top of the old floors to help with sound proofing and a flatter surface for the floor covering. I than worked on the ceilings and walls to patch any holes and paint the rooms for a "face-lift". The last thing I'll do to the rooms is put the floor covering of tile or carpet or whatever I decide. That way any paint or debris I had from remodeling the room will be cleaned up and I will not ruin my floor covering.