fliprent

The best way to save a few bucks on your house flips is to do some of the work yourself.  Of course most of us are not qualified which is why we pay people in the first place.  One area that does not require special skills is demolition.  You might think to yourself “This is a no brainer”, but be careful.   There can be a few hidden problems with demolition.  Besides the obvious back breaking work of slinging a sledge hammer and rolling out the trash to the dumpster, there are also potential hazards.

Needless to say electrical, mechanical and plumbing lines are hiding in walls and ceilings in many places around the house.  An accidental cut to a live electrical line could lead to serious injury.  Make sure that all power in the house is turned off before performing any demolition.  Accidentally breaking through a plumbing line could cost you more money in damages and repairs.   Load bearing walls present another obstacle.  They can be tough to find but typically are the exterior walls that support the roof structure. Also look for long walls that run perpendicular to the floor joists and are stacked on top of each other from floor to floor. 

I prefer to handle most of the demolition on my rehabs since I am removing the plumbing, electrical, framing and mechanical anyway.  Also keep in mind that if the demo becomes too big, such as removing the roof framing or floor joists, you will need a licensed contractor and possibly a different permit.  I learned this the hard way on a job when the roof collapsed and I was fined for not having the proper permit.  You never know what’s going to happen until you open those walls.  On medium demolition jobs where you are removing or relocating walls I would recommend calling a structural engineer, if you are not sure what you are looking at.  When done properly you can save thousands by performing the demolition yourself.