When you are on the hunt for homes you have to be looking for more than the usual “For Sale” signs. By this I mean, you should be on the lookout for indications that the house you are considering to purchase might have been a former grow op.
As you might already know, grow op is a term used to describe marijuana grow houses.
Grow ops can be hard to spot after the operation has been dismantled and the required renovations have been done to the house. It can be especially difficult to spot if the house’s grow op history is to several buyers in the past.
Grow op houses can look like any other home on the surface, however it requires many renovations to be placed on the market. What generally happens is that it requires extensive repair or given cosmetic alterations to hide the real damage before putting it up for sale.
You need to have any home inspected to reduce the possibility of buying a home that has been cosmetically renovated.
To help you spot if a home was a former grow op, in addition to working with a professional home inspector, look for these signs:
• Where the walls and ceilings meet, you will usually find mould
• There will be an unusual number of roof vents or signs of roof vents
• Painted concrete floors in the basement where pots might have once stood
• There might be fresh paint on window frames to cover any damage caused by high levels of humidity
• Fire place alterations.
• Alterations on the inside of the garage
Brokers and Real Estate Agents are obligated to disclose any material fact about a property, no matter how it affects a person’s decision to buy.
Always ask questions if you feel something is wrong with any house you are examining, you never know what you might find when going through the search for your new home.
Do not overlook anything as it could cost you to buy a home that was a former grow op which will only make it harder for you to live in or sell.
Glen Chapman
Broker of Record with Club “100″ GMAC Real Estate
www.club100realestate.com
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