Foreclosures in the Cold

There is a cold snap here in St. Paul.  Typical January weather, often the coldest week of the year hits in the second half of January.

So here are some tips for looking at foreclosed, or bank owned properties when it is below zero outside.  Things have changed a bit since last winter.  Many of the vacant foreclosures left the heat on last year so that the temperature inside the house would be 50 degrees or so.

This year most have no heat on at all.   They have been winterized so that the pipes don't freeze.  Since I already told you in a few posts that banks can't sell real estate, I won't go on a rant about that in this one.

When I enter a house with my clients that has no heat, I tell them that they do not need to remove their shoes.  Often there is no walk off mat of any kind so we have to watch for ice too.  A couple of weeks ago one of my clients slipped and fell when we encountered a patch of ice on the kitchen floor.

For some reason that I can't explain, it always feels colder inside an unheated home than it does outside.  We need to dress in layers and it is important to wear hats and mittens, or gloves at all times and warm shoes or boots.  Sometimes we can't stay inside the home as long as we would like to because it gets too uncomfortable.

If it is below zero I can handle about 2.5 to 3  hours of touring unheated homes, which is about five or six homes.  Then I need to go inside a heated building for about an hour.  Leaving the heat off in a home is hard on the home.   Lath and plaster walls will crack.   When it warms up outside, like it did a week ago,  the humidity goes up and the homes become damp inside.  I am not sure that it is good for house hold appliances to be stored in sub-zero weather.  Electronics manufacturers usually recommend a temperature of at least 40 degrees.

When I list a home, I advise my sellers to do everything possible to make the home inviting.  I urge them to leave lights on for showings at night and to heat the home to 72 degrees.  Some homes owners will go one step further and leave a fire in the gas fireplace and have some music on.  Buyers tend to spend more time in the home if it is warm and inviting.  They don't have a problem taking their shoes off either.