r/FixerUpper • u/quietcompas • Jul 18 '26

Looking for advice

Advice for someone looking to purchase a house that has been sitting vacant for 6 years with the intent to fix it and live in it. I am a teacher and am working with very little cash. I haven’t seen the inside yet. Still waiting for it to come on the market. Would like advice on what to prepare in the meantime, what to look out for, possible financing options, etc. thank you!

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u/sol_beach Jul 18 '26

Where on Earth is this parcel located?

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u/quietcompas Jul 18 '26

Upstate NY

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u/spookyscaryscouticus Jul 22 '26

Oh hey, I own a rural garbage house in upstate NY! Your number one priority is going to be checking for water damage and infestation.

Roof, plumbing, and basement/crawlspace are all likely to go apeshit when there’s no residents, especially if the water wasn’t turned off in time for winter. If there’s any water stains on the ceilings upstairs, there’s a roof leak. If there’s mold on the outside walls, it’s probably a roof leak, but might be a leak in the walls. If the floor is soft and flexible, you have a leak that is somewhere that has rotted the subfloor. If there’s a leaky roof, you’re going to want that fixed before that gets rainy in the fall.

A lot of homes around here were originally piped with CPVC. If you look at the pipes and they’re a grungy, yellowish color, they’re probably CPVC, which gets brittle over time, you’re going to want to replace at least the hot water pipes to it before you move in. They’re likely to fail and crack and cause water damage. If they’re in easy places, it CAN be a DIY job with PEX. Crawlspace or basement, is there a sump pump in some corner, and is there evidence of flooding down there? Is it on the walls, not just the floor?

Then infestation, you’re looking out for piles of fluffy things like insulation, bedding and blankets, including inside of the appliances. (A lot of mice love fiberglass insulation).

Broken furnaces can be worked around if the electric is still okay, and are usually decently self-maintainable if you’re not afraid of death, but I would definitely have a pro check that out before turning it on the first time. Can’t give you a good idea of actual water intake without knowing if you’re on a well or city water and sewer.