Starting Your Own Foreclosure Cleanup Business
With unemployment numbers high, many laid-off people are venturing into entrepreneurship and are starting their own businesses. Because of the large number of foreclosures and short-sales, there is a need for people for become home inspectors, maintenance and repair personnel, locksmiths and make-ready technicians. While previous building and construction experience is necessary to become a home inspector, relatively little experience is needed to start a foreclosure cleanup business.
In this job, once the bank takes back a foreclosed house, the locks get changed and the house is prepared for the market. Filling in where the previous homeowner lived and where future ones will take over caring for the home, the goal of a foreclosure cleanup business is to make the home as appealing to buyers as possible, all while staying on a given budget. Since most foreclosed properties are sold as-is, patching holes, replacing carpets and painting walls is not in the general job description for a property preservation company or a foreclosure make-ready technician.
Instead, many people in these occupations have to be prepared for the worst old food left in refrigerators, pet urine on carpets, toilets and bathrooms that have not been cleaned in months, and even severe vandalism. Because many homeowners are upset about losing their homes, some choose to take their anger out on the bank and vandalize their properties. Depending on each lenders wishes, a foreclosure cleanup business may be responsible for cleaning up intentional property damage, in order to make the unit presentable. This may include washing food-stained or graffiti-laced walls, removing pet-stained carpet and leaving a bare floor, boarding-up broken windows, or sweeping and removing debris.
While the task can take at least a day or two, there are some benefits associated with starting your own foreclosure cleanup business. First, since there are plenty of foreclosures on the market, jobs demand is high. This ensures a steady paycheck, even in a tight job market. Next, it may be a new line of work for some that can transition to similar types of jobs when the market improves. Finally, the best reason is independence. When owning your own company, there is no boss who always seems to not understand if there was a traffic accident on the way to work, or who will not let you leave early to pick-up a sick child. Being your own boss requires discipline, but if able to own your own foreclosure cleanup business, property preservation companies, or other related company, the rewards outweigh any negative aspects of the job or dirty tasks you must perform.