Power and water during rehab phase?

Question

How many of you have power and water turned on in your name during the rehab portion of a BRRRR property. My contractor says he would prefer that I have it turned on but he has generators if I choose not to. Aside from additional costs to me, are there really any other downsides to getting everything turned on?

FYI, it should be a short rehab, only about 3 weeks and once rented the tenants will be responsible for all utilities in their own name.

Michael Noto · Answer

Definitely get the water running and fully operational before starting any interior rehab. What if you have a nicely rehabbed house and turn the water on and there is 3 or 4 leaks that spring up which completely ruin the work you have done? Now you are at square one.

Lynnette E. · Answer

I turn them on for all the reasons above, but there are downsides.

The druggies that are homeless do watch and see a house being rehabbed with water and electricity and move in, or sometimes just stay the night and leave before the workers come in the morning.  BUT they often leave underclothing or wet showers, food, or other items that tell you someone moved in for the evening.

One house we battle with a lot and now just turn the water off at the meter and electricity at the house breaker each night.

Lynnette E. · Answer

I turn them on for all the reasons above, but there are downsides.

The druggies that are homeless do watch and see a house being rehabbed with water and electricity and move in, or sometimes just stay the night and leave before the workers come in the morning.  BUT they often leave underclothing or wet showers, food, or other items that tell you someone moved in for the evening.

One house we battle with a lot and now just turn the water off at the meter and electricity at the house breaker each night.

Kyle J. · Answer

I do, always. The costs are negligible. Plus, it’s way easier to just have power everywhere you need it and not have to work off a noisy generator.

It's nice to have the option to run the AC if you're working in the dead heat of summer or run the heater if you're working in the freezing cold of winter too.  Or all the lights if you're working at night (which I often have).

And you always end up needing water for something (i.e. watering the lawn, pressure washing the house or driveway, testing plumbing fixtures, cleanup, etc). Where else are you going to get it? The neighbor’s house?

I don’t see any downsides to having it turned on.

Power and water during rehab phase?

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