Grand Rapids, MI · Member since 2013 · 99 posts · 30 votes
I can't explain why, but I'm attached to this old farm house. It's abandoned (although the owners park a truck their to keep people away and actually semi-maintain the property).
The rumor is there is a foot of bat guano inside. It's basically gutted inside already and I would only consider buying it if I could purchase it for land value (it has 10 acres) + energy (it has massive solar panels) because its probably take 100k to rehab (assuming stucture is fine).
I know most people "looking" at it are intending to tear it down and completely rebuilding... What else (besides effectively removing the guano and any fungus - if that's even possible) do I need to consider for a basically abandoned house?
Investor · Clairemont, CA · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
13y
How old of a house are we talking?
My aunt has a PA farm house that was built in 1625?-1785? something like that I don't remember exactly when, but it has 2 foot thick hand laid stone walls. When she got it it was probably fairly similar to what you describe(maybe not quite so much guano) but it is now gorgeous because she kept the structure original and updated. It also took her 3-4 years and nothing was easy just because every "simple" project was instead a custom item now because of the age. Ever try running electrical in a stone wall, or putting a window in a 2 foot thick wall ;)
She also said that the bats took 3 years after she moved in to get rid of because it's their home so they come back every year. She has to have someone come every year and seal any tiny little holes they find to squeeze in or else they'll just start filling it up again.
I'd love a house like it, but I do know it would probably not end up being worth it for a flip but if the numbers really make sense then go for it; it would definitely be a way cool house to flip.
Mechanicsburg, PA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
13y
Beth Declercq
At Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, they had so much bat guano, that they had to haul it out in dump trucks and sold it as fertiziler.
Hopefully, your problem is not that massive. I would think that there would be bacteria issues, that removal should be done with respriator and protective gear. The material needs to be properly disposed of and after all the material is removed you would need to dis-infect the area. You might want to talk to a company who deals in hazardous situations and clean up like chemicals as well as body clean up, such as after a person's death on site.