I'm looking at a single family home built in the 1930s that will require a significant rehab (HVAC, Plumbing, Electric, framing, drywall, new kitchen, new bathrooms etc). The listing is off the MLS and closing will occur at a title company, so I'm not too worried about title issues. I have hard estimates for HVAC, Plumbing, Electric, and Drywall/framing. Here is a list of my due diligence items. What am I missing ?

1) verify sewer connection in the alley (house needs entirely new plumbing sewer and water).

2) inspect foundation for structural integrity

3) check for mold/issues, termite damage etc.

4) Verify if there are additional historic district requirements/fees/inspections.

5) verify size/age of the electric panel.

6) verify whether gas lines need to be replaced.

7) Verify whether windows can be removed and replaced without historic district permits/inspections.

I have a similar 1926 Spanish bungalow in LA (3bed 2 bath, 1300sqft, single level), that i just rebuilt completely, so here's my 2 cents

1. with plumbing and sewer, make sure that you insect and assess the main drain line form house to street sewer - in houses of that age, they are cast iron and are often buried under a concrete driveway. if it needs to be replaced, make sure re-pavement of driveway is accounted for

2. houses of that age have often started as 2bed 1bath and then somewhere along the way been converted to say 3/2 - mine was in the 70's. ask whoever inspecting the foundation to pay attention to the way it's laid out - variation in crawl-space hight, floor joists and different materials used for pillars that house sits on could point to an addition. flat roof over one of the bedrooms or bathrooms in an otherwise house with an attic is another sign it's been added. either way, check with the city that those additions are legal/permitted

3. termite damage and dry rot in California and Arizona is a given - in any house, especially that old. as you walk around the rooms, stop in each corner of every room and jump up a few times - if the floor is soft and even a sign of weakness, i bet you you'll have to re-drywall, remove subfloor and repair floor joists in at lest half of that room. just a simple "poking wood for termites" test from the crawl space often misses that. i like my jumping test as well

5. size and age of electrical panel - yes, but also age of main electrical wire runs is important. those are usually suspended in crawl spaces or laying on top of ceiling joists in the attic. old wire should be replaced as it's a potential fire-hazard surrounded by all the old fluffy insulation that's in old attics - speaking of fluffy insulation, i hear in some cases it could contain asbestos, so wouldn't hurt to check

fyi, just installed central air in my house and my best estimate - had 7 total - came through Costco at just under $7000 for a 3-ton Lennox system (heat and cool), all new ductwork, permit and inspections. curious as to what your HVAC bid was

Alex,

THANK YOU! The quality of the information and the precise nature of your comments makes me wonder whether you walked this house! I would really like to see some before and after pictures of your project.

The HVAC bid is $5,000 and includes: all labor, material and equipment for the installation of a 3.0 ton (Trane) heat/cool unit including all duct work. I'm sure labor rates are substantially higher in CA than AZ.

Let me know if anything else comes to mind and be sure to post some photos when you get a moment.

Best

In a 1930s vintage home around here, I would also be checking for asbestos in plaster (though it may be old enough to predate that practice) and any floor and/or ceiling tiles.

We would also assume no insulation behind the lath-and-plaster unless it was added later (around here that often means UFFI in the 70s, which is another host of problems). The same for the attic and eaves ... and, as Alex mentioned, if you attic insulation looks like a granular blown insulation (vermiculite) have it tested to ensure there is no asbestus.

In addition to verifying your electrical entrance (60 amp if original) and the age of the panel (fuses or breakers), I would also pull some outlets, switches, and light fixtures to inspect the wire on that end. We encountered older houses with 200amp entrances, new panels, yet someone didn't want to pull wires through a lath-and-plaster ceiling, so they spliced (illegally) into existing knob-and-tube or {not quite as old} ungrounded wiring.

@Roy N. Great information! The house needs a ton of work but on the bright side, the previous owner had a new roof installed, and left all of the interior studs exposed so I pretty much have a clean slate to work with. I plan on moving some non-bearing walls around for an improved layout and will demo at least one, maybe two additions.

As far as insulation, I don't think there is anything left in the attic after 70 years. If there is asbestos in the attic, do you call a asbestos/mold company to remove? The only experience I have with asbestos involved VCT mastic, and we hired a company to remove it.

If you are already back to the studs, then smile ... removing lath-n-plaster is a filthy job :) This would be a good opportunity to spray foam those walls ... I presume you want insulation in Az for predominately the opposite reason we want it here {i.e. you want to keep heat out}. Are the ceilings dropped as well? If the ceilings are down, then inspecting the electrical and rewiring where necessary will be much easier.

If there is asbestus in the attic insulation, then an abatement service will come and vacuum it out for you.

@Roy N. Plaster & insulation removal/demolition is what made me motivated to return to college after every summer working construction! The ceiling are indeed removed and I budgeted for a complete rewiring to include phone and data.

Any yes, insulation is a great thing in AZ this time of year!