OURODevelopment

Hidden conditions

This Building Looks Fine. It Isn't.

A clean facade tells you almost nothing about the roof, the service capacity or the plumbing behind the walls.

Short video + notes

Buildings photograph better than they perform. New paint, a swept lot and staged interior shots can sit on top of a failing roof assembly, an undersized electrical service and original galvanized supply lines.

The items that move a renovation budget are rarely visible in a listing: roof structure and membrane age, masonry condition at parapets and lintels, service capacity at the meter, distribution age, ventilation for the intended occupancy, and life-safety systems relative to current code for the use you plan.

What to do instead of trusting the photos: get on the roof, open the electrical room, look above the ceiling in at least two locations per floor, run the water, and ask what has been replaced and when — then ask for the paperwork.

Keep reading

  • Construction economics

    What Does a $2M Renovation Actually Buy?

  • Due diligence

    7 Things to Check Before Buying an Old Building

  • Risk

    The $400K Construction Mistake

Have a property or project in mind?

Send us the address and what you're trying to accomplish. You'll get a direct, construction-informed response — not a sales pitch.