Cleaning trash out of foreclosure homes is a growing business.
With the recent decline of the housing market, people have begun to make money by cleaning trash out of foreclosure homes. Cleaning trash out of foreclosed homes is not a simple task. It's much more than ordinary housecleaning. People can leave rotted food, abandoned furniture, graffiti, flooded bathrooms and broken glass behind. Before cleaning out a foreclosure home, its important to develop a plan of attack. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Determine the laws in your state and/or town regarding cleaning foreclosure homes. Some jurisdictions require home cleaners to have a license or permit. Obtain, fill out and submit any necessary paperwork.
2. Advertise your services. Foreclosure cleaners are typically hired by banks or mortgage lending companies whose clients have defaulted on their home loans. Make them aware that you are available for work.
3. Go on an "initial". This is when you survey a house to find out what type of clean up work is required. Some foreclosures have been recently vacated; others have been empty for months. There may be mold, toxic waste, bug infestations, leaks and other unexpected occurrences. Before beginning the clean up, you need to know exactly what you're dealing with.
4. Outsource your labor. Depending on the condition of the house, you may need to call an exterminator, mold specialist or plumber before you can begin. Don't put yourself in any unsafe or unhealthy situations. If the situation isn't something you can deal with, call a professional immediately.
5. Buy the supplies you need now that the house is safe to clean. This will include disinfectants, rags, sponges, brooms, mops, dustpans, a vacuum cleaner, trash bags, masks, paper towels and buckets.
6. Make sure the water in the house is turned on. If the water is off, contact the water department to see if you can get the water turned back on for the purposes of cleaning the foreclosure. If the water cannot be turned back on, brainstorm how you can clean the home using water from an outside source.
7. Check to see if the lights in the home are working. If not, call the electric company to see if the power can be turned on for a few days. If that isn't an option, check and see if the house has a back-up generator. If it doesn't, work during the daylight hours only. If you need to use an appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, investigate external sources of power.
8. Secure a dumpster. After foreclosure, people often leave mounds of trash and personal items, as well as furniture behind. Ordinary trashcans will not be sufficient for the job. Contact the city or township where the house is located and ask how a dumpster can be brought to the location for temporary use.
9. Enlist help. Cleaning out a foreclosure home can be a big job, nearly impossible for one person to handle.
Tags: foreclosure homes, cleaning foreclosure, foreclosure home, have been, trash foreclosure homes
