subject: How To Handle A Foreclosure Cleanup Job When A Home Has No Power [print this page] Many homes that have been foreclosed upon will not have electrical power. Ideally, the realtor handling the job should get the power turned on so you can effectively handle these foreclosure cleanup and trashout job.
But in many instances you will have to work around no power (which will often mean you will not have hot water, and it's hard to clean with no hot water!).
Now, either you can walk away from those jobs, or you can buy a small, gas-powered generator. Our first generator was a 1200 watt generator.
We purchased the generator from Wal-Mart in our area. It works great, is light-weight, easily portable, and it's pretty simple to operate and perfect for most jobs. (It's a little noisy, but that was a non-issue for us.) We paid a little less than $200 bucks for it.
As you grow, you may want to consider investing in a more powerful generator, which can run upwards of $1,000.
You can rent generators from stores like The Home Depot, but it will cost you. See approximate rental costs below based on generator power:
--3000 Watts $39 for 4 hours / $56 per day
--6500 Watts, $49 for 4 hours / $70 per day
I suggest not buying a generator until your business can truly afford it and not renting one unless you are charging enough to still make a profit on the job. There are enough foreclosure cleaning jobs out there in homes with power to get you started in this business. Consider tackling those jobs first.
Some jobs you may have to pass up because you are not equipped to handle them. That's okay; start small and grow as your finances allow you to grow. Remember, you're in it for the long haul.
Continued success with your foreclosure cleaning business!
