Simple "Securing of Homes" Can Be a Lucrative Aspect of Your Foreclosure Cleanup Business / REO Trash Out Business
Boarding Windows and Doors on a HUD Home
As you know, in your foreclosure cleaning business / REO trash out business, you can offer many services, including debris removal, trash-outs,
cleaning, lock changing, lawn maintenance, vehicle removal, pool cleaning,
pressure washing, gutter cleaning, repairs, inspections, boarding windows and doors, and more. But one of the primary services banks are
requesting these days is the boarding of windows and doors. Simple "securing
of homes" can be a lucrative aspect of your foreclosure cleanup
business.
Below is an overview of some of the requirements from HUD in what they expect when foreclosure cleanup companies
board windows and doors on a HUD home.
Boarding Windows and Doors on a HUD Home
"When boarding is appropriate, all first floor doors and windows, including all basement windows and doors, should have
plywood covering the entire opening and frame. The covering should be
secured with carriage bolts. Eliminate any possible hazards that may be caused by protruding bolts used to secure boarding. The use of
nails is prohibited.
There should be no boarding above the first floor, unless entry is possible without use of a ladder, and the opening
is large enough for a person to easily pass through.
Openings above the first floor that do not meet this test should be secured but not boarded. Second story and higher
openings are typically accessible only from attached properties, stairwells or fire
escapes. If security bars are located on windows/doors, boarding is not required. Openings too small for a person to pass through,
particularly pet openings in doors, should be secured, but not boarded. To ensure
that no hazards exist, remove all broken glass from the windows and surrounding interior and exterior areas.
All properties should be boarded in accordance with local codes. If local codes differ from HUD requirements herein, local
codes supersede. For the purpose of this document, the definition of united
inch is length plus width. (Excerpt from Pricing Guide.)
Specific Requirements & Local Variations
More specific requirements, including plywood specifications and more, are required by HUD. Also, in many
instances, there are specific "local variations" (based on your geographic area of the country) which can be slightly different from the general
requirements outlined above.
Tons of Specific Instructions Available
Specific requirements and local variations are discussed in detail in the Pricing Guide
(for not only window and door boarding, but for other foreclosure cleanup services, such as inspections, photographs, debris removal, lawn maintenance, winterization, and more). Before you begin work on a HUD home, ensure you know the rules so you are doing the jobs correctly. Larger property preservation companies will expect you as a foreclosure cleanup company to abide by HUD guidelines when they send you out to work on the HUD homes.
Frontlines Busy!
We are seeing an incredible uptick in foreclosure cleaning businesses requesting our industry forms (the combo estimate and contract form and the change order form), which means you guys are busy out there on the front lines. Super! Keep up the
great work. You are doing your part in getting our market back on its feet.
Glad to be in good company with you all!
Continued success with your foreclosure cleaning business!
NOTE: Throughout the internet and in real estate industry literature, you may see the terms/names mortgage field services, property preservation business, foreclosure cleanup, foreclosure cleaning, foreclosure clean-outs, foreclosure clean, clean foreclosures, cleaning foreclosures, REO trashout, REO trashouts, field asset services, property field services, field service, and field services used interchangeable. The main thing to remember is foreclosure cleaning and foreclosure cleanup generally refer to smaller entities; while property preservation generally refers to larger companies.
