How to Read a Home Renovation Book When You Tour a Grand County Home

A renovation book is a binder or album where an owner keeps pictures and notes from work done on the house. Some are neat and complete. Some are a folder of receipts and a few photos. Either way, it is evidence of what was done, and Rebecca Smyth, Real Estate Agent, treats it as one of the most useful things to ask for when I tour an older home with a client in Grand Lake or anywhere in Grand County.

A listing sheet can say "updated kitchen." The book can show you what was behind the walls when the kitchen was open.

Start with the dates and the scope. A good book answers four simple questions for each project.

• When was it done? A year, at least. A 2017 project is a different story from a 2023 one.
• What exactly was done? "Plumbing renovated" could mean one bathroom or the whole house. Look for words like replaced, rerouted or repaired, and for how much of the house the work touched.
• Who did it? A named contractor or company is helpful. If the owner did the work, the book should say so, and your inspector will want to look closer.
• Was it permitted? Larger electrical, plumbing and structural work usually needs a permit. Ask whether one was pulled, and ask the building department to confirm if the work matters to you.

Photos taken while the walls were open are the most valuable pages in the book. They can show wiring, pipe type, insulation and framing before drywall covered them up. If the book says the electrical was renovated, a photo of new wire and a new panel is worth more than a sentence.

Look for before and after pictures of the same room. Look for dated photos, and for close-ups of anything that was repaired. If a project has a long description and no pictures, ask whether there are any. If there are none, ask your inspector to look at that area with extra care.

At 1369 GCR 64 in Grand Lake, the kitchen, the electrical and the plumbing were renovated in 2017. There is a book with pictures and details of that work, and it lives at the house. You can look through it during any showing, with me or with another agent.

When you read it, go in this order. Match the kitchen photos to the kitchen you are standing in. Check whether the outlets and the panel look like what the book shows. Look under the sinks. Then ask what has been done since 2017, because a good renovation is not the end of the maintenance. The home has also had fresh paint, new closet doors, a new living room ceiling and new support beams under the second-level deck, and each of those is worth asking about too.

A missing page is normal, and it is a question and not a problem. No book covers everything. When a page is missing, ask the seller through me, and write down the answer. I can also look for permit records and ask the contractor if the seller has a name.

Also notice what a book does not mention. If you see a new kitchen but nothing on the roof, the windows or the heating, ask about those directly. The goal is a clear picture of what is new, what is original and what is somewhere in between.

• Ask for a copy of the pages that matter to you, or take photos of them at the showing.
• Give your inspector the list of projects so the inspection starts where the work was done.
• Keep the book with your closing papers if the seller leaves it behind.

Renovation details at 1369 GCR 64 come from the sellers and have not been independently verified, which is the same as for any home where the owner kept the records. A renovation book is not a substitute for a home inspection. This post is general guidance for reading one, not advice on any one home.

Want to look through a renovation book on a home you like? Book a call with me or text 970-531-1268, and we will set up a showing. If you are weighing whether to buy at all, start with how buying works in Grand County.