Sweat equity is most often a term used in new construction. It basically means, the builder is giving you credit (or money off the price of the home) to do things you have the skill to do yourself.
The most commonly seen items are: deck, insulation, painting (interior or exterior), shingles, and tile work.
Not every builder will allow this to be done – but if they do, you can save some cash and make the deck the way you want it, or paint the bedrooms different colors. Remember that when a builder does offer this option, you have to front both the labor and the materials. That being said, don’t go to the store and open a free credit card to pay for the supplies as you may throw your debt to income ratios off and end up with lumber for the deck on a home you can no longer get a loan for.
Also important to note is the fact that when you do participate in sweat equity it is on the builder’s time frame, not yours. You may be asked to come in and get your painting done in a week’s worth of time. For every day you don’t get finished, you put the project behind and may miss your closing date. Some builders will take over the job for you if you aren’t getting it done – and then you lose the credit.
Before you sign on for sweat equity, make sure you understand what you are getting yourself into.
Still have questions about sweat equity? Ask them here!
Jackie Fischer
Broker Associate
Hegg, REALTORS
Sioux Falls, SD
605-360-2574
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