for some reason i keep thinking about mold issues. the extreme heat, watering and condensation could penetrate gyproc and perhaps damage insulation and carpets.
silas is bang on.
the electrical can be fixed through renovation, and holes in the walls can be patched up. but once the walls, carpets, insulation, structural components, etc. are exposed to spores, the house becomes a giant petrie dish for mold.
matt, most municipalities require some sort of inspection after a grow op is busted before the house can be considered habitable again. in the past year, some municipalities have REALLY beefed up the requirements in order for former grow op homes to pass. i highly suggest you call the municipality where the house is located and find out what their requirements are. some municipalities require industrial cleaners to revamp the entire place; some insist the fire department inspect the home from top to bottom with a fine-toothed comb at the owner's expense. PoCo, for example, requires industrial cleaning (at owner's expense) and FD inspections, after hearing about one case where a busted grow op was partially cleaned up, and the unknowing buyers decided to run a licensed daycare in the home once they moved in. little kids and spore-filled carpet do not mix -- nor do Matt, Jen and your four-legged babies.
municipalities that have such laws are proud of them, so if you call, they'll tell you all about them. those that don't won't know what you're talking about, and those are the ones to stear clear of because they look at inspections as part of the bureaucratic rubber-stamping process.
also, while i don't want to scare you, i'd also be very aware of the security features of the home. one of the saddest stories i've ever written was about a man who was shot at pointblank range at his own door because two punks attempting a grow-rip dropped in two years after the grow op formerly at his house was busted. a rare occurrence to be sure; but weird sh!t can happen in those places.
