Hiring a Professional to determine what work is needed

When do you enlist the services of a professional to help in determining what is required to rehab a property, or do you just trust your own judgement.

Must an offer on a short sale property include a professional proposal for the work required to rehab the property?

Thank you for your help…Kevin

I know my capabilities and limitations when it comes to rehab / repair. I have a good idea of what I can do with certain amounts of money for rehab. I’m very particular and detailed when I make my lists. Then I price the materials at the store.
If there was something beyond my skill level that needed to be done, I would consult a professional since they’d be doing the work.
You don’t have to have a professional estimate for repairs. If there are significant repairs to make the place liveable, you may want a professional estimate to help you negotiate and justify a lower price. You need to show the bank that selling the property to you for that amount will save them in the long run rather than holding it as a REO. We just put in an offer on a short sale house. Owner owed $54K. It was listed on the MLS for $19.9K. We ended up offering $15K, but someone else offered full price. Another shining example of the homeowner using the home as an “endless ATM” and losing the home.