Kansas City woman, 71, paid $32K to get her home ready to sell — but says the contractor gutted her home. Here’s her warning for other hopeful sellers

Instead of fixing up the place, Lyman allegedly gutted it.

“When I came into the house and saw what he had done. Stealing things and damaging the property. All I could do was sit on the steps and cry,” Safir told FOX4. The floors had been ripped out and swapped with flimsy plywood. Entire walls were gone, electrical wiring was stripped and even the chandelier had vanished.

Here’s how her dream of a fresh start went off the rails and what you can do to avoid falling into the same trap.

Right idea, wrong contractor

Before listing her home, Safir took out a $40,000 loan and paid $32,000 to Lyman’s company for renovations. It wasn’t a reckless choice — renovating before selling can pay off.

A November 2022 Zillow survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that 66% of recent home sellers completed at least two improvements before closing a deal. Nearly one-third admitted they could have sold for even more if they had made additional upgrades.

Safir had the right idea, but everything went wrong. Her home was left in shambles, and even the access ramp she relied on because of a disability was gone. She now calls Lyman not just an incompetent contractor, but a thief.

When FOX4 reached out to Lyman, he eventually answered on the third call, only to refuse questions. Instead, he pointed reporters to a new roof that, according to Safir, is already falling apart.

Lessons from a $40K loss

Two years later, Safir is still trying to pick up the pieces. The botched renovations left her home in ruins, but there’s finally a sliver of hope. With the help of local realtor Danny Tipton, she’s in the process of selling the property to a rehabber. The sale — expected to close soon — will barely cover the $40,000 loan she took out for repairs, but it’s a start.