Buying a house that needs work is a popular thing to do for numerous reasons; it allows you to put your own stamp on a place, can provide you with a sense of pride, allows you to create exactly what you want and can be kinder when it comes to your budget. But despite all the pros, buying a ‘fixer upper’ does come with a plethora of cons, too.
It is seldom plain sailing when it comes to doing up a house. There’s almost always things that go wrong throughout the process. So in order to help you make the right decision for you, we, the biggest online estate agent, have put together five things you should know if you’re buying a house that needs some work.
Timeframes will overrun – 99% of the time
Looking to get your pad finished in three months? Forget it! When it comes to building work, even if you’re doing it yourself and not relying on others, your deadlines will move more than you do. Whether it be a weather-induced setback, due to someone being ill or just something cropping up you didn’t expect, you’ll end up at least a few weeks behind schedule.
In order to overcome this, allow for flexibility in your planning and make sure you don’t get bogged down with being behind schedule. Instead, get to work on things you can change. For example can you decorate a spare room while you’re waiting or get quotes for new doors and windows? The more proactive you are, the quicker things will move.
Your budget may take a hit
It’s easy to set budgets, but unfortunately it’s even easier to break them. No matter how meticulous you are about costings and budgeting, you’ll almost always end up spending more than you thought you would. Whether it’s due to an unforeseen issue having to be taken care of, you changing your mind about a kitchen, bathroom or even the amount of walls in your house, your budget is almost certain to take a hit.
To help avoid costly surprises, it’s best to factor in for such eventualities and allow for it in your budget. We recommend allowing a 20% leeway when it comes to budget. Then if you don’t go over, you’ll have more money to spend on the interiors!
You’ll wonder why you decided to undertake the project
There will come a time – or many times – when you’ll ask yourself why on earth you decided to take on such a huge undertaking. Whether it be in the midst of knocking down a wall, when your roof is leaking or when you wake up and have to have a cold shower, the idea of purchasing a lovely house, all finished will pop into your head. Although this is only natural and something every DIY homeowner will go through, it’s important not to get downhearted.
When these times hit, remind yourself why you are doing it and envisage how amazing it will look once it’s finished. You’ll not be inheriting someone else’s ideal kitchen or someone’s old carpet; remember that everything in that house will be exactly to your tastes.
You will change your mind more than you ever thought possible
Certain you know exactly what you want and where? Think again! Once you start working and changing everything around, you’ll undoubtedly change your mind about what you want more than once. Sometimes it will be a small change such as the colour of cabinets, tiles or a wall, but sometimes these changes will be much bigger.
If you do find yourself changing the way you think, it’s important to look at the whole project and make all the changes in one go – before it’s too late. Not only will this save time and potentially money, but it can also save a lot of heartache.
You’ll feel proud for years to come
Even if you’ve not done much or any of the work yourself, knowing that the house is to your specification and exactly how you want it will fill you full of pride for years to come. Knowing that you put your heart and soul into creating a welcoming home for you and your family really will make all the delays, bust budgets and doubts worth it in the end when you can sit in your shiny new home and relax.
Have you bought a ‘fixer upper’ and experienced any of the above? Do you have any tips for those about to embark on a project?
Are you looking for that perfect project? Browse our homes available now.
Are you wanting to sell your house? Have you considered using an online estate agent? We provide all the services of a traditional agent, but without the huge fees and hassle by giving control back to you. To find out more click here.
