This is a collaborated blog post. I’m hoping I can start blogging my regular content very soon 🙂
If you are looking to move onto pastures new, then you are probably dreading the idea of a house move. Moving home can be stressful at the best of times, but with a brood in tow, this can be even more palpitation inducing. Throw a fixer upper into the mix, and you might feel like you are on the verge of a panic attack every ten minutes. However, fixer uppers can make wonderful family homes – you simply need to have the time, commitment and money to complete the project. Take a look at this guide to work out if you have what it takes to make a fixer upper your forever home.
Time
If you are working full time and you never seem to have ten minutes to yourself, how on Earth are you going to manage a project of such mammoth proportions? And yet people do. You could choose to make better use of your time, heading to your fixer upper at evenings and on weekends to ensure that the project is ticking along nicely. As a project manager you will need to manage tradespeople and your budget effectively to ensure progress continues to be made. Alternatively, you can relinquish project management control to a professional who will organize your site effectively. This allows you to enjoy time with your family and remain committed to your full time position while your fixer upper is completed.
Commitment
If you are the sort of family that moves home every two years, a fixer upper might not be for you. Depending on the state of the property that you buy, it may take a year to get it up to a habitable standard. If this is the case, you may have to commit to living in rented accommodation, or you might need to camp out in a caravan on site. This requires a high level of commitment and needs vision to see it through. You must always have the end goal in your sights during the
winter time when you have no hot water and you’re freezing inside your campervan.
Money
Most importantly, you need the finances to be able to take on such a mammoth project. Completing a home renovation is expensive at the best of times, but throw a fixer upper into the mix and your contingency will need to increase. You may need to employ appliance repair services for the old stove that you don’t want to get rid of. You might need to call upon a structural engineer to certify your building work. Or perhaps you need to spend a little more than you thought replacing the roof. Unforeseen eventualities always crop up as fixer uppers are so unpredictable. However, if you manage your finances effectively, you can complete the project to a budget and still have equity within your new home.
Taking on a fixer upper isn’t for those people who want an easy life. However, for those families who crave a forever home that they have put their hearts and souls into, a fixer upper could be just what they’re looking for.