Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

DH and I are having the same argument over and over. He thinks we should spend a few more dollars to get a house that is smaller and doesn't need any work. I would rather get a fixer upper that is larger in a good area and just spend the money left over to have someone come in and fix it. What are your thoughts>

Message edited 3/19/2007 2:21:08 PM.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

I would gio with a house that is not a total fixer. I don't mind updating and fixing to an extent, but if the house is a complate fixer that is a red flag. 9 times out of 10 you uncover a LOT more problems in these types of houses while doing rapairs.

if you do go that route, make sure to hire a VERY GOOD engineer for the inspection!

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

i didn't officially "vote" because i'm doing the opposite of what i would have liked to do.... long story.

we're buying a move-in-ready house. i wanted a fixer-upper.

this is one that you have to decide on your comfort-level.

maybe you can meet in the middle and get one that needs SOME work instead of one that needs a LOT of work.

good luck

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

I think it depends upon a lot of factors.

1. Are people in your family handy? That can save a lot of money and make buying a fixer upper worth it.
We were able to get contractor's discounts on a lot of our supplies through my FIL's business. My contractor is also a long time asociate of my FIL's and we trust him implicitly.

2. How particular are you?
I love redoing houses. I never have problems making decisions regarding materials, etc. I just get the vision in my head, know exactly how I want it to look and discuss it with the experts. I picked out all of the tile for 3 baths and a kitchen in less than one hour. There are so many decisions you need to make that if you have a hard time making decisions, it's going to be a very difficult process.

3. Can you live "under construction"? It is hard. It is stressful. It is a PITA not having a sink in the bathroom, dust everywhere (and it does get EVERYWHERE), walls opened, cleaning up dirt and debris every night (my contractor is immaculate, thank God), trying to figure out dinner when you don't have a kitchen and sometimes living out of one room. There probably will be times when you will want to close the front door, move into a hotel and never look back.

4. It's always more than you expected... despite having a budget you need to prepare for unforeseen expenses, they always happen... termite damage no one saw before, having to replace a header that is not up to code, you name it... so you have to add 10-20% to your budget just for that. Oh, and it can often take longer than you expect, even with contractors and especially is you have materials/fixtures on order... things happen to orders and sub contractors have to work around each other... if one is delayed it can cause others to be.

5. It will consume your life away from work... depending upon how much that needs to be done. When we did our extreme home makeover last year I was at Home Depot, Home Expo, Lowes or one other store almost every day of the week. My record was 5 separate trips to Home Depot on one weeknight It's also great when you go into Aboff's to buy 22 gallons of paint, all glammed up in your old painting clothes with a bandana on your head and the guy asks if you have a contractor's account there I took that as a compliment.

All of that said, I would buy another fixer upper in a second. I don't like to pay for other's tastes. Before I saw our house, I saw another that looked like it was out of a magazine... every was redone... I hated it but if I bought that house for 200K more I would feel guilty about redoing anything.

I also know people who have no desire to do one fraction of what my DH and I undertook. they'd rather pay a higher price and have everything done.

I think it comes down to lifestyle and personality. If you don't think you'll enjoy everything I described then maybe you should buy the house in move in condition.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

what she said

we wanted a fixer- (as you can see in my other post about the yucky house)

I call my house a semi-fixer - definitely liveable, but the layout was screwy. we spent the past 3 months knocking down walls and moving them.

but FH is very handy, and we didnt have to live there during construction.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

you can always change a house, but you can't change its location.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

I would say that location is the most important thing. Then it depends on how much, if any, work you want to do.

I like to put my own personal touch on things - so I would rather it not be fixed up


unfortunately - i don't think there is any winner in that argument - you just have to discuss how much each wants

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

I agree about the location thing. To me location was the most important. We wound up with a house that is in great condition. There are definitely some cosmetic things to be done but nothing major. This way we don't have to stress about doing things right away.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

I say buy the best location/school district you can afford. You would be surprised how many things you will change/replace even in a move in ready home.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

ideally who wants to live in a fixer up while renovations are being done, however its a better way to make money and have exactly what you want, im not sure thats for me though

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

I think Tah-Wee-Zah's points are good ones to consider.

We decided to buy a house that doesn't need much work. Our reasoning is that we are not very handy, nor do we have family members nearby who are. We have very little free time from work as it is, we both have long commutes, and we couldn't imagine taking this project on. Our house needs some work, but most we can do ourselves or do little by little over time.

Also, I don't deal well with living in a mess. Not everyone is like this, but I know it would drive me nuts and that would not be pretty.

You can only decide for yourselves, but you probably want to consider DHs point of view on this. If this is going to make him miserable, it may not be worthwhile.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

I say get the bigger house that needs some work. You can always use the space!!!

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

if DH was handy we would go for a fixer upper. He isn't...AT ALL. So we won't. It's more than the money to fix it up...It's the time taking off work for the construction guys, the not being able to live while the work is going on...As I said, if DH could do it himself it would be another story, but since he isn't handy we wouldn't buy a fixer upper. I cannot wait to move into a home where all we have to do is unpack.

Plus, are the taxes the same for the larger house in the better district? That's an issue too--taxes will only go up, and generally a larger house in a better district will mean more $$$$.

Message edited 3/20/2007 9:47:17 AM.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

Just know that if you get a fixer it can take months,e ven years of not being able to fully live in your house.

Especially if you have to do any repairs or upgrades that involve town approval (IE plumbing & eletrical).

We were looking at fixers, but we have TONS of family in the construction & inspection industry. We decided to go with a "finished" house b/c a lot of the time we were getting outbid for the fixers by developers who were paying 100% cash. It turned out that our "finished" house needed a ton of work too, and that the previous homeowners fixed things cosmetically, but structurally it was not great. We have been in the house for 19 months & take on a new project every month & still have alot of our stuff in boxes since I refusse to unpack completely until the house is finished

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

The degree of fixer upper is key IMO. If the house is livable but dated that's a big difference than fixing stuff that is falling apart and in dire condition.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

I think you have to evaluate what kind of people you are and what you're willing to live with and for how long, like another poster said. I know that when the time comes, we have to either buy a house that doesn't need any work. My DH is very handy and could fix anything, but I know that even with the best of intentions, it would take him a long time to get around to doing stuff. Also, we both work a lot - including many nights and weekends - so the last thing we'd want to do with our time off is fix up the house (other that just regular decorating).

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

Posted by Tah-wee-ZAH
My record was 5 separate trips to Home Depot on one weeknight
.

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

Re: Settle an argument for me about fixer uppers

We "fell" into the house that we bought. It was offered to us and we took it knowing that it needed work. It's a big house on a big piece of property with tons of potential and a great neighborhood.

We couldn't pass those things up and we spend months fixing it up to be the way it is today. Plus, we can afford our mortgage w/o a problem!