7 Things to Consider When Buying a Fixer Upper
If you’re wanting to buy a new home that you can transform into your own, or you’ve found an old charm that’s full of potential, there are a couple of things to keep in mind before signing any contracts and making any design decisions. Buying a fixer upper is no easy task as it can come with an abundance of responsibility and need for thorough communication.
If you’ve committed to buying a house that needs renovation, it’s essential that you have a plan of attack set in place before starting your design project. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the top tips that you need to know before getting started.
Looking for a renovation expert? Contact Cameron and the Renovare Chermside team today on 1300 049 516 to get started with bringing your vision to life.
Buying a House to Renovate
Timeframe – Expect Delays
Whether you’re transforming a fixer upper or you’re renovating an existing home, planning out a realistic timeframe should be the first step. One thing to keep in mind is that life will always get in the way throughout your renovation adventure, which means delays are inevitable. Sorting out your renovation schedule and then adding time to it will help with drawn out processes, emergencies, and any other unexpected issues that may arise.
Structural Issues
Before you designate a builder to start transforming your home, its recommended that you get in a pest expert to take a look at the general structure of your new home. Doing this will help determine whether your building structure is stable enough to commence work, or whether things need to be knocked down or removed. If you avoid checking the bones after buying a fixer upper, structural issues will not only cause you an exponential amount of money, but it could end up in a total knock down as well.
Triple Check Everything
Buying a house to renovate is an exciting adventure, though things can quickly go south. When it comes to buying your materials, such as tiles, timber flooring, wall panels etc, make sure to triple check everything in between. Measurements, scaling, placement and leveling are all things that you need to make sure you get right before laying down any foundations that will be stubborn to remove again if things aren’t right.
Overbudgeting
Much like your timeframe, its essential to give yourself some buffer space when it comes to your budget in case of any unexpected or unforeseen expenses. Many things can happen when it comes to a renovation, and not everything will always go to plan, so giving yourself that bracket will ease an abundance of unwanted stress and anxiety should you come across any hiccups after buying a house to renovate.
Practicality of Living
Watching your vision come to life is an exciting and gratifying feeling but buying a house that needs renovation also needs to be practical for when it comes time to start a new chapter of life in the home. Although a design plan may look beautiful or seem like it could add value to the property, you need to make sure that it’s practical for every-day living. If people walk through a potential new home, something as small as an impractical feature could be a total dealbreaker.
Do Your Research
When you’re shopping for anything relevant do your project, whether its builders, plumbers, materials, or décor, do your research. Knowing if you’ve got the best deal, the best item, or the best contractor for the job could potentially save you a lot of money, but also save you from unwanted stress. Reading reviews and testimonials will help you get a better understanding of a product or person, so that you can feel confident when it comes to these things being put into your home or working on your home.
Thorough Communication
Once the bulk of the planning is out of the way and the project work has commenced, you must keep in mind that communication is key from the beginning to the very end of the transformation process. It’s important that everyone included knows what is expected not only of themselves, but of the overall design of the home, and your vision. Communicating information to the relevant people on the job will ensure that each part of the home will come together as you want it (for the most part), and that things aren’t left out or steps are missed from the design.
Ready to Renovate?
If you’re thinking of buying a fixer upper and want to talk to an expert, Cameron and the Renovare Chermside team can help. With our home renovations North Brisbane service, you can feel confident that our experienced team will work alongside you to make sure your home is exactly how you want it to be!
For more information on our home renovations service, or to get the renovation journey started with your fixer upper, contact Cameron today on 1300 049 516 or fill out the online form and we’ll assist with getting things underway.