There’s no denying that house prices can be high in some areas. If you want to buy a new home in a safe and attractive neighborhood, the only ways you might afford to do that are to live in a small property or buy a fixer-upper house.
For those of you with a family in tow, the first option isn’t viable. However, the second choice can make sense. Before you start looking for cheaper family homes to buy that need renovation work, it’s worth keeping in mind the following points so you can do it right:
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Create a Timetable
The first thing to do is make a plan of action, along with a timetable of when you can realistically carry out various repairs and renovations. Doing so means you’ll get things done to a plan and feel an enormous sense of achievement. Consider whether you will need to have the children stay at a friend or relative's house for a large project day and get that scheduled as well.
Make Sure the House Is Safe
You’ll likely want to move into your new house and renovate it while living there. It’s not an ideal choice, but it’s the most affordable way of achieving your home goals while keeping a roof over your family’s head.
Before you buy your soon-to-be dream home, it makes sense to check that your new abode is safe for habitation. After all: there’s a difference between living in a house that needs painting and decorating and one where the floor could give way underneath you!
Check for signs of water damage; a company like 1-800 Water Damage can ensure each room damaged by flooding, for example, is totally dry before you move into it as damp walls and ceilings can be a significant health hazard.
You’ll also need to ensure the electrics are safe to use, especially if you’re planning on using power tools during your renovation work. A firm such as Apollo Electric can inspect and test your wiring before you move into your new home.
Get the Roof Fixed First
You might be lucky and find that your new home’s roof is in good condition. However, many fixer-uppers need roofing repairs or replacement. Why should you get your roof sorted out first before other remedial work, you might be wondering?
Firstly, suppose it rains, and there are holes in your roof. In that case, the water will seep onto your interior walls and ceilings, damaging drywall, plaster and potentially making your electrical wiring dangerous.
Secondly, loose roof tiles could easily fall off during windy days and could potentially fall and injure someone – either a family member or someone walking past your house. Loose roof tiles could even damage property like vehicles.
Lastly, your heating costs will be high if there are holes in your roof because the warm air circulating inside your rooms will escape through the roof.
Pay Experts to Do Jobs That Are Beyond Your Skills
You’ll undoubtedly want to do much of the renovation work yourself to save money, and that’s understandable when you’re working from a tight budget. However, there will be some jobs you can’t do due to not having the right skills and tools to complete the work.
In those cases, it’s best to hire a contractor to carry out such repairs and renovations. Yes, it means you’ll have to spend money that you’d rather allocate to something else. Plus, the costs might be high for specific jobs.
However, the work will get done to a high standard, and there will be a warranty that covers the parts and labor. It’s also worth keeping in mind that it’ll be one less thing for you to worry about if time isn’t on your side.
Start One Job at a Time
Finally, one thing you should never do is begin several repair or renovation projects inside your fixer-upper. That’s because doing so will cause the most amount of chaos in your home for your family, and it’ll feel like you’re never getting anything done.
Instead, it makes sense to devote your time, energy, and money to one job at a time. For example, contact a Junk Removal expert to help you with tearing out all the old furniture or fittings, this way you can then work through a room at a time without needing to constantly be cleaning up mess to see what you're doing.
Seeing each room completely reasonably quickly will also give you the motivation to continue with your renovation work as you’re doing everything in a structured and planned way.
Thanks for reading this blog post; hopefully, you’ve found it helpful if you’re planning to buy a fixer-upper!
This is a contributed post.
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