Buying a house that needs work

missprice

Having bought a house last year that I am still waiting to move into, get the electrics checked, see if you can lift some wallpaper and check state of plaster.
We had all this done and knew it needed rewire and re plumb and new kitchen/bathroom and redecorating. However not til we got the wall paper off did we see that the whole house needed replastering.

Now of itself not a huge problem to re plaster, but we saw no point doing one room at a time and the associated plumbing and rewiring the same room at a time. So we bit the bullet and did the lot. Its now replastered and painted and most of the kitchen is fitted and whole new bathroom fitted, ( including running water too )
But its cost a lot and taken time. All this time we been paying a mortgage when we can't even live there and bills ( even though we used naff all water/leccy/gas still have to pay)
Would have been done in 3/4 months had we got a builder to do it but would have cost twice as much.
OH and I extremely lucky that we not have to live in the house while fixing it, cos we would have lived in a tent in back garden most of the time.

phoebe1989seb

G_M wrote: »

some pant brushes

Ooh, where do you buy *pant brushes* G_M, do tell?

penguine

As others have been said you need to be clear about what updating is required. The decor will be the obvious bit, but with an older owner it's very likely the house needs rewiring. This is something you need to do before you redecorate because it will involve pulling up the floorboards and messing up the walls. Installing a new central heating system can be equally disruptive/messy if you want to move the positions of any of the radiators, as can changing the layout of the bathroom or kitchen.

If the house is liveable you can move in and have things done as you can afford it, or if house prices rise and you build up equity in the property you may be able to remortgage to fund home improvements.

The advantage to buying a dated home and having the work done yourself is that you can get it done just the way you like. Houses that are ready to move into may not be to your taste but to the previous owners'.

Jhoney_2

phoebe1989seb wrote: »

Ooh, where do you buy *pant brushes* G_M, do tell?

From the D I Y-front store silly.;)

ognum

Zola. wrote: »

The house structurally is in great nick. Yes taking wallpaper off, painting and replacing carpet is the easy bit. That would be the living room, hall, stairs, landing and bedrooms sorted. The fireplace is very dated so that could be replaced but maybe at a later date as we can afford.

The kitchen is livable, not ideal but not a major emergency. The bathroom however is horrible, a mint green bath and toilet with horrible dark tiles, it needs an urgent revamp. Its a small bathroom so hopefully wouldn't be too much money.

As long as the bathroom is clean, you can make it so, it may not be your choice but it can be usable. Just think of the skills you will learn!.

Waterlily24

We bought our first home and did it up before we moved in, the rest we've lived in while doing up, the one we are in now was a major job so we lived in a mobile home on site while we did everything.

AFK_Matrix

Honestly if the house is structually sound and the only things are decorative, live with it. Don't get your self in debt and paying interest on stuff like this! If the bathroom is too much to handle then do as someone suggested and do a quick fix for not a lot of money.

When I first moved into my house the main bedroom had a neon pink wall, the second bedroom had purple walls, the kitchen had blue cupboards, the lounge had dark yellow walls and the rear garden was a mess. I have now been here 3 years and all I did was on moving in paint the main and second bedrooms! I could of easily taken a loan out and done the lot but I refuse to get a loan unless it is for a serious emergency. I have also had other higher priorites like paying back my Dad and overpaying the mortgage.

Now I am looking at a further 1-2 years before I even start saving for house improvements!! Yes the lounge and kitchen etc might not be super pretty but they function and the rest will just have to wait.

rosyw

phoebe1989seb wrote: »

Sometimes I think I'd love to just move our stuff in to a new build and have nothing to do, but in reality not only do we detest new builds, but we'd be bored rigid. Call me sad, but I consider saving old properties and restoring them to their former glory to be the one purposeful thing I've achieved in my life!

It very much depends on the new build! I could never see myself in the average modern box, but mine's a one off bought from the guy that built it but was too broke to completely finish . You'd also be surprised how much there is to do in a new build to bring it up to the standards you have set yourself when putting right all those fixer uppers and it's nice to have a garden to start from scratch, where you don't feel guilty about removing plants/shrubs so carefully tended by the previous owners which you hate! (the plants not the owners - lol) .

eastonian

Go for it! I'm nearly 2 years into a similar project - full rewire needed plus some roof repairs, and a big knock-through.

If re-wire/CH upgrade are required, plan these out and get them done first. If possible, get out of the house when rewiring - we lived through our whole house being done and it was very messy.

Definitely worth it though if you can't afford a well-finished house.

Pete7

White loos and baths are so boring, everyone will be riping them out in a decade. Last house had a light blue toilet and sink suite which was cracked. Took it down the tip and found an avocado green replacement there for free. Painted the walls white, new cushion lino floor and job done.

We are currently 8 weeks into our new house. Kitchen fireplace removed and chimney breast stripped ready for the plasterer, then a wood burner goes in. A 3rd sitting room has been stripped of wall paper also waiting for the plasterer. However, bathroom and main bedrooms are probably two years down the line after the lounge.

We try not to pay full price for anything, use local trades for stuff we can't do but mostly do our own DIY. Timing can be everything. We have bought 3 fruit trees in the past week at half price. If you wait until Spring prices will be top wack. Will by more insulation in the Spring when the DIY firms are selling off this years stock. Will buy coal in the summer etc.

Buy the house, make a 3 year plan and spread the work and cost out so you don't have to touch the credit cards :beer: