TTMA: Home Reno

[kristhegirl]

If it were all redone already, could you still imagine living there? If you put the money in and still hate the layout or location, that would suck. If the renovation makes those other things matter less, it could be an awesome deal.

[sarahh]

Don't let a reno scare you off. The split level that we live in now had been partially renovated and we have done a ton of work to it since. I kind of wish it had not been touched before we bought it so I could have made some different choices than the previous owners did. Even if it's not a major renovation, any change you will make will build equity.

DH was in school when we did our reno so he was around some of the time - it wasn't really necessary for him to be there at all but he was at least able to answer any questions that they had along the way.

I have to warn you that renovations are addicting. I have a long list of things that I want to do at some point because I see how great the stuff we did turned out.

[lonegalathome]

The house is 1970s chic. It would need all new floors, new paint, new appliances, painted cabinets, and likely the addition of a bathroom. It also has baseboard heating - I read that some people LOVE this and some try to switch to forced air.

Appliances and paint can be done in a weekend or so.

When we did floors on our first floor it took 1.5 weeks.

Cabinets- I don't know how long to paint, but we refaced the ones in our new house with home depot home contracting and they look amazing! Basically its new doors, and they have this material they affix to the cabinet to make it all look uniform. It took 3 days and I was still able to cook in my kitchen each night.

[rach]

Would you live there during the reno or try to reno and then move in? Financing (which can be done- just a bit harder) and having to live in the house during a big reno were my personal concerns. What you are describing actually sounds quite doable to me- it's mostly cosmetic and things that could be done over time.

Call and find out how much average utility bills are there. They will only give a high and a low bill here; I only wish I had given proper heed to that information before moving in! An older heating system is generally just not as efficient. As long as the bill isn't crazy, baseboard heating is something I could handle though.

[shawnabm1320]

We've basically completely redone our whole 1950's house, and I am itching to get started on another. If you like the area and can picture yourself enjoying it with a few changes, I would go for it. We did most of the work ourselves, so it took a loooong time, but I can imagine if you had contractors doing most of the work it would be much less of a project.

[sarahh]

rach, made a good point. We got the sellers to throw in a home warranty and have actually renewed it each year. We had the AC need a repair and our refrigerator so we have broken even. It's nice to have to know you won't run into a huge surprise expense.

[ashiscute]

Do you actually want a lot of land? Is it important to you to be in a neighborhood? Would you want this house if it was priced in your price range but didn't need updates? Would you be living there during the renovations? That can be very, very difficult.

Everything you listed seems fairly easy and straightforward except the heating system. None of that work would turn me off.

[lovemyirishtwins]

One of my best friends is an interior designer and her husband is the most handy person on the planet. They bought a home at an amazing price and have turned it around. Their bathroom was pink and there was 10970's carpet in the kitchen! It was a lot.

They have done practically everything on their own and it seriously looks amazing! They tackled one project at a time. They also have worked on the home through two pregnancies so if down the road you want more it is doable.

[sarahh]

@wafflesfriendswork, I actually love the split. It's a lot more functional for our family. Living room, dining and kitchen are on the main level with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths upstairs. The basement area was really segmented and we completely opened it up into a living space/playroom with the 4th bedroom and bath down there. I don't know what we would do without the basement space. The only downside I see to a split is that we need 4 babygates for the two sets of stairs.

[EmMilAlly]

You are exactly describing the house we moved into this spring, right down to the split foyer (which I thought I DNW.) We wanted to live in a specific area and this was the only way we could afford it. The house didn't have a single update since 1970. It was only worth it to us because it was in the exact location we wanted and had an amazing yard- for me the fact that the house you're looking at isn't in a neighborhood would be a deal breaker, but things like trick or treating, friends to walk to school with, and neighbors, were must haves for me.

We are slowly renovating (my h is replacing window trim as we speak) and we lived through everything except the floor refinishing, when Henry and I had to stay in a hotel since he was so little and I was KU. The renos you are describing don't sound crazy!!!

Has the house been on the market a while? Even though it's not in a neighborhood, are there at least sidewalks?

[wells2010]

I'd check out the expensive things- how are the windows/HVAC/ does it have central AC?! I'd call utilities and they should give you a rough cost for water/energy that the previous owners are paying. I'd also look at the roof and triple check the basement to make sure there are no signs of water damage or mold. If things are just cosmetic, I'd go with it. Our townhouse was built in 1981. We painted cabinets, carpet, paint, and replaced a few light fixtures to update them. We didn't do anything crazy, but made it updated and clean. It was the best investment we ever made and sold it for almost double what we paid (it was a foreclosure).

[mrsbeachcat]

I'm a location and layout wonk. If those work for you, everything else is easy. (Trust me, we literally lifted a house off its foundation and poured a new one and then set the house back down and it was NBD).