Have you just purchased a new house? Is it more of a project property than anything else right now? Is the aim to do it up and move into it or sell it for a higher price? Fixer upper properties can be amazing investments to make, it’s just a case of knowing what it takes to do them up successfully, that’s all.
Wondering what it takes to do up a fixer-upper property and make a success of your investment? If the answer is yes, then you might want to have a read of the tips, ideas and advice below.
Focus on safety
Firstly you want to make sure that the house is safe to work in. You need to check the walls and floorboards to make sure they are all in good condition, otherwise, the floorboards could fall through and if any supporting walls are damaged then the house could come crumbling down. The floorboards may have got damp and rotted over time, so there is the chance these will fall through when walked on, so it’s best to pull up any carpets and check the floorboards thoroughly before starting work on the property. If the carpet is in a good condition, then you can always relay it if you aren’t wanting to replace it.
When checking the property for safety another major thing to check for is the electrics, and always make sure the electric for the property is turned off when working. Check each socket to make sure they are all still attached to the wall correctly and there are no loose wires, it’s a good idea to also check the light switches and the light fixtures as they could also have loose wiring and pose a risk at shorting the electrics when switched back on.
The next safety check to do is the roof, it is best to check the tiling to make sure it isn’t sliding off, as that falling on someone can cause serious injury, also while up there it would be a good idea to check the guttering, not so much for safety but just to make sure it isn’t blocked which could cause flooding. If you do find any issues with safety and you don’t feel confident in fixing it or dealing with it then call in a professional to stop any danger to yourself or others.
Look for signs of pests
Once the safety checks have been completed then the next thing would be to check for pests such as mice, fleas and bed bugs. The good news is that if there is a pest problem is should be fairly easy to deal with by just getting in the local Pest Control to help deal with the issue and to also check to see if the infestation is bad. If you don’t want to have pest control out then you can look to do it yourself by laying traps and buying fumigators to clear the infestation. However, usually it is best to have a professional do it so it is dealt with correctly, otherwise, the infestation could end up reinfesting your home.
Focus on layout
The next step is to look at the layout of the house. This could be thinking about whether you want to add in any extra rooms such as bedrooms or bathrooms, you could also look to extend rooms like the kitchen or living room to create a bigger living space.
If you have taken on the house and the bathrooms and kitchen are in a bad state of repair then you may want to invest some money into getting some new bathroom and kitchen fittings put in. You could look at putting a bath in if there wasn’t one. You might also want to think about upgrading the shower – you could have an electric shower put in, for instance. If you are doing up the kitchen then it may be a good idea to decide what oven you would like whether you would like a gas cooker put in or electric then it would be deciding the worktops and cupboards, wooden worktops are really popular right not but can scratch easily, whereas stone is always a good option due to its durability.
Look at the decor
Once the layout of the house is decided it is time to decide on the interior decor, such as the flooring, walls, ceilings and other aspects of the decor. In terms of decorating the house, it depends on your plans for the property. If you are planning to sell it after then it would be best to keep it neutral when decorating. You could do white or cream on the ceiling and walls to keep it neutral and then it is easy to decorate over if sold and the new buyers want a change. When choosing the flooring focus on cost and aesthetics – pick flooring that isn’t too pricey but that also looks nice and fits the space perfectly. There are two main choices that you could go for, these are either wood laminate flooring or click together flooring. Both look great but click together does look more realistic, another option is to go for the bare floorboards, these can be varnished and waterproofed to help with longevity. There are lots of options to choose from.
If you are decorating to live in the property then that is down to personal preference in terms of the colors that you would prefer for the walls and ceilings. If you have done up the bathroom and kitchen then it may be worth having new flooring put in, for the bathroom, it is best to go for tiling and if you have the budget you could look into underfloor heating too. If you do struggle to think of color schemes and the way you would like to decorate then you can look to have a professional decorator come in to take a look and point you in the right direction.
There is a lot of work to do on a new house project, and if you have the money to get the professionals in to help you out then this may be beneficial. However, as long as you know what you’re doing, it’s also fine to go down the DIY route as well.