I bought a fixer upper in Bloomingdale in 2003. It was uninhabitable without a functioning bathroom or kitchen. I was 28 years old, single and had no idea what I was doing. The house is now fully renovated and looks amazing. I paid less than $200k for a house that's now worth $800k or more. Sure it was stressful at times and a steep learning curve, but I it was the best investment I ever made and I am grateful every day.

On the other hand, the link that you posted isn't a "fixer upper" in any sense of the word. Sure it's not fully updated, but it doesn't look like it's anything beyond the ordinary.

Anonymous wrote:

For the love of God, it it's a small rambler fixer upper please do not do it, just tear it down. Our area is littered with these and there is no reason to fix up outdated temporary housing that should have been replaced years a go

It frightems me that a 5 bedroom, 45 year old house in very good condition is considered a tear down. Do you people who think this really have no sense of history? of architectural history? of environmental responsibiity? of how most people in the world live? I'm just baffled. some teardowns I get, but this? It looks like it has great bones, tons of room, nice floors and basically just need cosmetic updating. Then again my house is 90 years old so what do I know.

What frightens me more is a 900SF rambler with 5 bedrooms. Three are no great bones, not enough room, nothing...

We bought a short sale that needed some immediate repairs and cosmetic work and we did a lot ourselves. I enjoyed it and am very happy with the outcome but poor DH did not and so I don't think we will do that again.

For the love of God, it it's a small rambler fixer upper please do not do it, just tear it down. Our area is littered with these and there is no reason to fix up outdated temporary housing that should have been replaced years a go

It frightems me that a 5 bedroom, 45 year old house in very good condition is considered a tear down. Do you people who think this really have no sense of history? of architectural history? of environmental responsibiity? of how most people in the world live? I'm just baffled. some teardowns I get, but this? It looks like it has great bones, tons of room, nice floors and basically just need cosmetic updating. Then again my house is 90 years old so what do I know.

For the love of God, it it's a small rambler fixer upper please do not do it, just tear it down. Our area is littered with these and there is no reason to fix up outdated temporary housing that should have been replaced years a go.

If you are not comfortable putting in a new kitchen/baths, I would not buy that house, OP. I've owned several houses, and put in two new kitchens -- a huge project in the best of circumstances. If you have small children it will be an unbearable burden unless you have the money to get the kitchen/baths replaced before you move in.

We are living in a fixer upper (so much worse than the house you are thinking about). Did the kitchen before we moved in, but didn't have time to do the baths, and now a year later, nothing has been done, and it likely won't be finished for a few more years. Our bathrooms are HORRIBLE, much worse than the ones in the house you posted, yet we're living with them for the forseeable future.

If I were you, I'd skip this house. If you think it's a fixer upper, you are likely asking for trouble. Find a house you can live with, and buy that. Plus that pool -- well, no way would I ever buy a house with a pool, so I wouldn't even consider this house unless the sellers took 10K off the price or removed the pool.

There are always hidden costly issues I hate them

Anonymous wrote:Most people here are talking about older homes with outdated finishes. True fixer uppers are incredible stressors;honestly I feel unless you have family in the trades the best bet is to buy a move in ready house (Even if outdated). Cheaper than a divorce!

+1 I agree with the definition of a fixer upper presented here. Our 'fixer upper' needed to have the primary plumbing stack pulled and replaced before I could move in. Unfortunately, this plumbing line was behind the primary kitchen wall, which pretty much required the immediate and complete demolition of the kitchen. The house was not liveable and was, in fact, a health risk, until this repair was made.

I purchased this home as a single woman knowing nothing about home repairs (although the home inspection gave me a list of what needed to be addresses asap). I have a very laid back personality and living in a home that was cut in half by a huge sheet of construction plastic for 6 months didn't bother me (80% of the time). I think it takes a very unique couple to go into a fixer upper home purchase without experience in home repairs/remodels and not have it be a very stressful undertaking. Having said that, I do not regret the purchase at all. The house is slowly transforming into a home I love and the leap of faith I took in purchasing it has great altered my financial position.

Most people here are talking about older homes with outdated finishes. True fixer uppers are incredible stressors;honestly I feel unless you have family in the trades the best bet is to buy a move in ready house (Even if outdated). Cheaper than a divorce!

If this is your price range for the foreseeable future, and borrowing money for the kitchen and bathrooms won't put you in the poorhouse, and you don't mind the pool (and can afford it), then you should consider it. No one else will tell you what you can afford.

However, if you are in a knockdown neighborhood, and will resent all the new homes being built, you need to think about how that will affect you, mentally. Some people have a huge problem in that regard.

Yes! My h talked me into it. Big mistake. Regret it every day.

By the time you are done with upgrades and ready to enjoy your home it will be time to sell.

I think the idea of "fixer-upper" can mean different things to different people. There's a continuum. On one end is "turn-key/perfect" and the other end is "tear-down" and you could find something anywhere on the continuum. The house OP posted looks like it needs a new kitchen, upgraded baths and lots of other, more purely cosmetic fixes that could cost a lot. For me, that is a fixer-upper. My house needs new pipes, new bathrooms, a lot of basement work, new windows and new flooring in most rooms, plus exterior fixes, so it's a fixer-upper, even if I can live in it as is.

Anonymous wrote:We bought a fixer upper. It was move in ready in that it had been freshly painted and no horrible carpet or wallpaper to rid of but it definitely needed updating inside and out which we did slowly over time. We've now had the house 14 years and three years ago did a major addition/renovation but many smaller projects before that (updating bathrooms, replacing windows, tree removal and landscaping) made it liveable for many years.

Move in ready does not equally fixer upper. Needs some updating is NOT fixer upper. Fixer upper means that there are major areas (kitchens and baths) that need to be gutted and replaced because they are non-fucntional.

Just be aware that the price to fix things is always going upwards. So for upgrades to 60s homes -- bath, kitchen, exterior, it can very easily get to $100K just for basic stuff.