Home and Garden

Could You Invest In A Fixer Upper?

A fixer-upper is definitely something that you could invest in. If you’re money smart, you’ll realize how much money can be made from buying a house that needs a lot of work doing to it and then selling it on again. If not selling it on, renting it out to pay the mortgage and then selling it on to create a nice retirement fund. More and more people are clocking onto this idea and how good it will be. It’s almost like a little business venture that could turn into something so much more. You just have to have the willingness to do it, the willingness to gamble a lot, and the time to dedicate towards it. Most people go out of their jobs and into this as a business idea, and why not. Property development as a business is just so good, but it’s one of the more laid back ideas that you go with your own flow with. It’s so easy to find all of the right people to do all of the work for you.

So, if this sounds like something that you’re interested in, we definitely think you should keep on reading to find out how you can invest in a fixer-upper, and the benefits it’s going to bring you.

What Is A Fixer-Upper & How To Get One?

A fixer-upper is a home that you can turn from being ready for the grave, into something that could be someone’s home for many years to come. Whether it be your home, or whether you rent it on, or whether you sell it on, it’s still a home that you create. There will always be so much work that needs doing to them to make them into a home. They’re usually derelict with a ton of things wrong with them. From plumbing that doesn’t work to rotting walls, it can be hard to turn a home like that into something that can be lived in. But that’s what makes it so exciting, and that’s one of the reasons why so many people leave their day jobs to go and do this. It takes a ton of commitment, hard work, and a lot of money to invest in it. A lot of cost control is needed, but we will talk about that later on in the article. There are a few ways that you can get yourself a fixer-upper. People commonly go into this when houses of elderly relatives are handed down and it needs a lot of work doing to renovate and sell it. But that’s when that money-making side of things comes into it. A lot of money can be made on the sale, and then there is a big pot of money ready for the next project.

You could also go to house sale markets. These are feeding ground for property developers and property flippers who are looking to make such a large amount of money. The houses at these markets go for such a cheap price, all you have to do is know which one is worth investing in. Like going to a car market, you won’t have the chance to learn what’s wrong with the home, only what you can see on face value. This can lead to poor investments. However, there are a few key points that are needed to be met. The main being location. If you location is great and the structure of the home is perfect, everything can be done to the inside to make it a home that is livable in.

How Do You Fit In?

It might seem as though only people with a lot of money are going to be able to go into this, and that’s true. So what you have to do to fit into this industry and be able to make money from it, is have money in the beginning. There are multiple ways that this can be done, and one of them is by remortgaging your home. This might seem like a drastic move, but you can get an awful lot of money by remortgaging your home, and if flipping houses is something you’re going to spend your life doing, the inconvenience of remortgaging your home will become minor. But what you will have is a good pot of money that you’ll be able to invest in a home, and we’d recommend first going for one that doesn’t need as much work doing to it so that you can understand how everything works. From buying it right through to renovating and selling it, it’s best to find your feet with an easier home. As time goes on you should be able to deal with more complex houses that might make you more of a profit. You do need to make sure that you’re speaking to a financial adviser, and listening to podcasts, and trying to talk to people who are already doing this. We may have made it easier than it seems on the surface. Renovating homes and making money from it is a long process, and delays can cost money. So you need to make sure that you’re financially ready to do so.

Hiring The Right People

Then you need to think about all of the people you’re going to need to hire to get work done for you. This is going to vary on a house to house basis, but it might be more than you think. There is only so much work you can do on your own to get the house ready, and it’s usually all of the interior design and final touches. For the rest of it you will be employing tradesmen to do the work for you. There are some key areas of the home that you need to focus on, starting with the outside first. The roof of a home that needs a lot of work doing to do is often ignored, yet in a home that’s worse for wear, it can often be the most damaged. Hometown Roofing ATX is just one of the companies you could use to sort the issues out for you. It’s important to remember that once you get a rapport going with different companies you need to try and stick with them. They’ll do great work for you if you’re a reliable customer who always brings them good work. Always make sure you have an electrician and plumber to check the inner workings of the home. Then it’s just up to you to decide what needs to be done. Walls plastering, redecorating, carpeting or flooring, garden restoration. Everything you can think of that might need doing, you’ll be able to tell when you get to the home. So, that’s why it’s always important to weigh up the cost of the renovation before going into it.

Cost Management

Although you might think that you can manage your money for a renovation, you can never be too sure until you see the home. That’s why we think that where possible it’s important to find out as much as you can about the home before you enter into this. Knowing what you’re going to need to do can help you understand how much you’ll need, and how easy it will be to make the money back from it. Making the money back is one of the most important factors that you need to think about. Are you going to be able to spend all of that money and make something back in return? Again, speaking to financial advisers and real estate agents beforehand can help you to gauge whether this is going to be a good investment. You should also look for ways that you can save money along the way. Doing as many tasks as you possibly can by getting people you know to help you out can always save money. Pretty much everyone knows someone with a trade that can help to save money. The way that you use the property once all of the work is done will also make a difference. If you rent it out you’re entering yourself into more of a long term investment, but it might work out better revenue-wise even though it’ll be further down the line. However, the mortgage length will most likely be a lot shorter if you paid less for the home.

Being A Landlord

If you are going to rent it out afterwards, you need to know what being a landlord entails. The first thing you need to be ready for are implications that are going to cost you money. A boiler breaking, a leaky pipe, lights not working. Anything that goes wrong with the home is your responsibility, so you need to make sure that you have a pot of money ready for that. You also need to handle all of the legalities, which a financial advisor and landlord specialist can help you with. You also need to carry out regular inspections to make sure that people are keeping your home well.

Feature Image Source via Flickr –  www.alertelectrical.com/15/buying-guides/guide/29/heating… 

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