So You Bought A Fixer?

So you bought a fixer? You look around your "new" home and you ask yourself: Where do I start?

There are so many factors that will influence how you prioritize the work:

1) Your finances: Do you have enough saved for the project you're hoping to knock out? When we bought our first house, we lived frugally off my teacher salary and each one of Paul's commission check's went to a house project. Maybe you set aside money prior to buying your fixer (we were completely tapped out when we bought our first home) or you get paid in bonuses, whatever your plan is, make sure you to figure out how you will finance your project before you break ground!

2) Your ability to work through the construction: If you're on Zoom calls all day and need to be OFF-mute, you'll want to make sure you factor in a plan for working through the thumping and banging that takes place if your house is a construction zone.

3) Other non-cosmetic upgrades that need to take place. Our first home had major structural issues, so we knocked out the seismic retrofit first. We lost heat in our current home after living in it for a few weeks, so we had to invest in a completely new HVAC system, instead of tackling a bathroom remodel (or two) 😭

4) Contractor availability: If you're not doing to the work yourself, you have to work around your contractor's schedule, and most contractors are booked months in advance right now. Another factor to consider is materials - make sure to order your materials in advance to avoid getting stalled mid-project.

5) Which upgrades will YOU enjoy most? Do you cook a lot? If so, you might want to knock out the kitchen first? We prioritized our interior upgrades over the improvements to our first home's curb appeal.