If you want to buy a house but your budget is tight, you may not find one that has all the features and amenities you want and that is in your price range. Buying a fixer-upper may be the best solution. You may have to deal with some hassles now, but you may thank yourself later.
Live in Your Ideal Location
For homebuyers, location is one of the most important considerations. If you want to live in a specific town or neighborhood, but most houses there are above your price range, buying a fixer-upper may allow you to get into your desired area without breaking your budget.
A house that needs work will be sold for a lower price than a home of a similar size, located in the same neighborhood, but that is in better condition. If a house has been on the market for several months, you may even be able to negotiate a lower price than the current asking price.
Get More House for Your Money
Many people don’t have the time or desire to renovate a house themselves or to pay a contractor to do it. Instead, they would prefer to buy a house that they can move into as soon as possible. That means there may be much less competition for a fixer-upper than for a newer house in better condition.
If you have flexibility in your timeline, you may be able to snag a house with great potential at a low price. You may be able to purchase a larger house than you would otherwise be able to afford, fix it up and raise your growing family there.
Create Your Dream Home
Instead of trying to find a house that has all the things you want, which can be like looking for a needle in a haystack, you can buy a fixer-upper and renovate it to your liking. You can make limited changes, such as modernizing the kitchen and bathrooms, or you can gut the house and change the floorplan to suit your family’s lifestyle.
Choose a Timeframe That Works for You
You can decide when and how to renovate the house. If you know exactly what you want, you can have the house remodeled before you move in. If you would rather spread out the cost of repairs over time, you can have some work done before you move in and then make other changes later. You may also decide to live in the house for a while to figure out what can stay as-is and what you want to change.
Build Equity Fast
Equity is the difference between a home’s market value and the amount owed on the mortgage. In most cases, homeowners build equity slowly. If you buy a house at a low price and quickly raise its value by making renovations, you can build equity rapidly and tap into it later to finance projects or cover debts, if necessary.
