Love in Renovation: From Dump to Dream Home

Once upon a time in the quaint town of Harmonyville, there lived a newlywed couple named Henry and Emily. They were madly in love and had just embarked on their journey as husband and wife. Henry, a charming and adventurous fellow, had a surprise in store for Emily that would change their lives forever.

The Beginning

One sunny morning, with a sparkle in his eye and a grin on his face, Henry approached his lovely bride. “Em, darling, I’ve got something special to show you,” he said, gently covering her eyes with his hands. Emily giggled in delight as she couldn’t resist his infectious enthusiasm. “Close your eyes and trust me,” he continued.

They hopped into their car, Emily still blindfolded, as Henry drove to a part of town she’d never been before. The anticipation was driving her wild, and she couldn’t wait to see what her beloved husband had in store. The car came to a halt, and with bated breath, Henry finally let her open her eyes.

When Emily beheld the sight before her, her jaw dropped, and her eyes grew wide as saucers. They were standing in front of what could only be described as a house that time had forgotten. The paint was peeling, the roof sagged, and weeds had taken over the once-pristine garden.

“Ta-da!” Henry declared proudly, his enthusiasm unwavering.

“Is this… our new home?” Emily asked in a voice filled with disbelief.

Henry nodded, his excitement still uncontained. “I bought it as a surprise, Em! It’s our blank canvas, and together, we’re going to turn it into the most amazing home.”

Emily didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Henry, this is a dump! A literal dump!”

“I know, I know,” he chuckled. “But trust me, it has great potential.”

The house seemed to groan in protest, as if in agreement with Emily’s assessment. Yet, Emily, ever the supportive wife, couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, let’s do this.”

And so, the couple embarked on their renovation adventure. Armed with paint, tools, and a sense of humor, they dived headfirst into the chaos of their new project. With every step, something seemed to go comically wrong. The paint color turned out to be a vibrant shade of pink instead of the serene blue they’d envisioned. When they tried to replace the old carpet, they discovered an army of squirrels had turned it into their secret hideout.

One afternoon, while hammering away at a wall, the ceiling suddenly gave in, sending a shower of dust and debris down upon them. Emily and Henry stood amidst the chaos, laughing so hard that their tears mixed with the dust on their faces.

“What do you say, Em? Maybe we should hire a professional?” Henry joked, a sly grin on his face.

“No way! This is our adventure, Henry!” Emily declared, a twinkle in her eye.

Weeks turned into months, and their renovation project began to take shape. They learned how to fix the plumbing, repair the roof, and even install a chandelier that, despite its elegant appearance, blinked in protest as if doubting the couple’s design choices.

The Renovation Happy Ending

One sunny afternoon, Emily stood in the garden, hands on her hips, surveying their hard work. The house was transformed into a cozy, charming cottage. The garden bloomed with vibrant flowers, and a white picket fence framed the property. It was no longer a dump; it was their dream home.

Henry approached Emily, a smile on his face as he held a bouquet of fresh flowers. “Em, you’re amazing, you know that? I couldn’t have done this renovation without you.”

Tears welled up in Emily’s eyes, but she brushed them away with a laugh. “I wouldn’t have done it without you, Henry. We make a great team.”

With a peck on the cheek, Henry whispered, “And it’s all because we turned this place into our very own adventure.”

As they embraced, a gentle breeze ruffled the flowers in their garden, and the chandelier inside flickered but ultimately decided to give in to the cozy, welcoming atmosphere.

And so, the couple’s once-broken house transformed into a charming haven, and their laughter-filled journey became the stuff of legend in the town of Harmonyville. Together, they learned that a house was more than bricks and mortar; it was where love, laughter, and a dash of insanity could truly make a home.

From fixer upper to cosy home – 10 practical tips

Fixer upper to cosy home, or better, how to purchase an old, inexpensive, run-down house and turn it into a gorgeous property everybody loves.

It doesn’t matter if you are planning to purchase a fixer upper to turn it into a home for yourself or if you are planning to make some money in the resale afterwards – you will definitely benefit from the following tips to get you through this challenging mission.

Fixer Upper to Cosy Home

The idea is simple, you buy an old building in need of repairs for a great price and a few buckets of paint later it has become a dream home. There are so many tv shows out there where exactly that happens. Of course, it all looks so easy. In reality it is not as simple as it looks. To turn your renovation project into a success lets look at a few areas that need to be considered.

1 Buying the right house

It all starts with picking the right building to start with. The biggest or cheapest real estate is not necessarily the best choice. You have to consider several factors here, especially if you are thinking to sell it after you’re done with it. What are the prices in this location for a home in a good condition? How much will the renovation cost? Is there a lot of demand for houses in this location with this size? To answer these questions, you might need to make a bit of an investigation and talk to a few people. After making all your maths you will see beforehand if it is actually worth it to jump into this venture.

Getting the right project for YOU is the key here. A house that fits in your budget and skills. This is not only the first but the most important decision you need to do.

2 Getting professional help

Unless you are a professional yourself it is always worth it to have some expert by your side to help or to guide you. If you don’t want to get a contractor for the whole job to save some money, you might be able to use him just for some stuff that you find more difficult. This will take some pressure out of you and you can be sure it’ll be a job well done. While you leave those difficult parts to someone else you can concentrate more in the other things that need doing. One thing is for sure, there is always more to do!

A lot of renovation works are not that complicated. It is amazing how quickly one can learn the basics by watching some YouTube tutorials.

3 Planning and Research

With careful planning and some research, you can guide your project in the right direction. This is of course, if you like to make changes to the layout of the house. Best would be to consult with a realtor to see what the clients usually like or dislike. Find out what they have on their wish list and think about a wow-factor you can add to your home. This can make a huge difference in the end.

Just as an example. If your project is in a hot climate, homebuyers might really love to have a pool in their backyard. If you are able to add one for, let’s say 10,000, but in the end, it will make your real estate be worth 20,000 more because of that, it’s totally worth it.

4 Get your hands dirty

You can save a lot of cash if you are working on your own house. There are so many things that are easy enough to do, even if you are not a handy person.

If you belong to this rare specie that can’t even put a nail in the wall, still there are many things you can do. For example, there is always cleaning up to do and often workers can tell you how you can prepare some works for them. This will make their jobs easier and as a result save you some money.

5 Shop around

When it comes to using the right materials for your renovation project it is always worth to shop around for special offers or to find out if the DIY shop offers discounts if you buy a certain amount.

6 Don’t hide – be open about your plans

Keeping an open communication with the neighbours and passers-by is a great way to find a buyer or tenant. Don’t underestimate the power of the word of mouth.

A construction project usually triggers a lot of interest with the neighbours. They all like to know what’s happening and who is going to move there. They might just know the right person who wants to live in your house once its finished.

7 Decorate wisely

When it comes to choose the right colours and decoration it is always good to get a few opinions. Especial value those of people who are usually dealing a lot with home buyers and tenants. Often it is a good choice to keep it simple/neutral and just set a few highlights.

8 Set a budget

When it comes to your budget, be realistic. Doing your maths is one of the biggest challenges and nearly impossible to get it 100% right. Therefore, don’t plan to spend your last penny, always keep a buffer for unexpected costs.

9 Time

When it comes to time, I never met anyone who could stick to a certain time frame when doing his own renovations – except in tv shows. I believe usually time is estimated very optimistic. Therefore, don’t be disappointed if you can’t finish in a certain time frame. Depending on the scale of you project it is always good to give a few days or weeks extra in case something takes more time than expected.

10 Stay positive

Yes, sometimes a positive attitude can make all the difference. Keeping your spirits up can give you the motivation you need to get the job done: turning your fixer upper into a cosy home.

Bio

Our Property under 20k team are the founders of www.propertyunder20k.com and www.listproperty4free.com with the goal to search the cheapest real estate in the world and make it easy for others to find. The team is made up of landlords, real estate investors, architects and builders from several different countries.  We just love to have a good strong cup of coffee while we write our experiences in this blog.

Real Estate Investment through renovation

It sounds simple: You take the plunge and buy a reasonably priced real estate with small “faults” that are easy to fix and without much effort.

To be successful in Real Estate Investment through renovation you make sure that the building is in a not-too-bad condition. It´s vital to make your research! The least you need to fix, the more you can save. Then it’s time to plan, what needs to be done to create a good layout, make it a charming, attractive property that you can rent and make money from?

You should pay particular attention to those things that attract potential tenants: Maybe a modern open plan kitchen, a gorgeous bathroom and a nice garden…

So far you have to invest money, otherwise you cannot earn anything.

After you finished the renovation of your real estate, you now have two options, depending on your financial needs.

If your goal is to raise a sum of money all at once, then look for a buyer for the house.

Coming up with the asking price is simple: your invested money and the targeted profit make up the purchase price at which you resell the property.

If you rather like to have a regular income from your real estate, then rent it out. Like this you have a guaranteed steady income over a longer period.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, you always have your real estate and you can sell it anytime to make a larger amount of money.

The only question is: Is real estate investment through renovation not too risky?

The starting point is simple: the cheaper the renovation can be made, the higher the earning potential. Of course, handy people have an advantage here. If you can do a lot yourself, the costs are reduced.

Be balanced. You should not overestimate yourself and certainly not underestimate. With time and commitment, you can work out much yourself. In addition, the Internet is full of information and DIY tutorials.

Of course, you must invest time, but working on a house is fun and, above all, it’s a paid hobby.

Conclusion for Real Estate Investment through renovation

You must be aware that it will take a lot of patience and commitment.

Maybe you don´t find the right tenant straight away. But sooner or later that will be the case. Every entrepreneur, and one such is you if you want to make money, must take some risk. The chance that it will pay is high.

In summary, it can be said that investing money is never easy. However, investing in slightly older properties is a good way to invest your money.

Look around, if you have found the ideal house, go for it!

Here you can find some renovation projects from our site.

It sounds simple: You take the plunge and buy a reasonably priced real estate with small “faults” that are easy to fix and without much effort.

To be successful in Real Estate Investment through renovation you make sure that the building is in a not-too-bad condition. It´s vital to make your research! The least you need to fix, the more you can save. Then it’s time to plan, what needs to be done to create a good layout, make it a charming, attractive property that you can rent and make money from?

You should pay particular attention to those things that attract potential tenants: Maybe a modern open plan kitchen, a gorgeous bathroom and a nice garden…

So far you have to invest money, otherwise you cannot earn anything.

After you finished the renovation of your real estate, you now have two options, depending on your financial needs.

If your goal is to raise a sum of money all at once, then look for a buyer for the house.

Coming up with the asking price is simple: your invested money and the targeted profit make up the purchase price at which you resell the property.

If you rather like to have a regular income from your real estate, then rent it out. Like this you have a guaranteed steady income over a longer period.

If you are experiencing financial dificulties, you always have your real estate and you can sell it anytime to make a larger amount of money.

The only question is: Is real estate investment through renovation not too risky?

The starting point is simple: the cheaper the renovation can be made, the higher the earning potential. Of course, handy people have an advantage here. If you can do a lot yourself, the costs are reduced.

Be balanced. You should not overestimate yourself and certainly not underestimate. With time and commitment, you can work out much yourself. In addition, the Internet is full of information and DIY tutorials.

Of course, you must invest time, but working on a house is fun and, above all, it’s a paid hobby.

Conclusion Real Estate Investment through renovation

You must be aware that it will take a lot of patience and commitment.

Maybe you don´t find the right tenant straight away. But sooner or later that will be the case. Every entrepreneur, and one such is you if you want to make money, must take some risk. The chance that it will pay is high.

In summary, it can be said that investing money is never easy. However, investing in slightly older properties is a good way to invest your money.

Look around, if you have found the ideal house, go for it!

Find some renovation projects on our site.