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When making the decision to buy a house, especially if you are trying to save money, you might consider buying one that is a little run down and renovating it. From a financial perspective, you obviously have to calculate whether the reduced price is reduced enough not to make it more expensive when you end up investing money in fixing it up. You might also be worried that renovating a house is too big a job for you. It can be physically exhausting and if you work during the week and intend to work on your property on the weekend, then doubly so. However, many people find that it is, in fact,a cheaper option. It also allows you (or forces you depending on your perspective) to create the house in the exact way that you want it. It is a blank canvas just waiting to be made beautiful. Here are a few tips on how to go about renovating a house and saving money at the same time:
The most important thing to do first is to get a survey and make sure that the house is structurally sound. Next, you should concentrate on the parts of your home that are going to last the longest. These include the bathroom suite you choose and the kitchen that you have installed. You can spend the rest of your life tinkering with the small details, and you will redecorate many times over the years, but you will not replace something as substantial as your bathroom or kitchen perhaps more than once. It is a big decision. You should think about adopting a style that is more sedate and less something that is currently fashionable. Tastes change much quicker than you can afford to keep up. The wiser option is to go for something that you hope will look good in twenty years too.
Thirdly, once you have tackled the more substantial issues like any problems with access to the utilities of gas, electricity, and water, a good tip is to paint the entire house a base colour of white or off-white. It is a versatile, non-committal colour that will initially lighten the rooms in your house and then you can take them in any direction that you want. You can paint any colour over white. It gets a lot more difficult to paint over darker colours because you need many layers. If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of painting an entire house (which could take about a month or more if you’re only working weekends) then hire someone like the Prime Painting Group. It will be easier, less time consuming and it will allow you to move on to other things.
You will then want to start planning how you want your house to look. With an empty shell you can do anything but you do not want to rush. Take your time and enjoy the process of creating the exact home you always wanted. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, once you’ve finished the project, invite your friends over for a dinner party to show it off!
Photo by Ann Larie Valentine