Buying a fixer upper can be a great way to make some money and enjoy a home customized to your particular style preferences. Buying the worst house in the best neighborhood has definitely been our motto and has been worth it financially. But when you get down to business, a fixer upper can be a lot more glamorous on TV than in real life as you try to wade through all the work and problems that arise. Here are a few tips from our experience not only in our business but in our own personal house-flipping adventures.
Kilz Paint
Kilz oil-based primer has the amazing ability to seal in odors—from animals to smoke. Our first house had a fire in it and had been smoked in for several years. We covered any drywall that didn’t need to be replaced with this primer and were so happy that the smoke smell was gone!
Steamers for wallpaper removal
Wallpaper can be so impossible to remove. Scraping can end up damaging the walls and then increase your costs, not to mention your time investment. We have found steamers to be an excellent way to loosen the glue that holds the wallpaper onto the wall. It is a one-time purchase than doesn’t use any chemicals, just water!
Remnant counter top pieces
Love a high-end look but not a high-end price? Who doesn’t! Many granite suppliers sell remnant pieces (granite is sold in slabs, so there are often extra pieces from kitchen installations) at a greatly reduced price. Chances are, you won’t find what you are looking for for an entire kitchen, but you should have many options for bathroom countertops!
Add positive drainage
We have written about the benefits of positive drainage before, but a brief summary is that we have had great success keeping basements dry just by making sure that the dirt around a house slopes away from the home instead of toward it. Another great bonus to this is bringing in new top soil really helps in getting new landscaping to thrive, and curb appeal is a wonderful way to set apart your house when you go to sell.
Have you tried any of these tips before? Do you have any others? We love to hear your feedback!