How much work were you prepared to do in your new house?

[MulberryDerry]

Just looking for stories and inspiration.
We are looking for a house to buy. I think I'd be ready to decorate our new home (sand the floors, repaint everything, change wallpaper). I might even enjoy it. Making it feel homely. My husband doesn't want to do anything, he wants the house to be in the immaculate condition and it is rare. So we don't seem to like the same properties. I love original features, he is attracted if not to new builds to modern style for sure.
We are not made of money so my approach might be in fact ridiculous. Ahh. It's never ideal. But how much work is really too much?

I can’t imagine buying a house where nothing needs doing. I couldn’t imagine living with someone else’s tastes. Doesn’t everyone usually do a bit of decorating when they move?

We’ve bought an older property that was a bit neglected. I’d never choose a new build. We still have stuff to do. So far we have done:

new boiler and radiators
new windows and doors
new bathroom
new kitchen
new roof!
one room had plaster totally knocked off due to damp, new DPC then replastered.
New flooring throughout
all walls stripped then papered/painted.
Jungle garden tamed
Still to do -
New driveway
Sinking terrace patio needs re doing

Honestly, it’s too much. I look on RM with envy sometimes BUT I totally love our house. We’ve been here 7 years and have had to do things bit by bit due to costs. I don’t ever regret buying it. Even when I had to stand in the shower and pour jugs of warm water over myself to wash after the shower blew up I didn’t regret buying our house.

last house -12 years
new windows & doors
new heating system
new bathroom
new kitchen
new flooring
all rooms stripped & papered/painted
new driveway
I didn’t like the house but only because it was semi & neighbours were noisy.

First house -4 years
new bathroom
decorated throughout
New driveway
moved due to noisy neighbours

Next move I don’t want to have to do anything except paint & have new flooring…but I’ve said that each time!

Well I've just painted every room in our house. Did it all myself and I actually really enjoyed it (plus saved us lots of money getting a decorator to do it). Was made easier by the fact that we weren't living here at the time-(it's not a new house but we had a big fire so had to move out whilst rebuild was happening).
Its surely impossible to find a house that's immaculate with not one thing you'd change though? That would be a miraculous find and may not be that realistic on your husbands part. Also part of the fun of home owing is being able to put your stamp on it and make it yours surely? You don't have to do it all at once...

I like a turnkey property where you can do cosmetic stuff if you feel like it but essentially you can just unpack and you’re done.

I prefer a doer upper as I am very picky about interiors. That said the last two houses I have bought have been back to brick full refurb jobs and I don't think I want that again, the cost and hassle is massive. Current house went on the market yesterday and I have my eye on a place which I could live comfortably in (needs a new kitchen which would be the biggest job) and decorate bit by bit.

I prefer houses that need some work. Our current one (first house) was like that, overall I enjoyed the project, did a lot of DIY but had tradesmen for bigger/harder stuff like redoing the bathroom etc.
It was worth it as value has gone up a lot in just the 3 years we've owned it.

House we're wanting to buy next is the same, it's overall solid but will need redecorating everywhere, incl ripping off textured wallpaper from several rooms, as well as things like new bathroom, kitchen and windows. Esp with bathroom and kitchen I'd much rather be able to get exactly what I want! Not talking about fancy stuff but layouts that work better for us.

I moved from a brand new build to a back to brick doer upper. The new build was fine but they are what they are - lots of cracked walls from the settling, no features whatsoever, but very well insulated and low maintenance/energy costs.

I love the current house, like a pp said - even with water pouring through the ceiling on moving day and the many weird and wonderful bits of bodged DIY from the previous owner. We are doing 90% ourselves over time and it is like another full time job, but extremely satisfying.

My current house I: redid the bathrooms and downstairs loo, moved the laundry upstairs by enlarging a hall closet, built in fitted wardrobes to two bedrooms, replaced kitchen, recarpeted and painted throughout, replaced bifold doors with crittal style across the back, redid garden by adding raised beds, a raised tiles sitting/eating area with pergola. Painted all external woodwork. So quite a lot. But I hired someone to do it who did an amazing job with the most meticulous workmen.

We've always bought houses that need decorating and have worn out kitchens and bathrooms. In fact our latest house was a major renovation.

I see the appeal of somwhere with a nice bathroom and kitchen as they are bigger jobs and cost money.

But paintwork? Well to me, even if its nice when you move in, it will need re'doing within a few years anyway as it gets dirty.

For the most part I’d want to change everything and would never want to live long term with someone else’s taste. I’d make sure the budget wouldn’t be maxed out on the house in the first place though.

The things that matter most to me are, in order:
-location
-structure of house
-size of house
-layout of house
-decor of house

I have just bought a house that was liveable but needs redoing, bathroom is being done now.

I would prefer a property that was finished to my taste, but I'd never prioritise that over more fundamental things.

If you view a lot of houses before choosing, it is interesting what you compromise on when you finally find one you really like.

I'd go for somethimg not decorated to my taste but perfect layout over perfect decoration but compromised location/layout.
Decoration is easy to change.

We "dont really want to do any work" bought a place that currently has had a new front door ad all 4 bedrooms redecorated. About to put a new bathroom in - its ordered and fitter booked. Hall- stairs-landing need decoration (we will get someone in for this). Lounge needs decorating. Kitchen could do with painting.
The decoration was beautiful, but some to over the top for us. Also, when they took all the pictures off the walls, you can tell, and it needs sorting. So even if it is to your taste, you may discover you need to decorate (I won't mention friends who discovered carpet had been laid around a wardrobe that went with the vendors. They also hadn't painted behind furniture).

We did loads to the last 3 properties we bought. The first 2 mostly comestic, but we had to see past the previous people's decoration which a lot of buyers seemed not to have done.

The last one was a complete renovation.

I can't quite imagine walking into a house and thinking, yes, I'd keep everything....

Our previous flat was a complete gut - and I'm never doing that again. Buying a house now that's been well kept but a bit dated. We will paint and maybe new floors, but can't afford much else. I can't imagine not doing anything.

The property I love is spacious, has a driveway, a beautiful garden (awful fence though) and a layout we need. But it needs rewiring, replastering, repainting, sanding and some damp fixing (should be easy we got it checked). Oh and an extra loo in the bathroom and a new kitchen. So you can imagine. All knocked down.

But location is 200% great!

We have visited some properties with great renovations but I suppose those within our budget always miss smth (some space, a bigger garden, a driveway or location).
Isn't it location over everything else though?

Immaculate condition is fine if it’s done to your taste. We ended up buying a renovation project simply because any houses we saw that were “immaculate” had kitchen designs I hated. I couldn’t stomach paying for that and then feeling I had to live with it as ripping out a brand new kitchen felt criminal! Also people’s ideas about kitchen layout can be bonkers!

Rewiring is the biggest job, isn't it? Is it crazy money?

By the way we don't have any furniture. So that's an extra cost. Although I’d buy all apart from the kitchen second hand (love antique furniture)

We moved into a new build when I was 7m pregnant, we didn't want to do any work other than a bit of decorating, with the intent we'd soon move. We're still here 21 years later and now this house needs to work, which we are about 50% done. We love the area we are in and the house suits us. As we are working in the house we are making some pretty big changes and we're making it into something which will suit childfree us.

I think we'll move eventually, but not until retirement'ish time. At that time I will have more time and money, so I'll want a doer upper but not back to brick doer upper.

It will always need work surely? We are in our house now for 7 years. We landscaped the garden, new kitchen, new bathrooms and an extension. I'm planning on new carpets and flooring this year. Hopefully new doors next year. There's always lots to do in a house.

I think the extension and new garden are bits you might not want to take on. But I have always had new kitchen and bathrooms. Flooring, redecorating, new curtains are the bare minimum of what most will do.

I've just read about the house you want... do it!!

We’re trying to buy one of these now! Sellers have done loads of work on it and we mostly love their taste. I want to repaint the bathroom and we need furniture, and otherwise will be doing small jobs like installing extractor fans.

Yes, I would say location is the most important. Is the house liveable? Sounds like what you plan are things you can stay in the house while work is being done. You can take time to do them. It won't feel so unachievable and unaffordable if you do it over time.

Painting a room is hardly a big deal - it's something that has to be done time time anyway

I have just moved into a do-er upper. Stuff I did immediately:

• replaced the boiler and radiators as the boiler was unsafe
• new patio door (the old one didn't always lock so I couldn't use it)
• pull out old built-in bedroom suite and redecorate

The rest of the work is going to take at least 5 years as I can't pay for it all at once, but my current list is:

• re-plaster and decorate the hall, stairs and landing
• new kitchen
• new garage roof
• new bathroom
• new windows
• re-plaster and decorate living room
• garden landscaping

I personally would prefer to have not needed anything as "very urgent" as it has been a right faff trying to get unsafe stuff fixed immediately. A house with safe but dated interiors would have been my ideal, but unfortunately outside of my budget for the area I wanted.

Everyone's different and it depends on your circumstances and budget.
Buying a new build can be so easy to just unpack into - but you pay a premium for a new build - and you could potentially have a snagging list to cover off with the builders.

Buying a "fixer upper" and you're likely (although not guaranteed) to get better value for money but depending on the level of work you're prepared to do. Just decorating will take time and is unlikely to add to much value. But if the property needs extensive work (new kitchen, bathroom update heating) you may need to consider alternative accommodation for a time while bulk of work is done - BUT you are more likely to add value.
Any renovations are likely to take longer and cost more than you anticipate. (just the way it is)

I bought an house that had been empty for 3 years before I bought it. Needed every room done - new heating system - connecting gas to the property, new roof. New Kitchen & Bathroom. Its been a project for sure but house was in great location and I enjoyed doing the work. I also already knew a reliable builder so I was confident on that side.

Be realistic in terms of what time you have to dedicate tot he work - and what budget you have. Most mortgage companies will not loan extra to allow for renovations. (depending on your mortgage type obvs)

I'd say absolutely buy a house to do to your taste, often when you move in and actually live somewhere you'll realise things that you'd never thought about don't quite work for how you live. A few houses ago we bought a new build and after a couple of years we converted most of the garage to make a bigger kitchen diner for example.

The last house before our current one was full back to brick with loft conversion. Our current house was less work but still we've....reconfigured half of downstairs by removing a few walls, bathrooms, kitchen, flooring, all ceilings reskimmed, converted half the garage, windows and doors replaced and completely redecorated. We've been here 3 years and still have our en-suite to do and already some needs repainting (3 kids and a dog!). Nothing's ever done forever.

Buy the house you like it sounds great.