How long could you (personally) live in a new-to-you home that needs cosmetic updates?

Considering a fixer-upper in our home search. There are the necessary projects and then of course the nice-to-haves. How long would you tolerate an ugly space in order to take on the most vital projects first and then have time to rekindle costs for less important/more style based projects?

Forever. I’m fortunate to afford a home right now when many people cannot. There are so many things I want to update but don’t have the budget for right now. In the meantime we do what we can to make it feel like our home. If you can’t afford certain updates right now, maybe change your perspective? I want to gut my kitchen but that’s a far off goal. In the meantime I’m happy to have a functioning kitchen where my fiancé and I can cook and enjoy great meals together.

We have a home from the 80s that needed some love, and we only did what was needed and some decor. Glad we didn’t jump into the other things we want to do because then we needed a new roof and the generator broke and the bathroom sink leaked to the basement, etc.
While I’d love to Reno a lot of the home (kitchen, knock out a wall, master bathroom, refinish the floors, new carpets, etc) we decided to skip all of that and focus on making it ours without spending tens of thousands of dollars.
So we are painting and slowly decorating room by room exactly how we’d like it, etc etc. Makes it feel like ours and homey and it’s okay the kitchen isn’t our style.

I’d rather spend the money on traveling, spending time with my family, retiring earlier, etc. I do have to tell myself this often but that’s okay :) lol

I waited about 2 years in my house to do the (non necessary but will increase QOL) renovation work I knew I wanted to do from the beginning.

A very long time. I care deeply about what my interiors look like, but finances matter more. I intentionally buy ugly homes and reno as we go, this has been a huge financial opportunity for our family.

I could be patient. We love our house and eve already been here 8 years. It’s large with great bones but not our style at all. When we had a water leak in the basement we were able to redo it at the expense of the insurance company. It’s more modern looking than the rest of our house which is odd but we will update the rest of the house in 5 years once our investment property is finally up and running.

Oh this is a good one! Okay so I have been in my current home 6 or 7 years now, it is by far the oldest home I have ever owned. While definitely focusing on more foundational issues first, it took about a year to update the paint job in the master bedroom, it was a hideous green. Also painted other areas throughout. Updated the window treatments, had to be custom of course.

I just replaced the fridge and dishwasher, other appliances are on backorder. The original appliances were white and worked fine. Will also work on the countertops of course.

I will likely work on the pool area next, retile, etc.

So with that being said, maybe ensure that the foundational areas are good to go and energy-conscious because that can be costly. Updating AC Unit, Water heater, roof, plumbing, windows, (I had to replace a large window), etc. To avoid costly surprises. And then weave some cosmetic must haves in there as your budget allows.

Also, when working on considering a fixer -upper, negotiate with yourself on the ROI. Some will equate to sweat equity and then some you will find will not make a significant difference if you want to sell.

Hope this helps.

I have, however, replaced the main sewer line and a new driveway and windows. The roof is next. Just make sure the major stuff is either in good shape or you’ve got money for those repairs first. Highly recommend a plumbing and electrical inspection outside the regular home inspection (if you can).

The worst possible feeling is having a sewage backup or a sump pump failure right after moving in. 😂

I moved into a fixer upper and I did the MVP before moving in.

Do all the easy repairs prior to moving in…painting the walls and trim is an easy refresh that’ll make things completely different. Semi gloss interior white for all the trim

Going on 5 years 😂