tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post6191242928385772576..comments2007-05-16T00:53:41.716-04:00karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05483505184799130550noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-32780142147621026402007-05-16T00:53:00.000-04:002007-05-16T00:53:00.000-04:002007-05-16T00:53:00.000-04:00

We did it, and it was so hard. Our very very solid marriage nearly didn't survive and I'm not the first person to admit that a home can (almost)sink a relationship. It is hard. Not as hard as some of the stuff that you guys have been through, but pretty hard. Good luck.

Mama Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06990358486104157847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-85335162671689825132007-05-16T00:46:00.000-04:002007-05-16T00:46:00.000-04:002007-05-16T00:46:00.000-04:00

That is a hard decision. Our experience was to buy a relatively decent mid range home that was built in the eighties. SUre it needed some fix ups (flooring, bathroom, roof, furnace, possibly paint the house etc.) and now we are $10,000 into renos and wishing we had bought new (with a home owners warranty). Did we have $10,000 for renos...hell no! But we had VISA! Hehe. In all seriousness,

Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06372904383979683415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-51049313540114439132007-05-15T23:45:00.000-04:002007-05-15T23:45:00.000-04:002007-05-15T23:45:00.000-04:00

I have always dreamed of buying an old Victorian and fixing it up. Someday I still hope to do so.First thing I would do is give it some serious thought. Make sure you aren't blinded by what could be and see the house for what it really is right this minute. List all the things that need to be done. List them in order of importance. Make some calls, get some ball park figures on some of those

Poppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05923400820390663172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-82221850282172246942007-05-15T23:30:00.000-04:002007-05-15T23:30:00.000-04:002007-05-15T23:30:00.000-04:00

Hey Karla,If you want to talk to an expert on the joys of demos and renos, just ask Mandi! I'm sure she'd love to fill you in on the trials and tribulations and the ultimate joy it brings to her and Kevin...just a thought.Deb (AKA Mandi's M-I-L)

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-41774203273896292712007-05-15T20:46:00.000-04:002007-05-15T20:46:00.000-04:002007-05-15T20:46:00.000-04:00

Go for it! Especially if they except a low ball offer.

Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00977781470147646616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-66102922121587627352007-05-15T18:39:00.000-04:002007-05-15T18:39:00.000-04:002007-05-15T18:39:00.000-04:00

I can't believe you said you "aren't the fixer upper type" you two are exactly the fixer upper type.I think you should go for it. (says the girl with curtains for cupboard doors and a bathroom that has been out of commission for two years)

Supervisorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248936234470409916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-91271781916123306262007-05-15T17:52:00.000-04:002007-05-15T17:52:00.000-04:002007-05-15T17:52:00.000-04:00

Lots to think about. 1. Sure you can afford the house but can you afford to "fix it up?" 2. Who will do the work? Is there anything that REALISTICALLY you or your husband will/can do and will either one of you actually do it?3. Can you live in it while it's being done? and would you want to? (living in a house that's being renovated can be a huge pain and stressful) Is it livable now?4. Get

trishanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-72407719868771361862007-05-15T17:15:00.000-04:002007-05-15T17:15:00.000-04:002007-05-15T17:15:00.000-04:00

It's almost unanimous here in comment world. I wouldn't do it because I decided to fix up our tiny, and I mean super duper tiny bathroom several months ago. It was a job that probably could have been done in one day. I'm still not done or even close. That's just the kind of person I am when it comes to that sort of thing. Good luck because I know it would be the right choice for some people.

Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08497493113926488342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-77603791035719153292007-05-15T17:02:00.000-04:002007-05-15T17:02:00.000-04:002007-05-15T17:02:00.000-04:00

Throw them your lowball offer. It's a buyer's market right now. We just put in a low-ball offer on a house and after much negotiating and hemming and hawing, the sellers consented (as no one else was offering to buy it). But we decided to stay put until our baby is born.

Nicollehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14190516895847889658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-78863482266064129952007-05-15T16:25:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:25:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:25:00.000-04:00

Oops! That should read "some times" not "something" ... as in "some times smaller is much much better.

Cuppahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015697402688623317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-77940186349354757642007-05-15T13:35:00.000-04:002007-05-15T13:35:00.000-04:002007-05-15T13:35:00.000-04:00

You just have to be very honest with yourself here. You either are a fixer-upper or you aren't. It is ok to be either, but you have to be honest about it. If you aren't then don't do it. You'll end up hating the house and hating life. If you are a fixer-upper then my advice is to make a list of everything that you think needs done. Then create a very honest timeline for how long you think it will

Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09571540380996764657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-44111860362079627242007-05-15T12:40:00.000-04:002007-05-15T12:40:00.000-04:002007-05-15T12:40:00.000-04:00

Oh my, I would say DON'T do it! Fixer uppers take twice as much time and ten times the amount of money you could even imagine!I grew up in "reno-land" and didn't like it AT ALL! Plaster dust on everything, always something in the process of being ripped out and fixed. Plumbing, wiring and heating repairs eating up your money and you can't even see it and admire it after it is done. Aside from

Cuppahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06015697402688623317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-75581749757851403872007-05-15T12:26:00.000-04:002007-05-15T12:26:00.000-04:002007-05-15T12:26:00.000-04:00

I was going to say something similar that when you have a fixer upper of such proportions, it takes a LONG time to get it where you want it to be. I know people who still have not fixed everything they needed to, and are constantly living with repairmen and parts of the house that can't be used. Size isn't everything! ;)

Ginahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11604097511444010759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-3429933879609264592007-05-15T11:10:00.000-04:002007-05-15T11:10:00.000-04:002007-05-15T11:10:00.000-04:00

Gasp...I don't wanna tell you what to do but here I go...DON'T DO IT. My Better Half and I bought the huge, hulking fixer upper with crazy potential almost two years ago and it is in the process of swallowing us whole. It's lovely. We could live here forever if only we could afford it. The utility bills, the repairs, the yard maintenance, the new windows, the new roof, now the whole damn thing

ccehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11013507872771685003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12843084.post-56047920895092326772007-05-15T10:55:00.000-04:002007-05-15T10:55:00.000-04:002007-05-15T10:55:00.000-04:00

Wow...sounds like a great opportunity, but a big decision. I'm not sure what I would do. We decided to go for new or almost-new, since we've been fixing up our crappy 80's townhouse bit by bit for the past few years and we're sick of living in reno-land...especially with young kids. But this is a tiny TINY townhouse...having the opportunity to get a huge house might just have changed our minds

Catehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17427389718616405880noreply@blogger.com