You have been looking for a house for months, and you have discovered that finding a home suitable for six people and at an affordable price is not an easy task.  But suddenly, one day, an ad catches your eye.  It is a five bedroom, four bathrooms, fireplace, big yard, and huge basement house at a great neighborhood and at an incredible price, however, the last line of the ad reads: “fixer upper”.

So, it’s ok. It’s too good a deal pass up. You know you can convince your family that this is the best option and you can all make some sacrifices to give the place a facelift and to imprint your family’s personality in it.

Many people have gotten into amazingly successful fixer upper projects and you can surely be one of them, however, you have to consider several things:

1.    Is the property worth it?
In order to clearly assess this, you will need a professional.  You can immediately see and feel when a property has potential, and if it does, go see it again with a good engineer, a quality contractor, and a top interior designer.  Why? Because some problems will be obvious, like an outdated kitchen or peeling paint, but the biggest issues, like rotted wood or old plumbing may not be, and only a professional with experience can tell you where to look to find the dangerous weaknesses.

2.    How much will you have to invest in fixing the place up?
If you are really into buying the place, get the professionals to give you estimates of how much the remodeling project will cost.  Add these costs to the house’s price and compare the total with the prices of other similar and better houses in the area.  For example, if the house is listed at, let’s say, $150,000, and others around the neighborhood are being sold for around $210,000, and the remodeling estimates you receive oscillate around $50,000, you definitely have a winner!

3.    Can you finance the fix up?
If you are buying the property with a mortgage, most probably the bank will assess the place based on its current condition, not its potential value once remodeling is done, so you may not receive enough money to pay for the fix up work.  You could research the renovation loan opportunities available in your city, but you will certainly have to work the numbers to make sure you can pay both loans without sacrificing your family.

You will certainly feel it. You will know if the place is ‘home’ even if it is a wreck.  If this is the case and this house is destined to be yours, don’t worry, it will be, energies will align and the right people will find you so as to make your dream a reality.

And if your precious future home is around the Seattle area, here’s your first sign.  Talk to a professional Seattle interior designer; there’s no one better to guide you in the right direction. With her help, you will experience what serendipity is all about.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.amelydesigns.com as the original source).

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Any remodeling project causes interference in a household’s daily routine, but a major one can result in total chaos and even threaten your sanity.  Once cabinets are ripped out, walls come down, and wiring is exposed, suddenly you are wondering why you decided to go through such hell, since you cannot even imagine how the place will look in the end.  You basically trust your interior designer and her experience to get you through the project without going nuts and in one piece.

There is no question about it, a home remodeling project can be stressful; however, the right guidance and the following advice can make the process easier on you and your whole family:

-    Design a plan to keep your daily routine working
Even though you are living in a chaotic environment, you still have to cook, wash clothes, and take a shower.  If staying at a hotel or with a relative is not an option, you have to design a practical plan to live at home while the work is being done, and you have to do this before the interior designer and her crew start tearing down walls.  You could adapt a new temporary kitchen in another room while remodeling is taking place there, or ask a friend or neighbor to allow you to shower at their house if water has to be turned off for several days.  Knowing what you will do when your home is not livable will give you peace of mind.

-    Keep an eye on the clutter
Of course there will be a mess while the project is underway; however, the loads of trash and dust that come out daily should be taken care of immediately.  Before remodeling begins, talk to your interior designer about this, and make sure you have clarity, and that everyone knows, how trash should be handled.

-    Protect your valuables
Even if your interior designer is the best and most careful one out there, dust will surely spread all over your house.  Ensure all your furniture and electronics are well protected against dust, or remove them if necessary.  You can choose a room away from the chaos to put everything for the duration of the project, lock it up and make sure everyone understands that that area is out of bounds.  In this way, you will feel comfort in knowing that your things are safe.

-    Keep an eye on things
Whether you are living elsewhere or at home during the remodeling project, you have to talk to your interior designer every day, and even several times a day, to make sure everything is going smoothly.  This will help you feel in control of what is happening right now and know what’s coming next.

If you live in the Seattle area, contact experienced interior designers in Seattle. You can rest assured you will remain sane no matter how huge your remodeling project is.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.amelydesigns.com as the original source).

Don’t Forget to Subscribe by RSS or Email: