Would you rather move in ready or a fixer upper?

[angryguy77]

I would rather fix it up. Not becaue I enjoy doing it, i absolutly hate anything to do with home improvement. But it will save you money and when yous sell you should make more on it because you paid less for it.

[rickyfan3.0...]

I'd go somewhere in the middle... I bought a house 4 years ago in good shape, but with room for improvement. I am always working on a project just to update...I like getting a house with crappy landscaping bc that takes alot of value away, then you put some work into it and really pimp it out.

I wouldn't want a total fixxer-upper because your life would be angst filled until your house was ready.

[FatKidsDad]

Anyone who owns a house knows this...

They are ALL fixer uppers eventually.

It's also pretty unlikley to find a house EXACTLY the way you want it.  Something will have to be changed.

It's all a matter of degree.  It's a balance between how much you spend to buy the house, how much you budget for the inevitable changes or repairs, and whether you will do the work or pay someone to do it.

If you are healthy, energetic and capable, and if you get the fixer upper for the right price, you might end up with much more house than you could otherwise afford, and you can have it the way you want it.  Great news as long as you live there, and at resale time.
 
For myself, I can do a lot of work (both upgrade and repair), however I am finding myself less and less inclined to do so as time goes on.

The next house will be as close to done as we can find, and the acquisition budget will be such that we can afford to hire someone to do any needed work.

Condos are starting to look pretty good.