Renovating a fixer-upper is not for the faint of heart. It takes money, hard work, and patience. But if you’re able to pull off a successful transformation, you’ll reap the benefits.

“Fixing up a house is an incredible opportunity, but should never be viewed as a TV show. It’s real life,” says Elizabeth Enright Phillips, a financial coach at Running Creek Properties in Lancaster, OH, who has renovated nearly a dozen properties.

Best-case scenario: You’ll end up building your dream home and increasing the value of the property. But fixing up a ramshackle house can cost a fortune. Unforeseen problems can surface that will make your fixer-upper a real money pit.

When looking at real estate listings, you’ll notice that no two fixer-uppers are the same. One may have sat vacant for a while, another may be in desperate need of a new roof, and another may have a mold infestation. Each of these scenarios will cost money to rectify, but some situations are more manageable than others.

To help you out, we tapped experts to identify the features and characteristics you should look for in a fixer-upper, to make the renovation go much more smoothly. On your hunt for that hidden gem of a fixer-upper, keep your eye out for the following signs.

Strong structural elements

A solid structure is ideal for any home, but it’s especially critical when you’re buying a fixer-upper. If the home has a crumbling foundation or serious roof problems, you’ll have to decide if you’re willing to pay to repair this type of damage.

These are the five important structural elements:

1. Roof
2. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)
3. Plumbing
4. Electrical
5. Foundation

Mike Coughlin, owner of Summit Design Build in Stoneham, MA, says you can get a good idea of the house’s structure by exploring the basement, attic, and unfinished areas. Focus on those areas rather than the pretty, recent additions to the home.

“You want to look at the basement rather than the granite counters and new bathroom fixtures. All of that shiny stuff is really easy to fix,” says Coughlin, who is working on a nearly 300-year-old home that he bought with his wife, Francine. “The stuff behind the walls is what’s more important. As long as the bones are good, you can pretty much do anything.”

Only minor plumbing problems

There’s a good chance that your fixer-upper will need plumbing work. Depending on the scope of the project, the work will be either a quick fix or a significant undertaking that will eat into your budget. Some fixer-uppers may have low water pressure (fairly minor problem), while others may have pipes that need to be replaced (a big problem).

Before buying a fixer-upper, make sure you’re comfortable with the amount of plumbing work required to bring the place up to snuff.

That said, you shouldn’t immediately flee any fixer-uppers that need plumbing work. If you really love the house, it’s all about balancing costs and diverting money from one project to another.

A sound layout

A logical layout is important in any home (no one wants to walk down a long hall to get to the guest bathroom), but it’s especially critical when you’re looking at an old home. Older homes are often divided into small rooms, but many people in this decade favor an open floor plan.

“The entire family wants to be connected; no one wants to be stuck back in the kitchen when everyone else is hanging out. With an open floor plan, there is no separation between the zones of the house,” says Jean Brownhill, founder and CEO at New York City–based Sweeten, which matches people who have major renovation projects with general contractors.

If you envision needing to knock down walls to create a more open, airy interior, know that the job can be expensive, time-consuming, and dusty.

Little to no infestations

It’s not uncommon to encounter a fixer-upper that has an infestation, be it mice, termites, mold, dry rot, or asbestos. A minor issue such as mice can be resolved by putting out traps and filling holes in the house. However, severe termite damage could require a costly solution, including lifting the house (yes, right off the ground) to access the foundation and check for further damage.

A seller is required to disclose such infestations, but a home inspector will also uncover any issues during the inspection that may occur after the house goes into contract.

If you find any of these problems in your fixer-upper, it’s a good idea to get an estimate from a contractor to resolve the issue.

Recent occupation

Buying a foreclosed home that’s sat dormant for a few years might get you a low sale price, but it may also present a challenge when you start renovating it.

“You never know what’s going on with plumbing behind the walls,” Coughlin says of homes that stand empty for an extended period of time. Maybe the water wasn’t turned off properly in the winter, which can cause the pipes to freeze, split, and leak.

A home without humans can also become a refuge for critters such as squirrels and bats.

“We have found dead mice and rats and a live mother possum feeding her two babies in attics,” says William Begal, president of Begal Enterprises, a disaster restoration company in Rockville, MD.

All of these problems can be fixed—they’ll just add more to your bottom-line costs.

 

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A Victorian house sounds like it comes from the Victorian era. And the Victorian era conjures up images of women in corsets and hoop skirts lounging on fainting couches. But where? In a Victorian house, of course. But what exactly is a Victorian house? Even some people familiar with the term aren’t exactly sure what distinguishes this style of architecture.

Fancy, elaborate, and ornate are a few descriptions that may come to mind, but there’s a lot more history and highlights to this style. Allow us to elaborate on the pros, cons, and costs of these lovely homes and help you decide if this house style is right for you.

A brief history of Victorian architecture

As you may have guessed, Victorian homes were introduced during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837–1901) in England. Beauty over practicality was the prevailing design aesthetic of the time, and houses of the era reflected those same ideals.

It also helped that the Industrial Age had brought many innovations in architecture and construction to make such home decor possible: Power tools and mass production made fancy porch treatments and complicated trim widely available.

Although Victorian-era hoop skirts have gone the way of, well, hoop skirts, Victorian architecture has managed to maintain a steady appeal to this day. While this style is most popular in New England and the South, it can be found in all parts of the United States and around the world, appealing to anyone who’s bored to tears by spare, simple surroundings and longs for a more florid, precious, even feminine setting.

“Victorian homes almost have a dollhouse quality to them,” says Cheryl Zarella, a real estate agent in Bedford, NH. “There is so much architectural detail that goes into one.”

What defines a Victorian house?

There are various styles of Victorian houses, including Italianate, Gothic Revival, and Queen Anne. However, Zarella explains, these are some of the typical features in all Victorian homes:

• Distinctive ornamental style
• Lively color schemes
• Asymmetrical shape
• Extensively detailed woodwork
• Ceiling medallions
• Exquisite hardwood flooring
• Copper and tin ceilings
• Typically, three stories
• A wraparound porch

While the floor plans for Victorian houses are highly varied, many have a central hall or an L- or T-shaped layout, which emphasizes rooms with special functions(e.g., formal dining rooms, parlors, and sitting rooms for entertaining).

While many have square or rectangular floor plans, they are often adorned with setbacks, wings, and bays that make the layout complex. Some Victorian houses were even built with octagonal or round floor plans.

Famous Victorian homes

If you’re still not able to picture what a Victorian House looks like, just watch an episode of “Full House.” Yep, the Tanner home is a perfect example of a Victorian home with its multiple levels and ornate features.

It’s just one of seven San Francisco Victorian home styles known as the “The Painted Ladies” for their colorful exterior paint colors. But there are actually quite a few groups of “painted ladies” in other cities, including Toledo, OH, and New Orleans.

Other famous Victorian houses include the Gingerbread House in Savannah, GA, and the Wedding Cake House in Kennebunk, ME. Some have been gorgeously restored and preserved, while others have been updated and modernized.

Pros and cons of Victorian homes

Victorian homes tend to be more expensive than other simpler homes such as Cape Cods and ranches.  They’re typically bigger in size, because they have more floors, and the architectural details increase the price as well.

Though bigger in size overall, Victorian homes do tend to have smaller bedrooms and smaller closets. Also, the upkeep and cost of repairs can add up. Lead paint and asbestos can also prove problematic, as they were both used widely during the Victorian era. Yet if this all sounds like more than you’d like to handle, take heart that plenty of Victorian-style homes are merely inspired by this old style of architecture but lack the problems of authentic Victorian homes. Consider it the low-maintenance option to this high-maintenance style.

Bottom line: While some may find them too busy or problematic, if you are a romantic at heart and want to feel a bit like royalty, a Victorian home could make you swoon.

 

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So you watched another home improvement show and saw another perfectly-modern-and-still-perfectly-historic home renovation. It is gorgeous. It is flawless. It has a kitchen you can actually cook in. Oh, be still, beating heart!

Next thing you know, you’re browsing home listings online with the filter set to “hopelessly optimistic.” You’re determined: you’re going to find your own perfect restoration project. People will weep at the sight of your glorious creation. They. Will. Weep.

Or will you?

We had a sneaking suspicion those historic home renovation projects aren’t quite as easy as they look on TV, so we asked the experts what really goes into it all. The short answer: a helluva lot. But that doesn’t mean you can’t pull it off.

It won’t be quick

Remodeling a newer home is downright hard. But remodeling a historic home? That can feel like a suicide mission.

“More upfront research is required determining what was original and what is important to the building,” says Bryan Henson, president of Allen Construction, historical rehab specialists in Los Angeles.

If you want to be accurate, you’ll need time to take inventory, research the floor plan and photos of the home, and decide what can be salvaged. Typically the design and permitting processes take longer, too, Henson says.

You might even need to reach out to an architectural historian, especially if the home was remodeled in the past. Sorting out what was original to the home can be tricky on your own.

Respecting the past might mean respecting the red tape

If you buy a historically registered home—or plan to have the home considered for historic landmark status later—you might find yourself frustratingly limited in what you can do.

That’s because historic landmarks have more stringent requirements when it comes to alterations, Hansen says.

Before you start working, make sure you know what you’re in for (and what you can’t do). You’ll save yourself a headache later—and possibly some fines.

You’ll meet the ghosts of homeowners past

“The worst part of restoring a historic home is finding mistakes that people have made before us,” says Shannon Baird, real estate broker for Living Room Realty and principal at S Baird Design in Portland, OR.

It happens all the time: An addition with low ceilings that don’t match the original blueprint. Perhaps original solid wood doors were replaced by cheaper plywood doors, or carpet might have been nailed down over the original hardwood. Expect to spend some time and money undoing what previous homeowners have covered up.

You’ll find things you wished you hadn’t

If you’re very, very lucky, your historic home restoration won’t have any surprises. But the odds still aren’t in your favor. The Allen Construction team has found every problem in the book—from asbestos to decayed and leaking pipes behind the walls of historic homes.

If you’re remodeling a historic home, you should plan for at least one “clean up and replace” kind of job.

And while older homes were built with more care, many of the materials commonly used then aren’t up to code today.

“For safety, we often find that older features—like stair rails and balusters—need to be rebuilt to meet today’s standards,” says Baird.

Finally, because there will inevitably be unexpected issues, you should leave plenty of room on your timeline—and in your budget.

“On our El Toro project, the master bedroom was above a historic ceiling and not structurally supported, so we had to insert steel in order to support the bedroom and not adversely impact the ceiling below,” says Daniel Mault, project manager for Allen Construction’s El Toro historic landmark project in Ojai, CA.

But you get to be Indiana Jones (sort of)

Restoring an old property is a journey, and sometimes you might feel like you’ve discovered buried treasure (minus the booby traps and enormous rolling boulders, hopefully).

“Most historic homes offer a variety of pleasant surprises and discoveries as you go through a remodel,” Henson says. “We will sometimes uncover beautiful brass or ironwork that has been painted over so many times, all of the detail was lost.”

The key is to preserve those treasures correctly.

“If you can keep original details like light fixtures, tile, cabinetry knobs, plumbing fixtures, even tubs, they help maintain the historic feel,” Henson says. “With color schemes and textures, it is important to echo the original as much as possible.”

The company has even gone as far as to hire a forensic paint consultant (yes, that’s really a thing) and use local ironwork shops to recreate or repair items that were damaged.

And the shopping is fun

You’ll likely spend a lot of time looking for hardware, light fixtures and other small touches, but it won’t be a regular old boring trip to Home Depot. You’ll get to dig through architectural salvage shops and spend hours looking at fascinating vintage fixtures online (Mault and Henson have had luck finding parts on eBay).

In fact, you even might find a piece of your actual house for sale.

“In a recent historic remodel, the fireplace ironwork was missing for years. The owner was at a local antique shop and noticed there was one for sale that matched the ironwork in the house,” Mault says. “They realized after looking at old house photos the piece at the antique shop was originally from their house, so they went down and bought it right away.”

And the end will be worth it

Having a house that doesn’t look like anyone else’s is reward enough in itself, but that isn’t even the best part.

For Baird, it’s all about saving something from a wrecking ball and giving it new life.

“Bringing a historic home to modern conditions and ensuring that it can be appreciated by more generations to come is the best part,” she says.

 

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The real estate market has never been better for sellers. Over the past year, the low housing inventory and record-high prices gave most sellers the opportunity to make big profits quickly. Homes typically sold in one week and received full asking price, according to the National Association of Realtors®’ 2021 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. And of course, bidding wars pushed up home prices.

But if we look at the other side of the coin, there are droves of buyers who are having to deal with a very competitive—and often frustrating—housing market. The same study from the NAR found that 35% of homebuyers purchased their home for above the asking price.

In times like these, it’s tough for buyers to compete—and even harder to stay positive.

“Homebuyer fatigue is very common right now,” says Chase Michels, a real estate agent for Compass Real Estate in Chicago. “My team sold 45 homes last year, and the most common buyer we worked with made offers on three to five homes and missed out on the first few.”

Things may seem especially hopeless for first-time homebuyers.

“As home prices increase, generally first-time buyers are hit hardest because they have no previous home on which to draw equity,” says Jessica Lautz, vice president of demographics and behavioral insights at NAR. “Furthermore, in the current environment, these buyers also face soaring rent prices and high student debt balances, which makes it extremely difficult to save for a down payment.”

Buying a home is already an emotional process, but having to deal with so much disappointment can be freakishly stressful. For a little bit of perspective, we turned to real estate experts with decades of experience who have seen crazy cycles like this one. They shared tips on how buyers can stay positive, make smart decisions, and get one step closer to landing the right house.

Get pre-approved for a home loan

Your first order of business (if you haven’t already done so) to show you’re a serious buyer is to find a lender who will pre-approve you for a home loan.

“Get pre-approved for a mortgage,” says Nik Shah, CEO of Home.LLC in California’s Marin County.

In addition to helping you be realistic about your price range, it also shows you have a commitment from a lender to finance your purchase. When sellers review your offer and see that you are pre-approved, they’ll be more likely to accept your offer over another buyer who doesn’t have pre-approval.

Tell everyone you know you’re looking for a house

If you’re looking for a house, shout it from the rooftops.

“You should reach out to your personal network and even put out the word on social media,” says Bill Samuel, co-founder of Blue Ladder Development in Chicago. “You’ll be surprised how many potential homes you can find that way. And if you have a personal relationship with the seller, or know someone who does, it will improve your odds of getting your offer accepted.”

Be open to a rent-back agreement

An under-the-radar way to land a house is to be empathetic to the seller’s needs. Often, sellers are in the process of closing on a new home themselves, but that timeline might not align with your purchase of their house. Therefore, they might require a rent-back agreement, which would allow them to live in the house for a set amount of time after closing.

Essentially, they would be your temporary tenants and would have extra time to close on their new home and pack up.

“Often, just being flexible in the offer and allowing the seller a certain amount of time to close the sale can be very helpful,” says Marie Bromberg, a licensed real estate salesperson with Compass in New York City.

Invest your sweat equity

If the house needs work but has good bones, roll up your sleeves.

“Home prices are inflated, but there are still ways to find a really good deal,” says Jordan Fulmer, a real estate investor with Momentum Property Solutions in Huntsville, AL.

“Look for a house that needs some work. Even though most homes are selling for astronomical prices, houses that are not list-ready due to necessary repairs or updates may struggle to sell and allow you to buy them well below market price,” adds Fulmer. “By putting in some sweat equity into a fixer-upper, buyers can stay within their budget while still ending up with a beautiful home.”

Wait it out

You never want to make a hasty house purchase or buy any old home just because you’re sick of losing out to other buyers. If you’re having trouble buying a house right now, our experts recommend waiting it out. As painful as this may sound, if you can sweat out your current living situation, or rent another place for a year, you may end up with a better house in the end.

“This is currently the lowest supply of home for sale in history,” says Michel. “These are unprecedented times, so if you don’t need to move urgently, then don’t. In 12 to 18 months, things could look much different for buyers. If you have the option to rent, you should consider it.”

 

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Good bathroom remodel ideas aren’t just about saving you money. They’re also about helping you start your day off right.

Let’s get real: The first room you stumble into in the morning—bleary-eyed, dazed, and yawning—should be a soothing oasis. A bathroom that achieves those lofty heights? That’s a bathroom you can love. That’s why these most special of rooms are second only to kitchens as the areas homeowners eagerly spend time and money renovating—and that catch a buyer’s eye when you’re trying to sell.

Here’s what you need to know about bathroom design, including ideas for tile, fixtures, and more.

Bathroom remodel ideas: Where to begin

But exactly which upgrades are the best, in terms of both usefulness and return on investment—even in a small bathroom? Do you need to start knocking down walls and renovate the entire room, or you can you start smaller?

Before you go nuts with your remodel and install expensive tile, new flooring, saunas, and rain shower heads, check out this second installment in our series “Renovations That Really Pay Off,” for some smarter tweaks you’ll be very glad you made.

1. Reglaze, don’t replace, the tub

“No, no, no—do not put in a new tub,” says Rebecca Knaster, associate broker with Manhattan’s William Raveis. “It’ll cost thousands between the tub and the installation.” Instead, have the tub reglazed for “around $1,500,” which will make it look brand-new.

Matt Plaskoff, founder of One Week Bath, agrees that if the shower and tub area “is in decent shape,” it’s best to concentrate on the front part of the bathroom, which “sets the tone for the space.” 

2. Invest in a new sink

Face washing, teeth brushing, gerbil bathing—your sink sees a lot of use. It’s also the very first thing a buyer notices in a bathroom, says Knaster. A great-looking vanity is also a smart upgrade when considering a bathroom remodel.

“Step 1 for getting the most bang for your buck is a new, contemporary sink,” she says. “It will set you back a few hundred dollars and make all the difference.”

Just note whether the bathroom sink you already have is an undermount (where the edge is below the countertop to create an uninterrupted surface) or overmount (where the sink lip comes up over the countertop), says interior designer Randal Weeks, founder of Aidan Gray Home.

An undermount can be difficult to remove unless it’s under a Formica top. If the sink is adhered to the surface, the top will also have to go, which quickly drives up the cost of a bathroom remodel.

One easy and dramatic sink upgrade Weeks recommends for an inexpensive remodel is replacing separate hot and cold faucets with a sleek single-handle faucet that starts at $70.

3. Go for timeless tile

Bathroom remodel ideas in general should appeal to a broader range of people and provide better return on investment. While natural stone is hot, Weeks prefers neutral tiles on walls and the backsplash for this reason. Pricey stones are taste-specific, he notes, and can give a busy look that’s a turnoff regardless of expense.

In fact, Weeks says one of the biggest issues buyers consider when making offers is the cost of redoing other people’s “bad tile choices.” So go for crowd-pleasing features such as bright white subway tiles, which run a mere 21 cents each. The payoff for this tile remodel?

“You can add $10,000 of value to your home by selecting timeless elements that won’t date it.” 

4. Upgrade your lighting when you remodel

It’s not just Snow White’s evil stepmother and the Kardashians who spend lots of time staring into the mirror on the bathroom wall. For most of us, lighting and lighting fixtures are critical elements.

“Dated light fixtures are a turnoff,” says Knaster. “For no more than $100 you can buy a basic but nice bathroom light fixture.”

5. Install a double vanity

The last thing you need in the morning is a battle with your partner over who gets the sink. It’s no wonder “I’m looking for a double vanity” is one of the most common things heard by Will Johnson, a Hendersonville, TN, real estate agent and founder of the Sell and Stage Team. 

A double vanity typically costs between $200 and $800, with installation falling around $220, Johnson says—and it’s a wise investment when you’re undergoing a bathroom remodel.

Johnson has clients who “won’t buy a house simply because there’s only one sink in the master bathroom.” Even if you have a small bathroom, strive for this two-sink option.

6. Swap in new fixtures

“Old materials such as bronze can instantly date your bathroom,” says Johnson. To knock out this easy DIY update, simply purchase new door handles, drawer pulls, and towel bars for a bathroom remodel that’s quick, easy, and inexpensive. A nice chrome drawer pull can cost as little as $3, while a towel bar can average $30. 

7. Get a water-saving toilet

This may not sound like a bathroom remodel idea that will do much—it’s just the toilet. But beyond updating the look of the room, a toilet replacement could save you some serious green and it works whether you have a big or small bathroom.

Old toilets use 6 gallons of water per flush, gobbling up about 30% of all residential water in U.S. homes. Go green when you swap out your throne. New WaterSense models using only 1.28 gallons per flush (e.g., TOTO’s Carlyle II 1G toilet) conserve up to 18,000 gallons of water annually. The initial cost of $974 will shave more than $110 per year off a water bill and add up to almost $2,200 over the lifetime of the toilet.

Bonus: The latest water-saving thrones actually work.

8. Skip the bidet in your bathroom design

Bidets may be considered the Rolls-Royce of toilet upgrades, but most bathrooms simply don’t have room for them. What’s worse: Most Americans have no idea what on Earth these things are and may even be weirded out by them.

“My personal opinion is that our society is not accustomed to this practice and doesn’t see the extra value in them,” says Tracy Kay Griffin, an expert designer at Express Homebuyers, in Springfield, VA. “We haven’t renovated a home yet where we thought it would be a good investment to add a bidet.”

When it comes to your bathroom remodel, just say nay to the bidet.

 

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