In the midst of it all, look back on old photos to see just how far you’ve come. By Jennifer E Kent
PROJECT
doer-upper Sometimes it can be a bit of a gamble when you buy a property. What looks good on the outside may need a little work inside, or vice versa, but a little hard work never hurt anybody, did it? It’s funny to think how we describe our homes sometimes: “It needs a little love.” “It’s got great bones.” “I love this, but we need to work on that.” If that sounds like you, it sounds like you’ve got a doer-upper! I think there’s a little doer-upper in all of us though, don’t you think? Whenever we move into a new home, whether it be our own or someone else’s, we have this innate need to make it our own and add a little of our personality. Even a brand-spanking new build isn’t complete until we’ve added that book on the shelf, or positioned that picture frame perfectly, or thrown that cushion on the couch. For some, the idea of completely overhauling a property to turn it from ABC to XYZ is pure heaven and an exciting opportunity to really get their hands dirty.
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And for the rest of us, well… we may have accidently stumbled upon a doer-upper. First things first, before you jump straight into renovating and re-creating your perfect home, there are several things you need to do. From experience, I think it pays to sit on things for a while and really consider what end result you are wanting to achieve. And, if there are multiple parties involved, make sure you are all on the same page as there’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a reno before realising you have different ideas. Firstly, think about the ‘who’ and the ‘why’ … then move onto the ‘what’.
What do I mean by this? Who are you renovating for? Are you sprucing up an investment property to rent out? Are you planning on flipping a property for a short-term gain? Or are you planning on creating your perfect home?
