So, you’ve fulfilled your dream and bought a house that’s something of a fixer-upper. It might need some work, but you saved a lot of money, and the whole point is the fun of the project. But you’ve never done anything like this before. Where do you start? Hopefully, before you bought the house, you checked to make sure there was no unexpectedly major work that you needed to do. You should know what you need to fix, and you won’t end up with a spanner in the works because you discover a previously unnoticed structural problem. With your inspection report in hand, you need to prioritize all the jobs, both big and small. So where should you start?
The Roof
Taking a good look at the roof could be a good idea before you do anything else. Any work that you need to do inside could be impeded by holes, poor insulation or other damage to your rooftop and cavity. You don’t want to be trying to paint inside while a hole in the roof results in water slowly building up in your attic. There are several things to address, which you can have repaired using a service that performs roof restoration in Melbourne or your desired city. As well as the slates outside and insulation inside, don’t forget that your gutters are just as essential for keeping your roof maintained too.
Doors and Windows
Having a warm and safe house is your top priority, so after you have the roof fixed up your doors and windows should take high priority. The most important thing is whether they’re secure, so if they’re rotting or just plain bad quality, make sure you replace them with something more robust. One problem with the windows on older houses is a lack of double-glazing, which is something you’ll want to think about. Windows that don’t keep out the cold won’t be welcome in the winter months. Of course, your doors and windows might be perfectly adequate for keeping intruders out, but if they don’t look good then they deserve a makeover.
Plumbing and Electricity
Once you start work on the inside, you need to tackle the guts of the building before you start making everything beautiful. You won’t be able to function without an energy supply and running water, so any problems need to be fixed as soon as possible. There are many smaller problems you can try doing yourself, such as replacing a plug socket or fixing a leaky tap. However, if you don’t have any experience in plumbing or electricity, it’s best to get an expert in. Don’t forget to consider your heating and cooling systems too.
The Bathroom and Kitchen
When you’ve got the essentials working correctly, you can think a bit more about the cosmetics. Bedrooms and living and dining rooms are mostly plain rooms, brought to life by your furniture and decor. But in the bathroom and kitchen, the fixtures are vital to your living experience. Think about whether you want to renovate either of these rooms to bring them up to date.
There can be a lot to do with a fixer upper, depending on how big of a project you were willing to take on. But if you know what you need to do, you can create a schedule and have a good chance of sticking to it.
