What to Look for When Buying a San Diego Fixer Upper

There are plenty of popular television shows right now involving people buying a fixer upper. On the shows they always get the house at a great price and then they spend the next 25 or 55 minutes fixing up the house and showing off the finished product. Many times they encounter a small hiccup along the way, but it’s easily taken care of with a little extra money from the budget or a slight alteration to the original plan.

That’s TV. But, real life isn’t like that. In real life if you buy the wrong San Diego fixer upper it can bleed your bank account dry and leave you with an ongoing headache that you don’t want to deal with.

If you want to try your hand at buying one, here are some things to look for to make sure you aren’t buying a money pit.

1. A good foundation

The foundation holds up the rest of the San Diego house, so if you have problems with the foundation you could have a big problem on your hands. With that said, not all foundation problems are catastrophic. In fact, there are some foundation problems that are easy and not too expensive to correct.

When buyers hear “foundation problems” they tend to run. So if you learn how to tell the difference between the serious problems and the small ones you may just find yourself a great deal.

2. Check out the major systems

Fixer uppers are usually older homes. This means their major systems could need updating. Which is going to increase your budget. A lot.

The major systems and structural elements to check include plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, and the foundation. If they all check out then you might have a good San Diego fixer upper on your hands. If they all need to be replaced or repaired the costs are going to add up quickly.

3. A layout you can work with

It’s normal when buying a San Diego fixer upper to want to change the layout a little, but you have to really look at what you are working with in order to save money. If you want to remove structural walls it can get expensive to make sure you have the correct beams in place in order to take the wall out. Make sure you understand what you are working with.

4. Check for rodents and insects

Infestations of any type can be expensive to take care of. When you are looking through the San Diego house look for signs of insect or rodent problems. You will also want to have an inspector check for termites. All of these things might be little but they lead to big problems.

5. Find out when the last resident lived in the house

The longer a San Diego house sits empty the more things go wrong with it. Houses work best when they are being used and this includes the major systems. If the house is empty find out how long it has been sitting that way.

A San Diego fixer upper can either be a diamond in the rough or a money pit. In order to avoid throwing away your money, interested buyers need to do your research to make sure that you are buying the right one.