Property Crossroads - Real Estate Info

Buyers no longer interested in fixer-uppers

by Dan on August 31st, 2008

My Chicago Tribune had an interesting story today in its real estate section. Turns out, a growing number of home buyers want nothing to do with fixer-uppers.

You can read the story here. Basically, its says that today’s buyers increasingly want to buy move-in-ready homes. Renovate that kitchen? Expand that tiny upstairs bathroom? Brush on a fresh coat of paint to the hallway walls? That’s not on the to-do list of a growing number of today’s buyers.

This doesn’t surprise me. Personally, I’d rather jump through a window than clean it. Home repairs, home maintenance, even, have never been my thing. I hate the thought of wasting a Saturday afternoon pulling weeds and trimming the bushes.

Now, after enduring all those years of home-improvement shows and Mr. Fix-It-Yourself columns in the newspapers, it appears I’m back in the mainstream again. I’m no longer alone in treating the phone book — and it’s listings for janitors, carpenters and handymen — as my main fix-it tool.

How bad it is. My wife would like me to help her hang some photos and artwork throughout our house. I’m already dreading drilling into my home’s walls. This is about the simplest home-improvement project you can tackle. I’m not even sure if it qualifies as a home-improvement project. But here I am, doing anything I can think of to delay that inevitable moment when I’ll have to walk out to the garage and take out that drill.

How about you? Do you consider yourself part of the fix-it squad? Or do you prefer to stay far, far away from that toolbox gathering dust in your garage?

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POSTED IN: Breaking News, Buying a Property, Insights and Commentaries, Real Life Stories, Road to Profits