Renovation for Real: Getting Started

Enter HGTV and all its fixer-upper, flip or flop, property brother shows that make it look so easy and effortless.  Just turn it over to the pros and they will move walls and pipes to turn that Pepto pink, mint green, purple carpeted shack into your dream castle.  Piece of cake, right?

Not so fast.  While HGTV has a lot of great reality shows, it IS still entertainment media.  And, as in any renovation project, large or small, there are steps, details, and a lot of “behind the scenes” activity that has to happen to pull off a successful renovation.  The activity you don't always see on tv is the non-glamorous, hard work and stressful details that go into pulling it off.

Now don’t get me wrong:  I LOVE HGTV.  I personally know the creator of the network that launched in the mid-90’s, and admire his brilliant vision that has since become a household acronym.  And by the way...I love me some Property Brothers!  (This was taken at the NAR Annual Conference in San Diego, November 2015.  Too bad I didn't know I was going to buy a fixer upper when I got to meet them!) But reality tv and REALITY are not the same thing.  HGTV is for stimulating vision to share with the experts you will hire to do the jobs you aren’t qualified to do yourself. 

One of the experts you need to start with would be me.  Or, a Realtor you know, like and trust…(And preferably, someone experienced with buying and selling distressed properties).  I am a licensed Realtor.  An expert in real estate.  I am NOT a contractor.  I am NOT a plumber.  I am NOT an electrician.  I am NOT a carpenter.  I don’t lay tile.  I don’t replace roofs or HVAC units.  When you want something done right, you hire an expert.  I can’t tell you how many houses I have walked into that were DIY disasters that could have been avoided had the right professional been hired from the start. 

So let’s get started with the process.  You have decided you want to buy a fixer-upper.  You hire someone like me to represent you as your Realtor, to make sure the purchase goes smoothly from start to finish.  What comes next?

Financing!   How do you plan to finance the purchase of the home?  Are you paying cash or will you need to get financing from a lender?  When you plan to purchase a home, whether it is a fixer-upper or move-in ready, financing must be addressed before you get started.  Knowing your options will help you determine what to look for.

Tomorrow, we will go over financing options that are available.  (You have more options that you think!)  If you have any questions as we walk through the process, please comment or give me a call!  I can be reached on my cell phone at 478-973-2684 or you can email me at Janie.pugh@carolinaoneplus.com

Lovin' Life in the Lowcountry,

Janie

My mission statement:  To live each day to the fullest, with excitement, enthusiasm and a strong desire to build a successful and highly respected real estate business, earned by developing relationships through consistent and predictably high work ethic of always going above and beyond, and always doing so with a creative surprise up my sleeve.