What specifically is a 'fixer upper"? (Phoenix: condo, appliances)

[annie7]

Does that mean it needs to be gutted and is not 'livable'? What is commonly called a 'fixer upper"? Cosmetic work and upgrades and maybe adding flooring etc? All responses appreciated!

[RedJacket]

John McCain.

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by annie7

Does that mean it needs to be gutted and is not 'livable'? What is commonly called a 'fixer upper"? Cosmetic work and upgrades and maybe adding flooring etc? All responses appreciated!

There is not a specific definition. It may mean it's been flooded with water or sewage and there is mold and/or massive water damage. It may mean the plumbing doesn't work - or that the electricity all needs to be redone in order to function safely. Or it may mean there's massive rot in the walls, floors or ceiling. Or maybe ALL of the above.

The only thing you can PROBABLY say for sure is that "needs to be gutted and is not liveable" is NOT "cosmetic work".

Ken

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by think first

John McCain.

LOL

Ken

[lucygirl1]

In my opinion a fixer upper is something that may have old carpet, outdated cabinets and counters, and needs paint. It may be a bit "trashed", but shouldn't be gutted.

[dura]

The house is outdated or in some sort of disrepair. It could be that it needs a new roof, windows, electrical or plumbing work, kitchen, bathrooms, pool work, you name it. Whatever its condition, if it is labeled "fixer upper" you can expect to spent money on it. You may or may not be able to live in it, depending on how much repair it needs, but if livable, you might not want to live in it until after the repairs are done. Living in a house that is undergoing some major repairs is not a stress free process.

What sort of house are you looking for anyway? A SF 3/2/2 with pool, a condo, or ???

[annie7]

We're looking for a 'house' house...a single family dwelling with a pool......in Ahwatukee...that is for sure,where we want to live.

[dura]

Check these ones out. MLS numbers below. If I did the search correctly, they should all be at least SF 3/2/2 with pool in Ahwatukee for under $200,000. Of course, do your own due diligence, yada, yada.

• 4398718
• 4418431
• 4430588
• 4430952
• 4441021
• 4441320
• 4456096
• 4460898
• 4464078
• 4465571

[Zippyman]

A fixer-upper is usually any property that won't qualify for FHA financing as-is, and the seller ( usually a bank) doesn't want to spend anything on repairs. It could be very minor repairs, fwiw.

Things like a missing range hood - with wires sticking out of the wall, broken windows (more common than you might think - the bank's agents break windows to get in sometimes). Stolen toilets are my favorite... who buys used toilets? For some reason, people take them though...

If you can get over looks - they often don't require as much cash to repair as you might imagine. Labor is cheap in Phoenix right now - I got large 20" tile laid on the diagonal last summer for $1.10 a sq foot - the tile was $.99/sq foot. I found a great electrician who charges $35 an hour, and gets ALOT done for that price. A complete installed kitchen ( including used stainless appliances) in my little bro's place cost about $5k - those were maple cabinets with plywood boxes - not the cheap stuff you would imagine.

[observer53]

I looked a few of these up online for fun. That second one on the list is on the small side, but looks in very good shape. Third one looks really nice for the price. So, I'd run down that list and see what you can see! I don't think you will have a problem finding something you like that doesn't require a lot of (or any) work.

This link has a LOT:

http://www.searchahwatukeeproperties...-Listings.aspx

Some are in the older section of what I call Ahwatukee proper Those are more likely to be fixer uppers in the sense that they need modernizing, paint, etc. Others are in the Foothills or Mountain Park Ranch, which are newer areas often rolled into a generic definition of "Ahwatukee".