Buy a second-hand house to reform it
Source: http://blog.casaktua.com
Are you looking for a home to live in and would you like it to be recently built? Do not be dazzled by its shiny finishes and its new smell. Do some research and you will realize that, in spite of how wonderful it may seem, a priori, it also has its drawbacks and that, perhaps, the best option is to
renovate an old house.
The first handicap of acquiring a
new building is, of course, the price. Currently, the amount of these properties is registering an interannual increase of 10.4%, compared to 6.2%
second-hand. That makes the price gap widen gradually.
Another disadvantage of weight is the
location. If you have been exploring the market for some time, you will have observed that it is very difficult to
find a new property in the area you want, especially if it is already settled districts. And, because of the
scarcity of land,
new developments are usually built on the outskirts or in "new born" urban developments. This is also accompanied by a lack of shops, transport and other services. Yes, the house may be very pretty, but it has nothing around.
Next to these, you also have the problem of waiting time if it is not yet finished. Regardless of the forecast period, you risk
delays or defaults in construction. In fact, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) is currently advising not to acquire on the plane - especially if they do not yet have a building permit - given the possibility of a
new real estate crisis. Recommends that future buyers opt for a house that has
already been built and can be inspected in person.
But don't be discouraged, you have an excellent option that you might not have seriously considered:
renovating an old house. You probably think it's complicated or too laborious, but it has interesting advantages. The Casaktua team explains the most important:
Reform an old house in your favorite area
You can decide on already consolidated areas, where you will find what you need without the obligation to go by car. Since making the purchase in the
market and take the children to school, until they go to train to the sports center, choose a book in the library or take the subway to move to another part of the city. You will get everywhere just taking a walk.
Find the ideal home and negotiate its price
You will have a more complete offer - from a studio to a
large detached house - and a much wider price range. In addition, the older the property is and the worse it is, the easier it will be to
negotiate a rebate with the seller. In many cases they are homes that are already fully paid (there is no
mortgage to pay off) or that are part of an inheritance, so that the heirs are willing to get rid of it. In both situations, sellers will be more willing to negotiate and what you get "scratched" you can invest in the work.
Superficial renovation vs. integral
A
reform is expensive and annoying. That is the first thing that everyone thinks when talking about constructive renovations. However, not all are equal. It will depend on
many factors: the
real state of the property, the budget you have or your personal preferences.
A
renovation can be superficial or integral. The superficial ones focus on giving a “face lift” to the houses and, if you are somewhat tricky, you can do them yourself, spending a few euros. These are "pirate" reforms, which offer visible results using minimal effort.
However, if the
house is older than 30 years, it is absolutely advisable to undertake an
integral work that updates critical equipment such as pipes or electrical installation and improves
acoustic and climatic insulation.
Benefits of comprehensive reform
If you can afford it, one of the virtues of
integral renovation is that - after the initial demolition - you will find a “blank canvas” to draw the home of your dreams. From redesigning the distribution to achieve an open concept, opening new points of light (windows, skylights ...) or leaving old structural elements in sight as a decorative resource (brick or stone walls, high beamed ceilings ...), to choose the bathroom tiles or
kitchen furniture. All elections will pass by your criteria, to ensure that the final result satisfies you completely.
The cost is one of the conditions that most often discourage you to
undertake a renewal. In general, it will depend on the dimensions, the materials used and the qualities selected, but it is estimated that, on average, it ranges between € 400 and € 600 per square meter.
And regarding the duration, the most common is that it takes about three months to
complete the reform; Although both this and the budget, it is something that you will have to define with the contractor before
starting the work.
Buy a new one or renovate an old house? Decant for a superficial work or an integral one? ... If you still have doubts about constructive renovations, continue reading .......
If you are also considering starting a reform, you will know that the
two main initial doubts are:
how long will it take? And how much money will it cost?
Well, according to the data of the Global Projects reform company, the Spaniards spend an average of 100 days in the integral reform of their house. The projects of integral reform of an average house have a
duration of between 84 and 130 days, depending on the initial state of the house, its particularities and the requirements of the owner regarding materials, aesthetic factors and decoration.
Each phase of the work entails a
specific time of realization - demolition (20-25 days), construction of new partitions (10-20 days), installations (20-25 days), false ceilings, plasters and tiling (20 -25 days), pavements (5-10 days), carpentry (10-20 days) and paint (10-15 days) - and are carried out by
experts in different construction areas: electricians, masons, plumbers, carpenters ... According The difficulty and size of the project can involve
between 16 and 40 professionals.
To the question about the
cost of the reform, it will always depend on the qualities and materials chosen, but, from Habitissimo they affirm that, for example,
a reform in a 70m2 apartment can cost about € 45,000 while, in a building of about
100m2, the price would rise to
€ 65,000
It seems a lot of money but do not forget that,
apart from the obvious improvements that come with a reform,
the market price of a renovated home increases between 15% and 25% and its chances of being acquired multiply.