Looking for a home you can put your own stamp on? If you’ve got the emotional and financial bandwidth, buying a place in need of total modernisation can be exciting.
Homes in need of everything from new plasterwork and electrics, to kitchens and bathrooms are usually priced lower.
Getting a survey, or 'health check' for a property is never more important than when bagging a fixer-upper (find out more about surveys here).
Make sure that any work you might have to pay for is costed up front and won’t end up making your bargain a bad deal (weigh up the pros and cons here).
Let's take a look at 8 fantastic homes in need of renovation that are on sale right now.
1. Two-bed flat, Denmark Villas, Hove, East Sussex, £375,000
If you’d like to live in beautiful Hove, then this example of a two-bedroom maisonette in need of some - but not drastic - modernisation could prove an excellent choice.
It's spread over two floors, with a kitchen, living room, hallway and cloakroom downstairs, and the bedroom and bathroom upstairs.
The property is currently being rented out and would benefit from a refresh of the interior paintwork and carpets.
You could either rip out the kitchen or cheaply update the existing fixtures. Likewise parts of the bathroom suite could be retained.
Original bay windows, high ceilings with lots of light and a spacious layout make this home a great potential fixer-upper.
Available via Mishon Mackay
2. Three-bed terraced cottage, Scottish Borders, £139,000
This home in a friendly town among stunning Berwickshire countryside has bags of potential.
It overlooks a pretty public park and memorial area in the heart of community.
Inside, the house is in need of modernisation, but it has great bones. Downstairs you’ll find the hallway, living area and kitchen backing onto the garden.
Upstairs, there are two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, plus a fantastic third bedroom in the attic space of the second floor.
The garden is currently a bit of a wasteland but is a good size. With a bit of care and some modernisation inside, this could be a wonderful home.
Available via Hastings
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3. Two-bed terraced house, Crewe, Cheshire, £145,000
This is an example of a home where the modernisation process has been started but there’s still more to be done.
The living area has already been modernised and the exterior is attractive and well maintained.
Upstairs, the two bedrooms and bathrooms are in need of updating. If you’re handy, this could be a fixer-upper where you can do the majority of the work yourself.
The size and layout is good and the property is close to good schools and transport links, too.
Available via Whitegates
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4. Two-bed terraced house, Harringay, North London, £524,995
This home in leafy north London is in need of renovation, which is why it's being marketed for less than the market rate for its size.
Situated just off Harringay's famous ladder of pretty Edwardian streets within the popular borough of Haringey, location is everything with this property.
The home has two reception rooms downstairs, two bedrooms upstairs and an upstairs kitchen, which the next buyer might want to turn into a bathroom or third bedroom.
A bathroom extension at the back currently takes up some of the garden, so the next buyer might want to remove it.
Outside, the back garden is in need of some attention and the entire property appears to need considerably more than cosmetic work. So, if you’re up for a big project, this could be it.
Available via Capital Homes
5. Three-bed terraced house, Torquay, Devon, £200,000
If you dream of living in Devon, this pretty end of terrace house could be yours.
It's in need of total renovation and modernisation inside.
There are some excellently patterned carpets to be ripped up – and who knows, there may be original floorboards underneath.
Beneath the maximalist colour scheme and outdated fixtures, the layout and scale of this house is excellent.
There are currently two kitchens, so you might consider turning the one on the ground floor into an office or extra reception. The basement kitchen has huge potential for an overhaul.
The garden is currently overgrown but the views and mature shrubs show it has been spectacular in the past. Nothing a green fingered new owner won’t be able to sort out.
Available via Pegg Estates
6. Three-bed semi-detached house, Sutton Coldfield, £400,000
This home has evidently been loved and enjoyed over someone’s lifetime but is now in need of updating.
The layout is spacious and the style of it is a typical 1930s semi-detached suburban home.
It has two large reception rooms and a kitchen downstairs, as well as a garage. Upstairs there are three good size bedrooms and a bathroom with a separate toilet.
Houses of this type often offer lots of potential to extend either out back or up into the roof.
There is a large front garden and driveway and the back garden is very pretty with lush lawns and mature trees and shrubs.
Available via Connells
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7. Two-bed flat, Shirehampton, Bristol, £239,995
This pretty apartment is in a Grade II listed building in the village of Shirehampton just outside Bristol.
With its Bath stone exterior and wonderful bay windows and high ceilings, the flat is one of five apartments in a building that has been a grand house, a nursing home and a hospital.
Some of the renovation work has already been started. The floors are bare and new heaters were installed last year.
The two bedrooms are at the back of the flat and the bathroom is a good size.
Available via Ocean
8. Four-bed end-of-terrace, North Finchley, £850,000
This four-bed end of terrace in the highly desirable North Finchley area of London is a home makeover dream.
Spacious rooms with high ceilings, beautiful original features - check out the wood panelling in the reception room - and lovely big windows mean this property is just waiting to be transformed into a wonderful home.
This character-filled Edwardian property can be found on a lovely street, with a central green island offering privacy from neighbours living on the opposite side.
Downstairs are three reception rooms, a handy downstairs loo and a small kitchen that's crying out for a side-return extension, while upstairs are three double bedrooms and a single, a bathroom and a separate WC.
The back garden won't need any work as it's been kept in immaculate condition with mature shrubs at the borders.
Granville Road is well located for the area's sought-after schools, such as The Wren Academy and The Compton School, and many neighbouring properties have already been extended both to the rear and into the loft space.
Available via Martyn Gerrard - North Finchley Sales
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