In real estate vernacular, a fixer-upper is a property that will require repair (redecoration, reconstruction, or redesign), though it usually can be lived in or used as it is.
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Fixer_upper_in_Eureka.jpg/220px-Fixer_upper_in_Eureka.jpg)
They are popular with buyers who wish to raise the property's potential value to get a return on their investment (a practice known as flipping), or as a starter home for buyers on a budget.[1] Home-improvement television shows touting do-it-yourself renovation techniques have made fixer-uppers more popular, but during a real-estate downturn with newer homes available at depressed prices, there is often reduced interest.[1] Inexperienced buyers frequently underestimate the amount and cost of repairs necessary to make a home livable or saleable.[1] Structural and service issues, which may not be visible at first (such as a home's foundation or plumbing), can require expensive, professional contracting work.
Film and television
editMany comedy films have used fixer-upper renovations as a central part of the plot, among them:
- Are We Done Yet? (2007)
- The Money Pit (1986)
- Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)
- George Washington Slept Here (1942)
- In the 2013 Disney animated movie Frozen, the trolls sing a song calling Kristoff a fixer upper.
- In the American sitcom New Girl, supporting newly-wed characters Cece and Schmidt renovate a fixer-upper house as a main plot point in the show's sixth season.
Flipping of rundown houses has also been the subject of various reality television shows, including:
References
edit- ^ a b c Elana Ashanti Jefferson (March 7, 2007). "Is a fixer-upper right for you?". The Denver Post. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
Further reading
edit- "Should You Buy That Fixer-Upper? 30 Expert Realtors Reveal Their Best Tips". Remodeling Expense. February 5, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- Jeffrey Rothfeder (9 September 2004). "Should You Buy That Fixer-Upper?". This Old House. Retrieved June 12, 2019.