Spokane appears to be undergoing a face-lift!

When driving to work in the morning and homeward bound in the evening, it is easy to see that some good things are happening in this city. Like, say, some of the homes that could use functional or beautiful renovations are getting them.

Just about any neighborhood has a few homes that could be fixed up to be more serviceable and livable for the owners. Depending on the home, it can take a lot of hours and some dollars to bring it back into the condition you plan. And, in this market the value will be increased if you decide to sell the place.

Every once in a while, you will hear of a home for sale that just needs a little bit of work to make it into a really nice place. Just being curious, if the deal on the home sounds good, you will find a way to drive by this home, “Just to take a quick look.”

The house needs work, siding, paint, fixing holes in the walls, glass, etc. The place has some nice features and you can picture the finished project in your mind. You have the required number of bedrooms, space, etc.

But, there is really more to look at before you sign on the dotted lines.

You have to ask yourself a question: “If you do decide to buy it, will you be able to get your money out of the place when you decide to sell it?”

It is probably true that if you get the “spiffiest place” in a so-so neighborhood or you are looking at the worst home in the area, you could have a problem when you decide to sell. The reason is the best home in the area generally is hard to sell because the value is generally way above the neighborhood norm. Take a good look at the homes around your prospect.

There can be surprises when buying a home to “fix up.” It is not unusual for dry rot or other structural damage to be present that we may not see and that needs to be repaired. Go with an expert home inspector who is aware of all the places to look around the home that could be unseen problems. Repair costs add up and affect the real cost of your purchase.

We’re not trying to be negative on buying fixer-uppers, we’re just urging the buyer to take a good look at the project. The “look” covers the location of the house, the interior design that fits your needs — at least basically — and determining who is going to do the needed repairs.

It is sort of the American way to build your own home — or even re-build one. If you can do much of the work yourself, you will save some dollars that would ordinarily be paid to a builder. But remember, much of the modern home’s working parts like the furnace, electrical service, plumbing, etc., aren’t really simple and straightforward any more. Some of these areas can be difficult and call for experience.

And, before you buy, get an estimate on the cost of the repairs if you will be hiring a builder. Also, add what it will cost to decorate any areas in the house. Then, add the price you would be paying for the fixer-upper and the estimate for the rebuild. Then, compare this figure with the selling price of a home in the same area not needing repairs. This will tell you if the project is a good buy.

On the good news about a fixer-up project, loans are available for such projects that will cover both the cost of the existing dwelling and the cost of the repairs. And, as you can imagine, this is a very popular loan.

When you are traveling around the area, you are bound to see the activity of homes being “fixed up.” It makes one kind of proud to live here.