What Was I Thinking?

Рет қаралды 1,015

2 ай бұрын

I had the idea to buy a house in the country. It turns out the "house" was falling apart and the yard was littered with junk. That was a year and a half ago. Since buying it, I have not done anything with it. I am now questioning if that was the dumbest thing I ever did.
#finland #property #summerhouse #mökki

Пікірлер: 27

@tuyasusanna 21 күн бұрын

Hi! Yes You should clean the environment of all debris and garbage first, as well as the inside of the house. They say that you should live for one year first before starting to renovate the inside, so that you can see which place would be good to fix up first. The roof of the old house is the most important...start there. I'm trying to finish the renovation of my own old house this year before the VAT increases... If you don't know how to renovate yourself, you should ask the renovation companies well in advance.

@laterlife2931 21 күн бұрын

@tuyasusanna I will try this summer. One issue is I need a car to easily access the property and I usually don't have the car.

@GGLEGO 7 күн бұрын

I love old houses like this! One needs to look past the debris and junk and unfinished renovation projects and see the future potential! I'd start clearing up the house and building/buying a simple outhouse (you'd be surprised they are these days, comfortable to use and they don't even smell bad). Then probably a sauna to washing and bathing and therefore also relaxing. Inside the house, there could be original wooden floors which could be sanded. Any fireplaces or kakluuni-uuni??! They are real gems if there's one. Paint goes a long way on the walls. Simple kitchen, from Ikea for example, in a style that fits into the house. It could become a real summer haven for you, your partner and your friends! I can imagine sitting on a bench in the garden or making Finnish pancakes (crepes) on open fire...

@laterlife2931 7 күн бұрын

@GGLEGO I visited the house yesterday. I was in the yard thinking about how nice it will be once it is all cleaned up. It looks much nicer in the summer. That has encouraged me to get started.

@just42tube Ай бұрын

You had some ideas of what to do with it. It's not unusual that not all ideas turn out to be practical enough to implement. If you wanted to have a fireplace and a summer place, you don't have to over invest and renovate more than that. The problem with summer places nowadays is that people try to build them as their second house or home with all they have at their regular home. That makes them expensive. Simple cottage, mökki, would actually offer more different experience, better some would say. Sometimes people renovate and purposely leave the place more primitive. They avoid electricity and other signs of modern living. They want to experience something simple and relaxing. Something totally different from their normal lives.

@Gibbetoo Ай бұрын

house looks pretty good outside, foundations doesn't seem to been sunk and roof looks straight. if there isn't water leaking trough roof and it doesn't smell bad it maybe good purchase. it will take money to fix and if you are lucky it isn't protected by laws.

@laterlife2931 Ай бұрын

@Gibbetoo we thought the basics looked solid when we bought it. The inside has been ripped apart by the previous owner who was trying to do a DIY remodel then realised it was too much.

@markkujantunen8298 Ай бұрын

I'm not an expert. But I think you should have the buildings inspected by an expert to get a rough idea of how much work you're looking at and how expensive it would be to salvage the buildings. Getting rid of the junk is going to cost you, too. But luckily, it's the cheapest part if you do most of it yourself. Find out where the nearest waste dump is. You can rent a van and depending on the amount and type of junk you have, you may be able to clear the buildings of it by making a few dozen runs to the dump if the buildings are indeed completely full of it. Close to my home, there used to be a normal-sized deserted house. I looked inside it and saw it was literally full of junk. The owner brought three flatbeds to the property, which were completely full when they were taken away before the house was torn down. Does the property have water supply connection and sewer access?

@laterlife2931 Ай бұрын

@markkujantunen8298 I don't know why but it's not so easy to get people to come by to give an estimate of the work. Part of the issue is the former owner inherited it. She spent 2 years tearing it apart in order to fix it only to decide it was too much work and she didn't have the necessary skills. We did have one person come by when we bought it 2 years ago and I forget what he said but afterwards we decided the best idea was to tear it down. My idea was to clear the land myself and put a tiny house on it. It's big enough that we could worry about the house at a later time. The property has electricity and water (which we have turned off). I don't think there is sewer. The house was built in 1920 and has never been modernised. There is no bathroom inside. There are no electric outlets inside the house. The previous owner ran electricity inside via a cord maybe to provide light and to power tools. I can't remember because it's been so long since I have been inside. Funny thing, we got a latter in the mail 2 days ago asking if we were interested in selling. If we can get a slight increase on what we paid, we will sell.

@markkujantunen8298 Ай бұрын

@@laterlife2931 More often than not, people who have taken on and finished ambitious renovation projects say there was more work than they anticipated. If you are unsure about the project and whether or not you have the financial means or the skills to deal with all the potential issues, it may be a good idea to sell it.

@Mayhem-pv9cc 17 күн бұрын

@@laterlife2931 Renovating in Finland is expensive, and I mean REEEALLY EXPENCIVE. Building is also. You should really ponder, do you want to live your life in poverty 'cos of crippling depth.

@laterlife2931 17 күн бұрын

@@Mayhem-pv9cc noted. Thanks for the advice!

@Mayhem-pv9cc 17 күн бұрын

If you decide and manage to make that place livable and restore whatever you can about the property I will salute you. I would run as fast as I could, if I ever was introduced to buy such a massive money pit and workload. But... If you decide to restore the barns and whatnots in to rooms, I'd imagine you could rent them in summer. Not so much as clamping, but perhaps summer B&B. They told you not to build more than 2 things. They did not say anything about renovating what already is there.

@laterlife2931 17 күн бұрын

@Mayhem-pv9cc I just need to get the motivation to start.

@Mayhem-pv9cc 17 күн бұрын

If it is about a lack of motivation, that should tell you something. If you would be really into the project ahead, you shouldn't have motivation problems. Just save yourself. It's not just about building in Finland, it's the pyrocrasy and the demands of the land. Laws change all the time. So the minimum requirement, that you can even live there after everything.Septic tank for grey water. You mentioned that there is no bathroom. That means there is no sewage. That means the house is redeemed unlivable no matter how fancy it is.

@laterlife2931 17 күн бұрын

@@Mayhem-pv9cc you are right. I think I will be more motivated this year. As you said, if I don't end up going out there to start, that will tell me a lot.

@itsgoodiewoodie 18 күн бұрын

Looked terrible until saw the house which looks ok from outside. Well, maybe it was cheap? 😂

@laterlife2931 18 күн бұрын

@itsgoodiewoodie the inside looks terrible. The previous owner spent 2 years ripping it apart before realising she didn't know what she was doing. I think we paid a little too much but it didn't break the bank.

@freezedeve3119 11 күн бұрын

@@laterlife2931 if there is no water damage or rot or mold inside etc. it does not matter how it looks inside as often those old houses can have all kind of stuff as in insulation which does not look nice but is still harmless.

@laterlife2931 10 күн бұрын

@@freezedeve3119 Thanks, that's good to know. I think inside is fine (from the perspective of mold and water damage).

@iknowyouwanttofly 28 күн бұрын

Have you have a building inspector look at it? I think it can be saved

@laterlife2931 28 күн бұрын

@iknowyouwanttofly we had a quick inspection done when we first purchased the property. It is fixable. The question is the cost. Also, the previous owner spent 2 years tearing it apart then giving up.

@irmelieija 23 күн бұрын

You could clear and clean everything and then try to sell it.

@laterlife2931 22 күн бұрын

@irmelieija funny thing, 2 weeks ago we received a letter from an agent asking if we wanted to sell. We said yes and gave our price. Never heard back from him. I will start cleaning this summer.