What Was I Thinking?
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- čas přidán 27. 03. 2024
- 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
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...
@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.
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.
@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.
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.
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.
@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.
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?
@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.
@@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.
@@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.
@@Mayhem-pv9cc noted. Thanks for the advice!
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.
@Mayhem-pv9cc I just need to get the motivation to start.
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.
@@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.
Looked terrible until saw the house which looks ok from outside. Well, maybe it was cheap? 😂
@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.
@@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.
@@freezedeve3119 Thanks, that's good to know. I think inside is fine (from the perspective of mold and water damage).
You could clear and clean everything and then try to sell it.
@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.
The house is maybe salvageable? Owning an old house is always a work camp but this seems more than usual…
There is a story with this house. I will do another video in summer (when I work up the courage to go inside again). 🤣
Have you have a building inspector look at it? I think it can be saved
@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.
😃 'promosm'