Joy out of fixer upper?

[Gavin Kitzi]

I wanted to ask if buying a fixer upper out of the joy of re-doing the house would be worth it for a first time property buyer? Of course not buying a fixer up just for joy but being able to make a profit out of it mainly. But can wanting to do something to keep you busy like fixing a house be a potential reason to buy a fixer upper? Or am I just not thinking straight? I understand you don't want to buy a house that's nearly burnt down to fix but more like a house that may need dry wall or paint or maybe flooring and things that wont cost an arm and a leg and that are quick and easy to do. Well and relatively possibly with out a contractor. I find myself often bored and would like somting to do. So as a first time buyer would that be an option?

[Jim K.]

@Gavin Kitzi

Well, that's how I make money in this business. I buy small single-family rentals, fix them up alone and with helpers, and rent them out. It's also exactly how I got into this business, volunteering to fix my girlfriend's beat-up apartment.

There are a long list of pros and cons to being a DIY investor, and a long list of different ways that various folks have chosen to involve themselves in this work, with or without their families.