Finding a Seattle Primary Residence Advice

[Colin L.]

Hey All - I have a few rental properties out in Boise where things were pretty easy going, but just moved to Seattle and am looking for our first primary residence. We've got a healthy budget, but get scared away from even small reno or remodel requirements because everyone is telling us that contractors are booked out 6-12 months and that costs have soared. It's hard for us to evaluate a potential home if we don't know if we can do some layout changes, additions, or even a simple garage build in the next few months for a predictable cost. 

I know a bunch of you have either done some recent remodels or can myth-bust a bit here, but would love some advice. 

One key question we are trying to answer: Would it be better to buy an already "finished" place or to invest a bit less after-repair value to get a finished place to our liking? It is unclear whether that is even possible (e.g. buy for $1.1m + $200k to get equivalent of $1.5m outright) or whether there is any return on remodels we hire out ourselves. 

Thanks! 

[Lisa Toner]

We bought a fixer in Wedgwood. We didn't change the layout of our house or anything drastic like that, but we did remodel EVERY surface and replaced ALL the utilities (wires, pipes, roof, furnace). We did DIY when possible and hired out help when needed. I managed my own kitchen remodel and hired all the various parts we couldn't do. Everything was permitted, to code, etc., It took 4 months and I got a great result for half the price quoted by design-build firms. But it was a lot of time to manage it. I couldn't even get a contractor to come give me a bid, and this was in 2020...