As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently took an epic road trip out west with some of my family. It is truly amazing what some time away can do for our perspective.
One of my stops was the breathtaking Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. This park contains the highest dunes in North America, and is one of the most complex and fragile dune systems in the world.
After some time for reflection, I realized that my time there had a lot to teach me about fixer upper homes for sale in Grand Rapids. We have a lot of experience with this type of home, and some of the lessons hit me like a scratchy tumbleweed… they just couldn’t be ignored!
1. Prepare in advance.
We arrived late at the Dunes. We had a tough time finding a campsite, and the information center only had about an hour before they closed. We only had one night to climb the dunes, and everything in us told us to CHARGE AHEAD!
This would have been a terrible choice.
The dunes can be brutal… they rise more than 700 feet. Every step upward gets you half as far as you want it to, because your feet sink so far in the sand. It ranges from very hot to very cold, with rain and snow blowing off the neighboring mountains. Without good footwear, water, and a decent coat, you may be in for a very bad time.
Houses can be exactly like that. There are many fixer upper homes for sale in Grand Rapids, and they all have unique challenges.
Are you looking at plumbing work? Fixing the roof? Drywall replacement and repair? All of these things are very manageable. However, you need a good game plan, the right tools, and accurate timelines for the work. If you put the necessary time into planning, your efforts will be MUCH more effective.
2. Just do it!
Once we had all of our gear prepped, we walked to the base of the dune. Staring up at this 700+ foot behemoth, all of us had a moment of doubt. Were we really going to try to climb this thing?
There was a rainstorm rolling in, and the darkness was coming early. Our minds were racing… what if it started pouring up there? Does lightning strike dunes? After 10 hours in the car, are my legs up to this? Can my lungs handle something this brutal? Etcetera, etcetera.
Then, my brother Dave just started running. To the nearest part of the dune, straight up the hardest section. We threw our doubts behind, and just went for it.
Facing down fixer-upper houses for sale in Grand Rapids is similar. There are a million questions in front of you. Are we getting in over our heads? I’ve never tiled a floor before! What if the hardwood can’t be refinished?
But in the end, once the planning is done, you have to just go for it. Analysis paralysis will stop you dead in your tracks, and prevent you from doing something amazing. So once you’ve analyzed as best you can and made a plan, jump in!
3. It will be harder than you think (and take longer than you want it to).
Somehow, plans always get changed once you’re in the thick of things. On the dunes, it took MUCH longer to climb than we thought. We underestimated the slopes, missed some of the ridges, and overestimated our own muscle endurance. The rainstorm hit about halfway up, and the wind seemed to enjoy pelting us with sand.
But once we started, we were committed.
We had to take breaks on the way. We had to stop for water. We had to dump sand out of our shoes. We had to stop and catch our breath many, many times. We had to change course, and find new paths. In short, the climb was harder than we thought, and took longer than we wanted.
I have flipped enough houses to know that this is VERY common for fixer upper homes for sale in Grand Rapids. Every job takes longer than expected, and requires an extra trip (or three) to Home Depot. Plans change, and timelines need to be adjusted. If you are mentally ready for this, you will be able to roll with the punches much more effectively.
4. It is all worth it.
Dirty, sandy, cold, and wet, all four of us made it to the top of the dunes. After taking some time to appreciate the beautiful mountain vista and watch the storm move across the Colorado plains, we headed back.
We sand sledded down the sides, chased each other like fools, and even rolled in the icy Medano Creek, freshly full of newly melted snow. It was fantastic, and worth every minute of the struggle.
There is a unique satisfaction in fixing up a house. You start with something old, ugly, and dated. Then, through your vision, sweat, and persistence, you turn it into something great.
Comparing before and after pictures creates those ‘wow’ moments, where you realize how far you’ve come. You create a great place to live, improve the neighborhood, and learn fantastic new skills. In the end, it is all worth it.
So go on, climb that dune. Find that fixer-upper, and make it yours!