Is 2025 the End of the Fixer-Upper Era? Real Estate Experts Say So
Late last week, our friends over at real estate marketplace Zillow announced that fixer-uppers—those labors of love that made Joanna Gaines a household name—are no longer tugging at the heartstrings of real estate buyers quite like they used to. Because they're Zillow, they have the data to back it up. Apparently, listings of fully remodeled homes are getting 26 percent more daily saves than homes that still need some TLC, and fixer-upper properties are seeing their biggest dip in sale price premiums (7 to 8 percent) in several years.
Per Zillow's press release: "It might seem intuitive that remodeled homes would sell for more, but that hasn't always been the case. Last year's analysis of listing keywords found the term 'remodeled' only contributed to a 0.8% sale price premium. And prior to the pandemic, Zillow research found listings that mentioned 'fixer,' 'TLC,' 'needs work,' or 'good bones' were more likely to sell than listings without those terms."
These days, "renovated" is the word that's resonating (as is cozy!), with nearly 30 percent of all for-sale listings on Zillow being described as such. This, per Zillow, can be attributed to the post-pandemic renovation boom. These newly renovated homes are just now beginning to hit the market, in time for eager buyers looking for move-in-ready properties during the spring home shopping season. (There's also the fact that the cost of remodeling has gotten higher, which makes buying a fixer-upper more challenging for many.)
So what will become of the humble fixer-upper? We're crossing our fingers that these potential-filled properties aren't just snatched up by developers looking to bulldoze them into cookie-cutter construction projects. If anything, now that there's less competition, maybe it's an opportunity for old-house lovers. "If you are in the market for a fixer-upper, you probably won't have as much competition as you would have during the fixer-upper frenzy several years ago," says Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's Home Trends expert (read: more negotiating power, fewer bidding wars). Amanda, for the record, understands the appeal of an old house. "I get it—I don't want to live in someone else's renovation," she says.
Given the fact that we have repeatedly professed our love for old homes and anything worn, weathered, or antique, we're firmly in Camp Fixer-Upper, and will always celebrate thoughtful restorations (this $15,000 Texas farmhouse comes to mind, as does this upstate New York transformation). There's something to be said for putting in the work. As the saying goes, home is where the hammer is.
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