Orange County Fixer Uppers

'Buyer Beware' when considering the purchase of a fixer-upper.  Buyers really need to know exactly what they are getting into before buying one of these properties.  For many first-time home buyers, purchasing a fixer-upper can be a great opportunity, especially if they can live in the house while working on it, and better yet if they can do the work themselves.  It makes for a less risky investment.

The belief that fixer-uppers represent easy money is not always the case.  In fact, it can be quite risky buying one of these homes, doing a little work, and then trying to quickly resell for a large profit.  Properties with damages to their structure, or an undesirable floor plan that requires major work, may not be able to be fixed up for a profit at all. Read more about fixer uppers.

These are the homes for sale in Brea, Fullerton, Placentia, Yorba Linda, La Habra, Anaheim Hills, and Anaheim, that are described as fixer uppers on Orange County's SOCAL MLS.  They could have major structual damage or just need cosmetic repairs.

11 Search Results Found. Showing Results 1 - 11.

MLS# P705412

MLS ID: P705412
Price: $1,300,000
City: Yorba Linda
Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4
Property Type: Residential
1.6 Acres Equestrian Estate w/Lighted Tennis Court, Pool/Spa, Horse property has 5 stalls, Lighted Sand Arena, Extra Covered Feed Barn, Wash Rack, Auto...

MLS# P719675

MLS ID: P719675
Price: $729,000
City: Fullerton
Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 4
Property Type: Residential
Perfect home for extended families! One side has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen living room and dining room, other side has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, living...

MLS# P703596

MLS ID: P703596
Price: $600,000
City: Anaheim Hills
Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2
Property Type: Residential
Looking for a home that is centrally located near schools,public park, shopping and freeway access?This it is!Four bedrooms with 2 down & 2 up.Comfortable...

MLS# P725546

MLS ID: P725546
Price: $589,000
City: Fullerton
Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3
Property Type: Residential
2 STORY TRADTIONAL WITH FORMAL LIVINGROOM WITH A FIREPLACE, FORMAL DININGROOM THAT LEADS OUT TO ENCLOSED PATIO, LARGE UPDATED KITCHEN WITH GRANITE COUNTERS....

MLS# R901187

MLS ID: R901187
Price: $575,000
City: Fullerton
Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2
Property Type: Residential
Single level pool home located in Presidents tract. Close to downtown Brea and downtown Fullerton, Brea mall, Cal State Fullerton and walk to distinguished...

MLS# P723795

MLS ID: P723795
Price: $469,000
City: Fullerton
Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3
Property Type: Residential
PROPERTY NEEDS COSMETIC UPDATING! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE! LOCATED IN THE HIGHLY DESIRABLE 'MAISON DE FLEUR' COMMUNITY. NESTLED IN THE HILLS OF FULLERTON,...

MLS# P726219

MLS ID: P726219
Price: $405,000
City: La Habra
Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2
Property Type: Residential
Cosmetic fixer. huge lot, all usable,plenty of room for additions. property sold 'as is' seller will do no repairs (including termite). it is buyer's...

MLS# P718920

MLS ID: P718920
Price: $370,000
City: Anaheim
Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2
Property Type: Residential
Located in West Anaheim, minutes from Disneyland, Schools, Shopping and Freeways. This home also features spacious kitchen, Large enclosed patio, Central...

MLS# S609552

MLS ID: S609552
Price: $318,900
City: Anaheim
Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2
Property Type: Residential
Nice location on cul-de-sac. Large yard with block walls in back and planters. Covered patio. Enclosed courtyard in front. Close to Disneyland and shopping.

MLS# S556877

MLS ID: S556877
Price: $299,900
City: Anaheim
Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2
Property Type: Residential
Good Home / singel story / detached two car garage / long drive way for larger vehicles.

MLS# R904773

MLS ID: R904773
Price: $245,000
City: Brea
Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 3
Property Type: Residential
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. THIS IS A GREAT PROPERTY FOR STARTERS. LOCATED CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN BREA. BREA MALLS ARE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. CALIFORNIA...

Purchasing A Fixer Upper

With proper planning, good profits can be made by purchasing properties that need fixing, making repairs, and then reselling. Without proper planning, a lot of money can be lost. 

Part of a good plan is to find the least desirable home in the best neighborhood.  Then, calculate the cost to bring the home to its full potential value.  It's very important before making an offer to make sure that the resale market has been researched.   A buyer does not want to get caught with an extra house payment for too long.  It might be best to be ready to sell the home for under market value.  Plan for it.

Be careful to not overpay for the property.   Calculate improvement costs, selling costs, and how much profit is expected to be gained from the sale.  Paying too much for the home will doom plans for quick profits.  Work on things that make an instant impact on curb appeal, such as painting, landscaping, and removing debris.  The best bet is to purchase homes that have only cosmetic problems like a trashy yard, bad carpet, peeling paint, and wallpaper all over the place.  Fixing and cleaning cosmetic issues are usually inexpensive and easy.

Stay within a budget and don't go overboard, as it's not good to over improve.  The highest paybacks can come from updating kitchens and baths.  For the inexperienced investor, it may be best to find homes that only need cosmetic fixes and not major structural repairs.

The most important thing is to know what needs to be fixed.  Always have an inspection performed by a home inspector before buying any property.  It is well worth the money.  I recommend this even to people that work in the construction industry.