The New West home of Rick Vugteveen is in Brow of the Hill, an area with fixer-uppers and rentals. (Rick Vugteveen) ~ Globe and Mail Article
The Globe and Mail published an article in May of this year calling attention to the availability of ‘affordable’ housing in New Westminster. Although some may disagree…they are right….especially if you are coming from the Vancouver market. They did forget to mention the fact that Coquitlam’s southwest neighbourhoods have much of the same appeal, similar commuting time and access to rapid transit that is soon to be expanded with the Evergreen Line, but that is ok, it still a very good article.
“In New Westminster, there still exists the old-fashioned fixer-upper – the old house that holds potential and promise for a younger buyer who’s willing to do renovations.” ~Globe and Mail
We too browsed the New West area when we were searching for our fixer-upper. We might have ended up in one of these cute historical New West homes if not for finding our little gem on a cul-d-sac in Malardville (just across the freeway from New West…literally I can walk there). The advantage to our fixer-upper…just a shade less expensive than New West and on a cul-d-sac which is not easy to find.
The one thing I would like to remind all Vancouver/Burnaby people of when gasping at the price of real estate…”New Westminster
If buying a fixer-upper is intimidating why not talk to some professionals who do it personally and professionally (like us!). Talking to someone who can speak to the personal side and professional side will give you a well rounded and hopefully realistic idea of what you are getting into. HGTV makes it look so easy…some pro’s and homeowners make it sound extremely terrifying…the only way to learn more is to ask questions of people who are living and breathing it and decide what is right for you with all the facts.
