fixer-upper

[fik-ser-uhp-er]

noun

Informal.

1. a person who is handy at making repairs.

2. a rundown dwelling offered at a bargain price and suitable for improvement by a new owner, often with the object of resale at a considerable profit.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fixer-upper¹

fix up + -er ¹, pleonastically suffixed to both words

Example Sentences

The couple had just moved from their modest fixer-upper in Altadena’s Janes Village to their dream home in architect Gregory Ain’s Park Planned homes, when the Eaton fire roared to life.

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Other adventures in homeownership ended well — the couple doubled their money after selling a fixer-upper.

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But America needs more entrepreneurs like Gulban, willing to take a chance on fixer-upper newspapers that thousands of local communities and millions of voters still rely on to stay informed.

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Larson, a prosthetic limb designer who has been rotating through Airbnbs since he moved out last spring, said he found renovating the fixer-upper more of a chore than a joy.

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For example, in real estate listings, “cozy” usually means cramped, and “full of potential” equates to fixer-upper.

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