My late father used to say that the best peace was to know that the letters coming through the door were the ones with no windows on them!!! In other words , no bills.
How on earth could a thirty year old house require so much money. Move into it, go to the free sites, like jumbletown.ie and dublin waste. So much nicer to sit on a second hand chair that you own than a beauty you owe money on.
You've got good advise here , if the house won't fall down and has windows , go and live in it.
We started off with two borrowed single beds and four chairs and a table (all borrowed). If only jumbletown.ie was around then, when I look at it I think I could fit out a whole house with perfectly serviceable stuff for zilch.
Sorry to harp on but no good having champagne taste and beer money.
Also, if you do things as you can afford them, and in my opinion , if at all possible one should aim for one debt only i.e a manageable morgage, then you will enjoy what you achieve much more.Cut up those credit cards ASAP and get a cheap car. The payoff will be in sleeping easily!!!!