It's been a CRAZY year! In November of last year, Shane and I bought our FIRST house. While I still have to update you with pictures, we transformed a dull looking house full of tan walls and tan carpet into our dream home. We enjoyed our home renovations so much, we decided we wanted to join my stepdad in flipping houses! We JUST flipped our first, the Brookhollow home. It was NASTY when we bought it, but I think we transformed it into something beautiful. Check it out...
Before...
Shane and I first discovered this house back in January when we were driving through neighborhoods looking for "ugly houses."
The house was left abandoned, grass and shrubs overgrown, broken windows, and the garage was packed so full, stuff was bulging out of the door. There was a note taped onto the garage door stating the city had declared the property unsafe and condemned.
Let me back up for a second and explain all of our roles in this house. Mark, my mom's husband, was the boss. He bought and oversaw all of the renovations. Shane was the designated general contractor. He hired and managed our contractors and their work, also putting in manual labor himself. I had the fun job: designer. I told Shane what floors to put in, tiles to put in the bathrooms and shower, lighting fixtures, paint colors, etc.
When we discovered this house, Shane and I notated the address and sent it to Mark for him to work his magic. Mark tracked down the owner... who was in jail. I think most people would stop when discovering this, but not macho Mark. Mark sent the owner a postcard in jail that basically said, "Hey! Wanna sell your house? I'll buy it!" and deposited $10 into her jail account so she could call him with her answer. And would you believe it, that lady called Mark and said, "yes"! The whole situation was a little more complicated than the average house sell (as you could imagine), but we ended up closing in April.
Here are some pics we took when we were allowed into the home for the first time...
The house was left abandoned, grass and shrubs overgrown, broken windows, and the garage was packed so full, stuff was bulging out of the door. There was a note taped onto the garage door stating the city had declared the property unsafe and condemned.
Let me back up for a second and explain all of our roles in this house. Mark, my mom's husband, was the boss. He bought and oversaw all of the renovations. Shane was the designated general contractor. He hired and managed our contractors and their work, also putting in manual labor himself. I had the fun job: designer. I told Shane what floors to put in, tiles to put in the bathrooms and shower, lighting fixtures, paint colors, etc.
When we discovered this house, Shane and I notated the address and sent it to Mark for him to work his magic. Mark tracked down the owner... who was in jail. I think most people would stop when discovering this, but not macho Mark. Mark sent the owner a postcard in jail that basically said, "Hey! Wanna sell your house? I'll buy it!" and deposited $10 into her jail account so she could call him with her answer. And would you believe it, that lady called Mark and said, "yes"! The whole situation was a little more complicated than the average house sell (as you could imagine), but we ended up closing in April.
Here are some pics we took when we were allowed into the home for the first time...
There was JUNK everywhere. The previous owner left a lot of furniture, there were cats that had made the residence their home and came in and out as they desired through a broken window in one of the guest bedrooms. Popcorn ceilings, all cabinets were wooden, some broken doors. The railing on the stairs was broken and Shane actually took it off completely by jiggling it with one hand. The entire upstairs loft and master bedroom had old, stained carpet. There was some floral wallpaper in various places around the house. This house was NASTY, UGLY, and BROKEN.
The AMAZING thing was the bones of the home were in great shape! I mean, the roof was good, the a/c still had warranty (we found the receipt from the last time the previous owners had replaced it), and the plumbing and electricity worked great. There were a few minor things we had to fix (small roof leak and rotten wood caused by the leak), but everything else was purely cosmetic!
The AMAZING thing was the bones of the home were in great shape! I mean, the roof was good, the a/c still had warranty (we found the receipt from the last time the previous owners had replaced it), and the plumbing and electricity worked great. There were a few minor things we had to fix (small roof leak and rotten wood caused by the leak), but everything else was purely cosmetic!
The Renovations
Front Exterior/ Curb Appeal
BEFORE...
...AFTER!!!
In the front yard, we replaced the garage door, front door, and mailbox. We removed overgrown shrubs and tree and fixed the landscaping. We also touched up the exterior paint and pressure washed the house and driveway. We already liked the color and the exterior paint was in overall good shape.
The Living Room
BEFORE....
The loft was blocked off with a half wall. The stairs were...something.
The loft was blocked off with a half wall. The stairs were...something.
...AFTER!!!
We painted the walls and added a fresh coat of white paint to the ceilings, crown molding, and mantle. We removed the tiled foyer and replaced all the floors with new laminate. New ceiling fan. Redid the stairs, took down the drywall in the loft, and replaced it all with new railing. That was the most intense part of our rehab.
The Kitchen...
BEFORE...
...AFTER!!!
We removed that nasty, ugly fluorescent light and replaced it with recessed lighting. Removed the popcorn off the ceilings, put a fresh coat of paint everywhere, and opted for two-tone cabinets. EVERYONE questioned me on this. The painters even painted some of the bottom ones the same as the top before being corrected! I received a lot of compliments when the cabinets were done!
We removed the tile and made the flooring the same laminate as the living room to help with the house flow and feel. New stainless steel appliances. We installed a cast iron sink (looks like a farmhouse sink, just doesn't cut into the front of the cabinets), and the faucet is touch-less with an led light.
We removed the tile and made the flooring the same laminate as the living room to help with the house flow and feel. New stainless steel appliances. We installed a cast iron sink (looks like a farmhouse sink, just doesn't cut into the front of the cabinets), and the faucet is touch-less with an led light.
Guest Bedrooms/ Guest Bath
Sorry guys. I did not get before pictures of the guest bathroom or the bedrooms because I was too afraid to venture down the hallway. (You saw how the rest of the house looked!)
We put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and updated the carpets and ceiling fans in the guest rooms. We replaced the lighting in the bathroom, updated the faucet (it also has a fancy led light when on!), painted the cabinets, and had someone come and DEEP clean all the gunk off the counters and bathtub! I really thought we'd have to replace them. She was good! We also went ahead and installed new toilets in the guest and master bathrooms.
I wanted to frame the mirror with a stained, wooden frame, but we ran out of time and money.
The Master Bedroom
Again, sorry no before pics. The master bedroom was PACKED full of furniture and trash and I was too scared to venture too far in for pictures before renovations.
This bedroom is HUGE! It's got this cool nook area the previous owners used as an office. Whether it's used as an office, lounging area, or some fancy person's extra closet space, it was a nice space. The ceiling cut in it weird though. I had them install a cool looking orb light into the nook, and paint the ceiling dark gray as a way of saying, "Hey, we can't hide this, so why not make it a cool accent?"
I chose a light blue color for the walls of the master bedroom (knowing we would also be installing the dark laminate flooring). If budget and time had allowed it, I also wanted to install dark stained barn doors that divided the nook from the bedroom, and the same for the master bathroom.
This bedroom is HUGE! It's got this cool nook area the previous owners used as an office. Whether it's used as an office, lounging area, or some fancy person's extra closet space, it was a nice space. The ceiling cut in it weird though. I had them install a cool looking orb light into the nook, and paint the ceiling dark gray as a way of saying, "Hey, we can't hide this, so why not make it a cool accent?"
I chose a light blue color for the walls of the master bedroom (knowing we would also be installing the dark laminate flooring). If budget and time had allowed it, I also wanted to install dark stained barn doors that divided the nook from the bedroom, and the same for the master bathroom.
Master Bathroom & Closet
BEFORE...
...AFTER!!!
New floors, tile floor in toilet/ shower area, and we had the old tub removed and replaced it with a tile shower. New toilet, new faucets (with led lights), and we painted the cabinets. I opted for a grayish white color on all the walls, and new lighting fixtures throughout. Shane ripped out those dumb wire closet racks, and we replaced them with new closet shelving and rods. We found the full length mirror on sale (it's GIGANTIC) at Old Time Pottery, and had it hung on the back wall.
We had the doors to the bathroom removed in order to help everything feel open and less claustrophobic. Again, if the budget and time allowed it, I would have put a sliding barn door at the entry of the bathroom. I would have also framed the bathroom mirror.
We had the doors to the bathroom removed in order to help everything feel open and less claustrophobic. Again, if the budget and time allowed it, I would have put a sliding barn door at the entry of the bathroom. I would have also framed the bathroom mirror.
The Screened Porch and Backyard
We didn't know how BIG the backyard was until we removed all the overgrown bushes and shrubs. I think it took Shane two weeks to hack it all down with a machete in order to see what we were even looking at. The side of the house (where the firepit is now) had an above ground pool. The deck was there, but the wood on it was rotten.
Honestly, the backyard was the very last project we undertook because we just didn't know what to do with it. We started by having the above ground pool removed. When fixing the deck, Mark had the idea of building a bench area that wrapped around the it, and adding some steps that directed you from the screened porch to the deck. (There was originally just one way out of the screened porch: a storm door on the left wall. We added a screen door to the back, and replaced the storm door with a screened door.)
For the screened porch, we did some paint touch ups on the ceiling and walls and installed a new ceiling fan. We removed the old carpet and replaced it with some basic turf. Our budget was pretty much gone at this point but if we had it, I would have liked to install some slate tile flooring in there.
For the rest of the backyard, we had the ground tilled, added sod to the center, and pine straw on the edges with some new plants. We recycled the gravel that was previously there for the pool, and Shane and I built a fire pit.
Honestly, the backyard was the very last project we undertook because we just didn't know what to do with it. We started by having the above ground pool removed. When fixing the deck, Mark had the idea of building a bench area that wrapped around the it, and adding some steps that directed you from the screened porch to the deck. (There was originally just one way out of the screened porch: a storm door on the left wall. We added a screen door to the back, and replaced the storm door with a screened door.)
For the screened porch, we did some paint touch ups on the ceiling and walls and installed a new ceiling fan. We removed the old carpet and replaced it with some basic turf. Our budget was pretty much gone at this point but if we had it, I would have liked to install some slate tile flooring in there.
For the rest of the backyard, we had the ground tilled, added sod to the center, and pine straw on the edges with some new plants. We recycled the gravel that was previously there for the pool, and Shane and I built a fire pit.
After being on the market for two weeks, we received two offers for the house in the same day. The new owners are a sweet young couple; first time home buyers. They went out of their way to talk about how much they loved the home. Mark told them that if it was him designing it, he would have done tan walls and tan carpet throughout. They said, "If you did that, we definitely wouldn't have bought it!"
This whole experience was so rewarding for me and I want to do it again! We're hoping to find a new house to flip soon and/ or I can help others renovate their homes. :)
This whole experience was so rewarding for me and I want to do it again! We're hoping to find a new house to flip soon and/ or I can help others renovate their homes. :)