The first time we walked into the home we would eventually buy, Melinda didn't even finish the tour. Several college-aged boys had been renting the property for the past four years. It is no exaggeration to say that they never touched a vacuum cleaner.
The once cream colored carpet was grey with dust, grime and dirt. Wax candles were melted onto the bannister railings. Sinks were so crusted over with hard water deposits that you could barely see the original chrome. The home was filthy, unloved and years behind on regular maintenance.
Over the next month, we toured several other homes in the neighborhood. We could see the potential of one of these models, were it to be kept up. We even bid on a home down the street, but were unable to come to terms with the owner.
Finally, our realtor, Daniel, learned that the owner of this property was desperate to sell and willing to go much lower than she had originally listed for. It still took some convincing on the part of Matt and Daniel to help Melinda see past the grime. But, we put in our lowball bid and walked away with a bargain.
The home inspection did little to soothe our nerves on the state of the property. The heater had been recalled 20 years prior and was a fire hazard. During escrow, the fridge ice maker broke and leaked all over the floor, warping the wood. We paid to replace the heater, which had to happen before the bank would close. The previous owner replaced the floor boards.
So, now we're in for some sweat equity. Matt has spent many an evening replacing faucets, rebuilding the insides of toilets, replacing door handles, rewiring broken sockets and light switches, and more.
To get the home move in ready, we did "cheat" and employ several teams of contractors to knock out some big projects quickly.
Walls have been painted and carpet replaced. The picture of the tipsy Victorian woman which was glued, frame and all, to the wall in the kitchen has been crowbarred off and given away on Craig's List.
Many of the window frames were broken and bent off track, leaving gaps large enough for beetles to crawl through. So, those were replaced as well with gorgeous new windows.
The backyard was dominated by large palm and jacaranda trees. After years of being ignored, they had become overgrown, with shaggy bushes and weeds tangled around their bases. Roots had pushed up the sidewalk up into the front gate, preventing it from opening all the way. The branches were falling on the roof, and they blocked all sun to the house. So, we also had those all removed. The backyard is currently just a big dirt patch while we ruminate on the possibilities of a blank slate.
Our proudest purchase for the new home, however, has been the kitchen appliances. The fridge broke before we even bought the home, and the oven and dishwasher were on their last legs.
After researching online and at local hardware stores, we thought we knew what budget appliances we were going to get. Then, on a whim, we drove out to a hole in the wall appliance shop in Escondido that sells scratch and ding as well as overstocked models. Thank goodness we did!
Our oven was over half off because of a dent in the side (which faces the cabinet, it will never be seen). The fridge was also marked down a couple thousand dollars because it had been overstocked. They are much nicer appliances than we would have purchased without the discount, and we feel spoiled every time we fills up a glass of water at the fridge and it counts the ounces out.
The once cream colored carpet was grey with dust, grime and dirt. Wax candles were melted onto the bannister railings. Sinks were so crusted over with hard water deposits that you could barely see the original chrome. The home was filthy, unloved and years behind on regular maintenance.
Over the next month, we toured several other homes in the neighborhood. We could see the potential of one of these models, were it to be kept up. We even bid on a home down the street, but were unable to come to terms with the owner.
Finally, our realtor, Daniel, learned that the owner of this property was desperate to sell and willing to go much lower than she had originally listed for. It still took some convincing on the part of Matt and Daniel to help Melinda see past the grime. But, we put in our lowball bid and walked away with a bargain.
The home inspection did little to soothe our nerves on the state of the property. The heater had been recalled 20 years prior and was a fire hazard. During escrow, the fridge ice maker broke and leaked all over the floor, warping the wood. We paid to replace the heater, which had to happen before the bank would close. The previous owner replaced the floor boards.
So, now we're in for some sweat equity. Matt has spent many an evening replacing faucets, rebuilding the insides of toilets, replacing door handles, rewiring broken sockets and light switches, and more.
To get the home move in ready, we did "cheat" and employ several teams of contractors to knock out some big projects quickly.
Walls have been painted and carpet replaced. The picture of the tipsy Victorian woman which was glued, frame and all, to the wall in the kitchen has been crowbarred off and given away on Craig's List.
Many of the window frames were broken and bent off track, leaving gaps large enough for beetles to crawl through. So, those were replaced as well with gorgeous new windows.
The backyard was dominated by large palm and jacaranda trees. After years of being ignored, they had become overgrown, with shaggy bushes and weeds tangled around their bases. Roots had pushed up the sidewalk up into the front gate, preventing it from opening all the way. The branches were falling on the roof, and they blocked all sun to the house. So, we also had those all removed. The backyard is currently just a big dirt patch while we ruminate on the possibilities of a blank slate.
Our proudest purchase for the new home, however, has been the kitchen appliances. The fridge broke before we even bought the home, and the oven and dishwasher were on their last legs.
After researching online and at local hardware stores, we thought we knew what budget appliances we were going to get. Then, on a whim, we drove out to a hole in the wall appliance shop in Escondido that sells scratch and ding as well as overstocked models. Thank goodness we did!
Our oven was over half off because of a dent in the side (which faces the cabinet, it will never be seen). The fridge was also marked down a couple thousand dollars because it had been overstocked. They are much nicer appliances than we would have purchased without the discount, and we feel spoiled every time we fills up a glass of water at the fridge and it counts the ounces out.
A fridge that can actually hold as many
gallons of milk as this cute girl drinks.
She's already thinking of all the
cookies she wants her parents to
make in this convection oven.
Slowly, things are coming together. We're keeping our fingers crossed that nothing major gives up on us (like the water heater or AC) while we take our time working through the home projects. Just like our last home, we are excited to see how it all comes together as we really make this house our home.
oh my goodness! i didn't realize how much of a fixer-upper it was! you guys have put a lot of work and money into that thing. can't wait to see it!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are awesome, and so is the house!
ReplyDelete