Dori the Flip House: week 6

I hope you enjoy these weekly updates as I learn to navigate through the business of flipping houses.  My latest flip house, Dori sports the 3 L’s in real estate, but will need more than a bit of creativity to make the house sellable. You can find more about this house and about my 4 previous flip houses here. This was a weird week.  I personally didn't do a ton of work at the house, but a TON of work got done.  This is rather foreign to me.  I can wave a magic wand (read: write a check) and get people to do the big stuff?? Who knew?  Somehow, in a week, this flip house went from looking like this:

To this:

It's the same house, I swear!  Landscapers attacked the yard, and the contractors installed the new bathroom window!!!  Can you tell I'm excited?  I cannot wait to get the finishing touches on this curb appeal.  Her new shutters are all made (and you'll see the DIY on Wednesday- yes, you'll get 2 DIYs next week!!), she'll be getting new house numbers, a new light, and a pop of color with a blue door.

In addition to the drastic front yard work, the landscapers also tackled the hideous cracked, sunken, concrete patio... they made it go far far away.

In it's place will be a nice, clean, paver patio.  It'll be rather chic if I do say so myself.  And remember way back (6 weeks ago) when the back yard looked like this?

A breath of fresh air.  Still some more work to go but leaps and bounds from where it started.

The only transformation inside this week was in the bathroom.  Did you notice that brand new window on the front of the house?

BAM!

Yes, it's privacy glass.  Sorry neighbors, no free show!  Remember what this cave was before?  *shudders*  It was scary.  There are no words for how different this one window makes the room feel.

Next week will bring lots and lots and lots of drywall.  Everywhere but the floors.  I'll tackle a few smaller things probably too, but nothing else inside can really happen until the drywall is up.  So now I wait with bated breath until I can start throwing paint everywhere... in probably 2 weeks.... c'est la vie flipping.

Have a wonderful weekend my dears!

Dori the Flip House: week 5

I hope you enjoy these weekly updates as I learn to navigate through the business of flipping houses.  My latest flip house, Dori sports the 3 L’s in real estate, but will need more than a bit of creativity to make the house sellable. You can find more about this house and about my 4 previous flip houses here. While I'm not quite to the stage of the 'pretty progress' which, let's face it, is the most fun stage to look at, lots o stuff got done this week!!!

This is my favorite view because you can pretty much see everything in the house and how open and bright it now feels!

The smaller, really only notable to me items that make the space feel so much more open were getting rid of the rest of the kitchen wing-wall, and opening up the hallway.  There used to be a doorway there with no door and while seemingly insignificant, it visually cut off the house.

The biggest happy dance by far this week is caused by this view.

Previously:

Now:

No more wing wall (where the future breakfast bar will be), a door that actually closes AND lets light in, and oh, what's that in the back?

Oh hai slider.  It'll let even more light in once the landscapers evict these 2 monstrous bushes, but even as is, it helps to open the space up like crazy.  The house honestly feels double the size already.

In addition to the slider and new side door, the front door also got replaced with one with a window (cuz this house needs all the light it can get!!)

I'm on the hunt for the perfect wreath that won't cost an arm and a leg to put on the door for staging/curb appeal.  I fell in love with this faux succulent one from Target, but it's way to0 small for the new door.  sadface.

Cheap, quick fixes are always fun when it comes to flips.  In the yard for example, there is a rope swing.  It's been there so long the tree has grown around it so there's no taking it down, but it kind of looked like a noose.....

So I resumed my side of the road trash picking and found a free tire which, when combined with the noosey rope and a climbing carabiner became a charming tire swing.  Much less noose-like.

In preparation for the new windows (most of which are going in today!!), I got started on one of my DIY projects: wood shutters for the front of the house.  Nothing's screwed together yet, but all the pieces are cut.  These are so simple, yet their curb appeal impact is going to be pretty immense!  Tutorial coming soon.

Next week's progress will slow marginally while I wait for the drywallers to get started at the end of the week, but I still have plenty up my sleeve.  Once the drywall is in, however it'll be no holds barred with the progress.  Paint, plumbing fixtures, tiling, trim....I can't wait!!

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Dori the Flip House: week 4

I hope you enjoy these weekly updates as I learn to navigate through the business of flipping houses.  My latest flip house, Dori sports the 3 L’s in real estate, but will need more than a bit of creativity to make the house sellable. You can find more about this house and about my 4 previous flip houses here. This is bound to be the most boring flip update yet- you've been warned.  Only 3 things happened this week:

#1- I sold the old barnwood from the sheds on craigslist

#2- The plumbers installed a new tub and readjusted the plumbing in the bathroom and kitchen to accommodate my planned layouts

#3- we finally have a building permit!  It's nice that it came through almost a week earlier than planned, but unfortunately my contractor isn't available to hit the ground running until next week.  But you best believe that next week, BIG THINGS will be happening!!

Well, I guess one more thing happened: I ordered a LOT more things.  Light fixtures, bathroom vanity, faucets, tile, etc.  I plan to have absolutely every item needed ready and waiting when it's time to install.

Luckily, I think I have all my design plans worked out in my head- curb appeal, kitchen, bathroom and what each room is going to feel like....  Now I'm just going to be keeping my fingers crossed that construction and the schedule go according to plan.

Have a wonderful weekend!