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!

Dori the Flip House: week 3

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. Week 3 is here, more smashing happened, and now I wait.  Dori's little town is getting a new building inspector, but he's taking a vacation naturally.  What does that mean for me?  It means that we need to wait at least another week before we have a building permit.  No permit, no windows or touching anything structural.  Boo.

I can confidently say, though, that my part of demo is complete.  As is paying for some brute labor to take down the eyesore sheds.  Arrivederci!

A dirty, smelly (oh goodness the smell) task that would have taken me weeks and probably multiple injuries, took 2 20-something guys just over half a day.

Meanwhile inside, I took down all the old paper wall-board in the bathroom, since paper+water is not an ideal combination.... you can use your imagination...  And the tub should be getting replaced early next week!

I have determined that the previous owners must have been sunlight hating vampires, which I guess is why the house felt like a cave when I got it.  Once I peeled back layers, I discovered that not only was there originally a window in the shower (where I plan to put a new one anyway), but the living room window was once significantly larer.  In an ideal world, I'd make the living room window larger again, but windows have already been ordered.

The kitchen is also now fully removed and the room will never look bigger.  It will look better though.  Just picture the new kitchen- a breakfast bar/peninsula taking the placed of the studs on the left and nice white, shaker style cabinets on either side leading into the dining room where there will soon be a slider on the back wall.  I will get light into this house any way I possibly can.

Proper electrical will help with that problem too.  Because apparently it's not 'normal' to have a ceiling fan in one room controlled by a switch in another room.  Who knew?  Lucky I have my trusty electrician on the task.

I have a feeling next week will be a bit torturous for me since progress will be at a near stop until the permit comes in.  I can probably scrounge up a few projects to work on, but I'll have to wait for the progress leaps and bounds that I was hoping for.

Have a wonderful weekend!