Cole the Flip House: Week 2

I hope you enjoy these weekly updates as I navigate through the business of flipping houses one house at a time!!  If you’re new here (Hello!!!) or just enjoy walking down memory lane, you can see my 7 previous flip houses here.  Thanks for coming along for the ride as I jump into flip #8!!!  Check out previous posts about this house here and follow along on my insta-stories for more behind the scenes goodness!  

It's Monday.  This post was supposed to be Friday.  I have no excuse except life.  I've been a bit off my game for the past few days.  Starting with discovering Thursday morning that a large chunk of my office ceiling had fallen overnight and we currently can't use the office until we get it cleaned up/fixed.  Friday I learn that my elderly office landlord passed away earlier in the week (putting the ceiling cleanup in an indefinite limbo) and I had to pick a sick baby up from daycare (just a cold which was making him wheezy, but he promptly shared his cold with me).  On Sunday, my head was finally out of it's cold fog, and I realized that I still haven't given you an update of this week's flip progress!

So for the flip!!

The job site was relatively quite this past week.  I was able to get both cabinets and appliances ordered on Massachusetts tax free weekend, so that's a bit of a cost savings (yay!).  With cabinets that needed to get ordered, I'm starting to devise a plan for this kitchen.  As far as any actual work done, a bit happened.  Outside, a few bushes got trimmed before the yellow jackets got very angry.

And inside, temporary walls went up while my contractor got the structural beam up between the kitchen and dining room.

Now, no wall!  There will ultimately be a peninsula in that spot, but the openness will remain!

I'm hoping the non-pretty, expensive-but-very-necessary things like electrical and hvac get started this week!  I'll let you know Friday!

Have a great week!!

Cole the Flip House: Week 1

I hope you enjoy these weekly updates as I navigate through the business of flipping houses one house at a time!!  If you’re new here (Hello!!!) or just enjoy walking down memory lane, you can see my 7 previous flip houses here.  Thanks for coming along for the ride as I jump into flip #8!!!  Check out previous posts about this house here and follow along on my insta-stories for more behind the scenes goodness!  

I love when demo happens.  I'm not Chip Gaines level giddy about demo, but it's still one of the most exciting steps of a flip.  It means that things are really starting to happen and the house is going to transform!  My contractors made quick work of some ceiling and walls in the past few days.

This is currently my favorite view so far.  They got rid of a non-load bearing wall to open up the living room to the dining room.  We will be opening up the middle wall there between the kitchen and dining to add a peninsula, but that wall is load bearing, so it will need supporting before it can go away.  I'm also going to be closing up the doorway that currently passes from the living room into the kitchen.  It will all make sense when you see it!

I am in LOVE with this wallpaper.  It was hiding under the 60s paneling in the living room.  It's adhered to the plaster pretty well, so I most likely won't be able to actually save a chunk of paper, but you can bet your britches that I'll be taking a few really good pics of this paper for posterity (and maybe to frame).

This view is from the kitchen.  The chimney will have to stay, but the hvac vent is getting relocated so I can open up that wall and have a peninsula to connect the kitchen and dining room.

The bathroom (off the kitchen) has been stripped down as well.  And because my contractors know me and don't want to make me cry, they kept all the old trim that was on the walls that got removed so that we can reuse it wherever possible.  Antique trim > modern trim.  x 1000.  That's my personal stance at least.

Still to partially come down is the wall between the stairs and living room.  It actually seems like a partial renovation was done not all that long ago (as you can see by the drywall vs plaster).  Essentially the wall is coming down where the drywall is and to the right including the doorway.  Hasta la vista!

My goals if for this to be the largest feeling 900sf home you ever saw!  No major demo happened upstairs since we aren't removing or relocating any walls.  The more exciting part up there will be when we run plumbing for the new powder room.

Aside from demo this week, I also got started on kitchen planning.  Since MA has a tax free weekend this weekend, I'm hoping to take full advantage of it and get all the cabinets and appliances ordered!  I'm going wood for most of the cabinets and white (or maaayyyybe gray) for the few upper cabinets that we have which is only 3.  Trying to re-inject some vintage charm!

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Nessie the Flip House: Reveal Part 3!!

I hope you enjoy these weekly updates as I navigate through the business of flipping houses one house at a time!!  To catch up on the progress on Nessie, check out her previous posts here.  If you’re new here (Hello!!!),  or just enjoy walking down memory lane, you can see my 6 previous flip houses here.  Thanks for coming along for the ride!!  *This post may contain affiliate links*  

So far today I've shown you the transformation of the outside, bedrooms, bowling alley, and bathrooms, but now I get to show you my favorite part of all and the spot that will sell this whole house:  the open concept living area and kitchen!!

The space before was closed off and pretty dark.

Not so dark anymore!  With one wall missing and new recessed lights throughout this house doesn't feel sleepy any longer.

From the front door you can see all the way into the kitchen.  Just as I was hoping, that backsplash tile is a show stopper!

You may have seen on instagram about my happiness in finding JUST the right table for my new dining bench.  With the PERFECT dimensions, and a side that drops down to consolidate even more space, I had thought I missed out because someone beat me to it.  Luckily their inability to pick it up in a timely manor lead to me getting a message right after the movers dropped off the rest of the staging furniture.  It was meant to be!

Seriously, though, a table like this was exactly what I had in mind when I was planning the bench.  I'm not sure anyone saw my vision on that one while we were working on the house- everyone seemed surprised that I wasn't doing a breakfast bar at the counter, but I had bigger plans.

THIS kitchen is the reason that I don't do cookie cutter kitchens in my flips.  You need to give buyers something to fall in love with!  In this house, it wasn't going to be the square footage, or spacious bedrooms.... it is the kitchen.  And it wasn't before:

I really hope it is now!  I'm in love with this kitchen... but I say that about every new kitchen that I design.  Either the newest is always the favorite because it's the freshest in my memory, or I keep trying to outdo the last... probably a combination of the 2!

It was an awkward space to start with, but by shuffling the stove and sink, I was able to open up the floorplan a bit.  The only thing I usually try not to do that I had to do was put the sink in front of a wall, but it was the best spot 100%.  What I did to make up for the fact that whoever is at the sink would be staring at a wall is to give them a wall-hung herb garden.  It is currently sporting mint, rosemary, and parsley.  Yum!

Now that I've shown you all the before and afters, and you've hopefully fallen in love with this latest house, it's time to sell her!!!  Between the awesome kitchen and the spacious entertaining space in the bowling alley, I hope someone falls head over heels!  If you know anyone looking for a new home in the metrowest Boston area, Nessie is up for sale with an open house Sunday!!

Kitchen Sources:

Cabinets // Backsplash! with Raven Grout // Vent Hood // Sink Light // Herb Garden // Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray mixed at 50%