Unsellable Houses

Rough Rental Reno

Season 2, Episode 10

When it comes time to sell, rental properties often need some extra love. This one was no exception!

Our clients had owned this house for 20+ years and used it as an investment property and nest egg. Now that their daughters were headed to college, it was time to cash in. However, after years of housing tenants, the house was definitely worse for wear. From curb appeal to kitchen conditions, there was lots of work to do!

Along the way, we found several unexpected trouble-spots that required more budget than we anticipated, but we managed to address it all and come out on top. The home was originally listed for 7 months at $410,000. After a $70,000 investment in renovations, we put it back on the market at $500,000. In the end, we sold the house for (drum roll please!) $608,000! 

The college fund is in good shape!

Colors, Patterns, & Texture Inspos

This home was a great opportunity to reach first time home buyers and young families, so we wanted the style to feel fresh and accessible. We used a clean white base throughout the house, then added bold splashes with colored subway tile in the kitchen, a custom woodwork surround on the fireplace, and fun wall pockets in the living spaces. 

The result was a simple yet sophisticated home that buyers loved!

Ready to pin the look for inspiration? Head to Pinterest and follow us for more great design inspo!

Key Updates

DIY Project: Laundry Room Shelves

This home’s washer and dryer hookups were annoyingly placed in one of the upstairs bathrooms. We saw a chance to improve the bathroom by removing the units and relocating the washer and dryer to an unused space downstairs. 

The room was big enough to serve multiple purposes, so we really wanted to make sure to keep it beautiful and show off all the potential for that area. After installing the new washer/dryer units, we built a custom shelf to encase the appliances and create a lovely elevated counter space perfect for folding and sorting laundry.

We love it!

JL’s Take

So, I know we’ve said it before, but we just love getting to work with friends! It makes life fun. Here’s JL Remodeling’s insight on this reno…

When you begin a project, you never know what is waiting for you behind walls or under floors. This home was a great example of that.

Years of neglect and using a shower that did not have proper waterproofing had created extensive damage spanning all three floors of the home. We had to repair framing, siding, insulation, and even replace a couple windows.

We put a lot into structural and basic improvements. The only source of heat in the home when we got started was a wood stove, so we also added electric heaters to all of the rooms.

We insulated the walls and attic of the bonus room and completely refurbished it creating an inviting additional living area.

In the kitchen, swapping out the sliding door for a single swinging door created additional space for a more practical layout .

Adding a second full bathroom to the home was a big win that added a lot of value and was very attractive to home buyers.

It was all brought together with great design to really give breathe new life into this home. The clients were incredibly grateful and seeing their happiness at the final product was the best part!

High-five, JL team!

Featured Finds

You can find several of the items featured in this episode online and in our Snohomish Storefront location! Check these out: 

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Key Materials

See ya back on HGTV next Tuesday at 9PM ET/PT!

You can see all of our great Amazon finds right here

Love,

Lyndsay