So, while in the midst of packing up and moving to Anchorage, our other adventure was in the works. A rental house. Prior to discovering that we were moving half way around the world, Matt and his childhood friend, Aaron, decided (while on a trip to the Houston zoo), to purchase, renovate and rent out a home in Oklahoma City (yes, I am fully aware that this is an 8-hour drive from our previous home in Houston). Matt has always dreamed of branching out and being his own boss - and while only having a dog to worry about, now was the ample time to try it out. So we did.
Here are Matt and Aaron signing the official papers of the LLC.
Anyways, it happened to fall within the same month of our big move. To say the least, that made it a quite exciting and busy month.
Between driving up there several times, flying up to and purchasing a house in Alaska (we practically owned 3 houses in 3 different cities at one time...never thought I'd say that! Thankfully that didn't last long though!), multiple 15 hour days of hard labor due to the time crunch, Matt having to drive back and forth for work in H-town, a limited budget and lots and lots of help from family and friends...we fully renovated this very cute 1950's 3 bedroom/1 bath ranch-style house in the heart of a trendy area.
Unfortunately, Matt and I had to leave a couple days before the project was complete (to pack up our Houston house and fly to Anchorage), so I don't have the finished photos, just the almost finished. Hopefully I'll get those pics soon (as I would like to see the finished product as well and it has become a little more challenging to just 'drop in' to see it).
There wasn't an inch in the house that we didn't touch. Every wall. Baseboard. Door. Counter. Trim. Floor. Window Treatment. Light. And so forth. I learned a ton during the process. And it was fun to have a huge hand in color/decor aspect. The pictures fail to document the new roof, fresh paint outside and all the electrical work completed...so it was no 'just throw some paint up and go' type of remodel. It was a complete renovation. And now looking back - I think well worth it! (However, I can't say that came out of my mouth during the process...)
There wasn't an inch in the house that we didn't touch. Every wall. Baseboard. Door. Counter. Trim. Floor. Window Treatment. Light. And so forth. I learned a ton during the process. And it was fun to have a huge hand in color/decor aspect. The pictures fail to document the new roof, fresh paint outside and all the electrical work completed...so it was no 'just throw some paint up and go' type of remodel. It was a complete renovation. And now looking back - I think well worth it! (However, I can't say that came out of my mouth during the process...)
Here are some pictures of the transformation. As you will notice in the before pictures the previous renters (who rented from an elderly lady who rarely checked back on the house) were a bit messy. Thankfully we were able to look past that and see the potential when we put in an offer. Our renters moved in the last few days of the renovation, so some of the after pictures involve their boxes as well.
The Living Room
Before
After
We put new paint on walls/baseboards/trim/front door, refurbished the original wood floors throughout the house, replaced ceiling fan, new door handle, vent covers...basically everything.
We put new paint on walls/baseboards/trim/front door, refurbished the original wood floors throughout the house, replaced ceiling fan, new door handle, vent covers...basically everything.
The Dining Room
Before
After
This is the best picture I have, sadly. We added a chair rail, fresh paint everywhere, light fixture you can't see:(, mudding and re-texturing over wood paneling on the back wall - a ridiculous, multiple day process, new vent covers, and replacing some baseboards. I think the two-toned makes such a huge difference!
This is the best picture I have, sadly. We added a chair rail, fresh paint everywhere, light fixture you can't see:(, mudding and re-texturing over wood paneling on the back wall - a ridiculous, multiple day process, new vent covers, and replacing some baseboards. I think the two-toned makes such a huge difference!
The Kitchen
Before 1 (yikes! I know!)
Before 2
The new upper cabinet is installed. Just needs a little paint, the new doors and hardware to be installed, and the appliances to put in..and voila - a brand new kitchen that I'd be proud to call home. :)
After - obviously not completed when we left
Look past the mess and notice that the cabinets were stripped down and repainted white (also a very time-comsuming process!), granite countertops replaced the old yellow tile, that fancy wavy trim was removed, new tile replaced the old laminate, all brand-new stainless steel appliances (including adding a dishwasher), cabinets extended along the side wall and more built to include a microwave, the old ceiling fan was removed and can lights put in, and a new light above the new sink and faucet. Boy that was basically a gut job. But it looks amazing (and probably better even all done!).
The Bathroom
Before
After
This somehow became my project. But after much debate, we decided to rip out all the old brown, ugly tile (put up with 2" concrete back in the 50's, so that was fun to try to do with my 5'3" frame) and drywall and texture the new walls. We also riped up the old tile floor (which caused a few holes to the ground) and laid new tile. With a new toilet, vanity, light fixture, paint, blinds...everything...I love the outcome! The tile in the shower I "painted" white. All I got to say is don't believe the hardware store men or HGTV when they say that's an easy, cheap process. It almost destroyed my sanity in matter of hours!
This somehow became my project. But after much debate, we decided to rip out all the old brown, ugly tile (put up with 2" concrete back in the 50's, so that was fun to try to do with my 5'3" frame) and drywall and texture the new walls. We also riped up the old tile floor (which caused a few holes to the ground) and laid new tile. With a new toilet, vanity, light fixture, paint, blinds...everything...I love the outcome! The tile in the shower I "painted" white. All I got to say is don't believe the hardware store men or HGTV when they say that's an easy, cheap process. It almost destroyed my sanity in matter of hours!
The Hallway
Before
All new paint (again) - notice the dark grey that is in the dining room now shadows the back wall in the shelving. Pretty, huh?
A Bedroom
Before
After (all the bedrooms basically look the same)
New floors, blinds, lots of paint, door handles, etc...these were by far the easiest rooms!
I'll try to post some "during" pictures soon so you can fully appreciate the work. I don't want to deceive you to believing its was like a 30 minute episode on TV that we all love to watch. :) Thus, I am so thankful our house in Alaska was move-in ready! I think I need a few years in between projects to restore my appreciation for hard labor.
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