The Former House

We purchased our first home in the spring of 2007, at the height of the housing boom. We bought a half-way "flipped" 912 square foot home in a "transitional" neighborhood (it's right on the edge of a gentrified area outside of our city's downtown).

This isn't the original photo at time of sale - those windows are new but we forgot to take a photo before we started renovating.

 Someone bought it as a foreclosure and "flipped" it - except they ran out of money before they could finish the work. We scored a deal on it!

The house was built in 1949. It had no dishwasher, washer or dryer, no central air conditioning and the windows were painted shut. Here are the "Before" photos:

Office

Bathroom

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living room

Living Room

Dining

Needless to say, the house needed a lot of work. Over the past four years, we've remodeled room by room and paid as we went. Here is the list of changes as of Fall 2011 Spring 2012:

• Replaced all windows with energy efficient models. 
• Replaced all exterior doors, screen doors and storm doors. 
• Installed pull down attic stairs. 
• Installed dishwasher in kitchen.
• Added cabinets and counter top in kitchen. 
• Built back deck; installed privacy fencing in back yard. 
• Installed central air conditioning and new gas furnace. 
• Gutted bathroom to the studs, replaced bathtub, tile, toilet, sink, floors, vanity, lighting and mirror. For details click here.
• Added a custom built in closet in the master bedroom for my clothes. 
• Added a built-in bookshelf and desk in the office. 
• Pulled up carpet in back bedroom (nursery), sanded and painted floors and created a custom closet space in the nursery. For details click here.
• Crown molding in living, dining, master bedroom and kitchen.  
• Refinished living room, dining room and hallway floors - for details click here. 
• Remodeled fireplace with new hearth tile - for details click here. 
• New window and door frames and baseboards in living, dining, kitchen, hallway, bathroom, nursery. 
• Remodeled kitchen - for details click here and here. 
• Refinished the floors in the master bedroom and office - for details click here.  
• Finished decorating the nursery - for details click here.

And here is the house as of Fall 2011 Spring 2012...

Bathroom

Bathroom

Bathroom

Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living and Dining

Living and Dining

Living and Dining

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Office/guest room

Office / guest room

Nursery

What a difference huh? Next on the remodel list:

• Some exterior work - roof flashing, new gutters and landscaping in the front yard.
• Pull up the carpet in the office and master bedroom and refinish the floors.
• Kitchen flooring. 

PS - We moved in May 2014 to the new house and never finished the last two items on our list.