Haley's Home Updates
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2016 8:54 pm
I think it's about time I recorded my progress in a thread! But first, story time.
So three years ago, with a down payment from my mom, I purchased a 2 bed/2 bath condo with a single car garage that I loved. Small kitchen, but quiet area and my unit is overlooking a park. I know
will get all worked up - my parents decided a long time ago that they would help each of their children into their first homes. My brother and sister got their homes and when the perfect place popped up my mom wanted to help me get mine.
Now that I want to go to nursing school, and only one of the schools is local, it became obvious that I would have to move. My HOA doesn't allow me to rent my condo, which leaves selling as my only option. My mom didn't like the idea of me just selling my condo and not reinvesting it. One of her clients offered to sell his duplex to her and she has this weird affinity for duplexes, I'm basically just her excuse for getting one. Which leads me to the remodel...
The duplex was built in 1996. One side was remodeled about 8 years ago and the tenants have lived there since. That side isn't bad, new carpets and tile floors, kitchen is still all oak cabinets and dated appliances. The other side.... crazy lady lived there for the whole 20 years and the landlord never increased her rent! So he was way under-renting both sides, and because the landlord never had a reason to go into the second side, she just filled it with her stuff and never cleaned. I didn't know this before buying the place because the landlord didn't want to upset the crazy lady until he knew the sale would go through. This place was fucking gross. If she had bothered to clean once in a while it wouldn't have been so bad - a little dated, sure, but wouldn't have required me to basically gut the place. Carpets were first to go, whole kitchen went out, tore out the vanities in the master bathroom, took down shelving in closets, new paint on every surface. It's been a lot of work and is taking forever. But progress is being made and I may even get to move in one day.
Entry - before
Living room - before (minus carpet)
Kitchen - before, with icky linoleum
Master bath - before
So three years ago, with a down payment from my mom, I purchased a 2 bed/2 bath condo with a single car garage that I loved. Small kitchen, but quiet area and my unit is overlooking a park. I know
will get all worked up - my parents decided a long time ago that they would help each of their children into their first homes. My brother and sister got their homes and when the perfect place popped up my mom wanted to help me get mine.Now that I want to go to nursing school, and only one of the schools is local, it became obvious that I would have to move. My HOA doesn't allow me to rent my condo, which leaves selling as my only option. My mom didn't like the idea of me just selling my condo and not reinvesting it. One of her clients offered to sell his duplex to her and she has this weird affinity for duplexes, I'm basically just her excuse for getting one. Which leads me to the remodel...
The duplex was built in 1996. One side was remodeled about 8 years ago and the tenants have lived there since. That side isn't bad, new carpets and tile floors, kitchen is still all oak cabinets and dated appliances. The other side.... crazy lady lived there for the whole 20 years and the landlord never increased her rent! So he was way under-renting both sides, and because the landlord never had a reason to go into the second side, she just filled it with her stuff and never cleaned. I didn't know this before buying the place because the landlord didn't want to upset the crazy lady until he knew the sale would go through. This place was fucking gross. If she had bothered to clean once in a while it wouldn't have been so bad - a little dated, sure, but wouldn't have required me to basically gut the place. Carpets were first to go, whole kitchen went out, tore out the vanities in the master bathroom, took down shelving in closets, new paint on every surface. It's been a lot of work and is taking forever. But progress is being made and I may even get to move in one day.
Entry - before
Living room - before (minus carpet)
Kitchen - before, with icky linoleum
Master bath - before
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and 
'd out on her Mk2.
