Before and After - A House Makeover Part 1


As I mentioned last week, my mom and I have worked endlessly on a home that used to be one of her rental properties.  Actually, she sold this house two years ago, but made the mistake of provided financing "by owner."  The new owners paid their house payment ONE time, and then proceeded to live in the house for free for another year after that.  She eventually succeeded in getting them evicted and regained possession of the house- but, by then, the house was practically in ruins. 


before


before

 We are not sure what they were doing in the house - it was full of wiring and appeared that each individual bedroom must of had its own mini-fridge and television.  We have decided that the owners must have been renting out the bedrooms.  All of that to say - this house was beyond disgusting.  Plus, there was the dead dog in a box on the front porch.  And the pit of snakes in the shed.  No joke.  I wish I could provide the smell of the home to you across the internet, because it was unreal.

Hopefully, that description will be enough to help you fully appreciate how clean and comfortable this house is NOW!

But, first - the BEFORE photos. 

The exterior of the home had lots of rotting boards and needed new paint.  


before


before 

before


The wood in several places around the house had to be replaced and the entire home needed paint.


The yard and the house and the shed were full of trash.



Did I mention that this house is located 180 miles from us (near where my mom used to live.)   Not an easy trip each time we cleaned or painted.

But we FINALLY finished this project.


after

MUCH better - don't you think?





We also hung new shutters and a cute little number plaque we bought at Lowe's.




And then there is the mailbox...

before

Nothing says "This house is in great disrepair and may fall down at any minute" like a leaning and twisted and rusted mailbox.

after


We also hung new exterior light fixtures.



The new lighting brought the house from 1980 to 2012.

(We wanted to paint the door a more interesting color, but the door is already "hidden" in the back of a dark recess and we didn't want to darken the space any more.  We thought the white kept it as bright as possible, given the space.)

Given the price-point of this neighborhood, my mom kept a very tight budget.  We tried to pinch pennies the best we could and did not purchase anything extravagant.  Most of the purchases for the home were from Lowe's.  After all, when you are in the middle of no-where South Georgia repairing a house, and the nearest home improvement store is a Lowe's 25 miles away, "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit."  Fortunately, Lowe's had plenty of options in appliances, hardware, doors, lighting, and home goods.  I am waiting for them to call me at any moment and ask me to advertise for them.

One other thing:  We could not really install any landscaping, due to the cost of irrigation systems and our distance from the house.  We did not want to risk a hose malfunctioning or anything while we are away.

See the Before and After photos of the Kitchen, here.
See the Before and After photos of the rest of the house, here.


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Comments

Rebecca said…
Oh, Trish! I can imagine the hard work that must have been invested in getting the exterior back to this condition -- and I can't wait to see the inside. I hope that it all "pays" off for you.

W
Unknown said…
What a great transformation already. Looking forward to seeing the interior updates.
omg - such a transformation. I know how you feel, we have one rental an hour away from us (on a good traffic day) that we had to evict on - they had drugs, scales and the like hidden in the wall. The house was filthy, holes in the drywall from them looking for new hiding spots, or trying to find what they hid. It's a nightmare. BUT - i love a good transformation - can't wait to see more.
DIYbyDesign said…
Wow, what a great job. I'm sure it was a ton of work. Thanks for sharing at DIYbyDesign.
Renting is such a dangerous thing to do now... it is very difficult to get rid of people who refuse to pay rent b/c on non-eviction laws now... and then they get mad at you and trash your place! You two have made a remarkable recovery on this property.
Wow! So inspiring!! We are still working on our exterior as well (bought a foreclosure last year) you did such a fabulous job! I know first hand how hard it is!! Congrats!
vivian said…
I am going through the same thing. I just got the people evicted. They not only didn't pay any payments but I now have to pay 3 years worth of back taxes. The house is completely trashed. Used motor oil in containers, roaches, unimaginable filth. I am happy all turned out well with your mother's house.
I will never owner finance again or advise anyone to do so.
Maureen Wyatt said…
I just posted this week on the three month reno it took to salvage my rental property. I know exactly how disgustingly dirty and damaged it can be. Try shopvaccing out at toilet that had been full for weeks or months! Grossest thing I have ever smelled! You've done an amazing job! ~ Maureen
Unknown said…
Your makeover looks wonderful. I can imagine the kind of mess you must have had. Such hard work! I'm a new follower. Come over for a visit.
Ann said…
What a lovely transformation...
Its worth all the hard work and time spent.
The Kim Six Fix said…
Wow! What a difference! I am really impressed, even more so knowing you have a teenie budget. It looks like a new house!
Liz said…
Wow, you did such a great job!! Liz
yikes! that's one main reason why I would never have a rental property ...not that we can afford it :)
great improvement!
Maria Elena said…
It looks wonderful! I know that was a lot of work!!!
Christine said…
Trish... YAY!!!!!! You did it!!! Looks GREAT!

Thanks so much for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!
Oh WOW!!! That is an amazing transformation. It's a new house and very pretty.
Anonymous said…
Oh my gosh! Y'all have done a great job! I can't wait to see the inside. I'm sorry you've been through all of this though. It makes me scared to rent to anyone!
Trish, this is a very impressive transformation! I am so astounded that you did this with your mom! A BIG KUDOS to you!
I am honored that your shared your story and house makeover at TUTORIAL TIPS AND TIDBITS!
What a great transformation! I'm so sorry that your mom and family had to go through all that with the previous inhabitants.
Amanda said…
I felt so bad for that beautiful house--I can't believe people treat houses so badly. You guys did a great great job and it looks so fresh and new again!
Linda said…
Oh how awful for your Mom. You think you do enough referral information and this happens.
Your hard work has paid off, The outside looks stunning. Came over from Katherines Corner.
Jamie Miles said…
HOLY COW. Your poor mother. Only one payment....and the fridge in each room. Oh my gosh. Ya'll worked wonders.
So glad you were there to help your mom. You did an amazing job. My husband and I have flipped many homes and had many rentals so I fully understand what you just went through. I hopped over from The Shabby Creek and I'm happy to be your newest follower. Would love to have you stop by for a visit and follow me back. Have a great night! ~ Judy http://www.vintagestreetdesigns.com
It looks Fantastic! It is terrible what some people will do and take advantage of a situation! Shame on them!

Can't wait to see the interior!

(Still stressed about the dead dog in a box on the porch tho) :(

Lou Cinda
It looks Fantastic! It is terrible what some people will do and take advantage of a situation! Shame on them!

Can't wait to see the interior!

(Still stressed about the dead dog in a box on the porch tho) :(

Lou Cinda
What a great example of how paint can refresh a space. I'm featuring you in the PoPP Spotlight this weekend. Thanks for joining the party.
Anonymous said…
Simply amazing, Trish. Bravo to you and your mom for the hard work and great job!
Wonderful transformation! Thank you for sharing this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Hope to see your prettiness again on Monday. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Stacey said…
Great transformation! LOVE what you did! What a sense of accomplishment you must have!
Thanks for sharing -
Stacey of Embracing Change
Betty said…
Trish,
Just curious if the house is anywhere near us? Looks like a completely different house now.

Blessings,
Betty @ Country Charm