Month: March 2019

Welcome Back.

Before I jump right in and start posting different projects I thought I would introduce the first house I’m going to share with you, the 1915 craftsman farmhouse. It is our latest project that we just wrapped up on the renovation process. I’m so excited to share all the transformations we did, but first here’s a little information about the home and how it became ours.

Fun story. Carter and I were looking for an investment property, but kept falling short in the luck department. We were getting outbid on so many homes. Seriously home after home. The market was hot! In mid-April while on an anniversary trip in Europe, this house pops up on MLS. This also happens to be the same weekend back in 2018 that Minnesota gets hit with 24 inches of snow around the twin-cities. Our realtor threw on his snow boots to run out and check on this house out for us. After video chatting, we decided to put in an offer sight unseen. Luckily no one else made it out to see the house in the snow storm because our offer was quickly accepted. Hey Carter, Happy Anniversary. I got you a house! 😉

So as is, this house includes 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and 3119 square feet. Outside it has a single stall detached garage, a shed, and a wheelchair accessible ramp. The lot size comes in at half an acre. The main floor includes a full bath, dining room, kitchen, small bedroom, living room, sunroom, pantry, and washer and dryer set up in the mudroom. The upstairs level has two big bedrooms, both with a set of regular closets and matching attic storage rooms. Sandwiched between those two rooms is a third tiny room. It technically was too small to be considered a bedroom. The basement is home to a small family room, an office/bedroom, a half bathroom, and a small kitchenette. There was also another washer and dryer down there. The basement is technically considered finished, but needs lots of TLC.

Our initial plan was to get the lot split in two. Due to the size we knew we could get a better profit if we sold half of the lot to a developer. After gathering information on how to go about getting the lot split, we started to get a little nervous about how long it could take. Not to mention the possibility of the split not getting approved. After much thought and consideration, we decided to proceed ahead with the remodel as planned and not try to split the lots.

Top Items To Address:

1. Add a proper master suite

2. Remodel Kitchen and Dining Room

3. Update all 3 bathrooms and add a 4th.

4. Build new garage

5. Add AC/Heat

6. Refinish hardwood floors

7. Paint entire house interior and exterior

8. New roof

9. New windows

10. Basement updates.

Be sure to check back each week to see the progress of this flip!

-Heather and Carter

 

 

 

 

 

Hi! Welcome to our blog. We are a husband and wife team living in the great Minneapolis metro with our two kids. Over the past five years, we have purchased, remodeled, and sold a few homes all for a good return. It has become a fun hobby to do in our spare time. The kids even love to help in their own little ways. We try to include the entire family in the process whenever we can.

“Flipping” homes for a profit wasn’t something we originally set out to do. We sort of stumbled into it, but after having luck in the real estate market, we became addicted to remodeling homes. As of today, we are wrapping up our 3rd remodel and will be starting our 4th very soon.

A little about us: We are transplants living in the great Midwest. Originally from Florida, we moved to Minnesota in 2012 for a job opportunity. Carter works full-time at a Twin-Cities construction company as a Vice President. Heather is a Stay at Home mom to two boys, ages 5 and 1. As a family, we love to explore new places, go on bike rides around Lake Calhoun, and eat at our local favorite family pub.

Carter is the mastermind behind all of our flips. He designs new layouts for each home. Our main goals are always to open up the homes floor plan and maximize square footage. Creating a new floor plan that is open and has good flow is Carter’s specialty! He has had to get very creative over the years while working in old homes with small rooms. As the project manager he deals with the subcontractors, permits, and everything else construction related.

Heather helps with the interior design process. She does so by doing things like choosing the paint colors and scheme, finding the right bathroom vanities and hardware, selecting the best light fixtures for the room, ordering appliances, and picking out tile, etc.

So far, all of our remodels have been 100-year-old craftsman style homes with stucco exteriors. We find ourselves continually drawn to the charm of older homes. Leaded glass windows, tall baseboards, and built-in’s are everything! Even the occasional floor creak adds to the romantic ambiance of a vintage home.

There’s something endearing about the 100 years of life, love, and loss that has happened between their dusty walls. We really enjoy turning something old that someone else may consider a teardown into a beautiful home.

Our style is a mix of modern and transitional with a dash of industrial and a smidge of farmhouse added in. When it comes to kitchens we try to create a clean timeless look. If you spot any crystal chandeliers, lights, or doorknobs you’ve found Heather’s favorite thing to incorporate into our flips. Carter is a big fan of farmhouse sinks and sliding barwood doors.

Other things we try to put in every flip is a main floor master suites. Or “Master on Main” as we like to call it. Finding homes with the master suite on the main floor isn’t easy unless you are looking at a rambler. I very rarely come across ones on Zillow, but if I do luck out and find one, it’s almost always a master bedroom, not a master suite.

We realize the importance of creating a home that grows with families. And we know that luxury isn’t something that should be sacrificed when starting a family. Some of our favorite elements of luxury to add include: wine/beer fridge, pot filler above range, dual-fuel range, microwave drawer, heated bathroom floors, and ceiling speakers to name a few.

A friend mentioned we should start a blog to share our projects so here we are! We plan on sharing tips, transformations photo’s from our projects, DIY idea’s, etc. We are excited to share our journey with you. Please like our Instagram and Facebook page! -Heather & Carter