Y’all, let me let you know the story about the home subsequent door. After I got here for the primary time to take a look at our home eight years in the past, I nearly simply saved on driving by with out stopping. There have been two points that I believed I’d by no means get previous. The primary was the dearth of a paved driveway on our home. Because it seems, that shall be a blessing once we lastly do pour our driveway, as a result of had there been one, it will be within the mistaken spot and it must be taken out first, costing hundreds further in labor.
However the second difficulty was the home subsequent door. It was a scorching mess. And the home was solely a part of the difficulty. The primary difficulty was the large steel constructing/store that they had constructed proper up in opposition to our property line, and which they used as a store the place they labored on vehicles and engines of all types nearly daily.
I used to be by no means actually bothered by the noise of revved engines all through the times, however I used to be bothered by the truth that the property, back and front, was at all times stuffed with vehicles and RVs and vans and lawnmowers, and anything that had an engine that could possibly be labored on or rebuilt. The again yard (that home can be on a one-acre lot like ours) was crammed entrance to again with a lot stuff that it regarded like an precise junk yard — the sort of junk yard the place vehicles go to die, and folks go to seek for components that they want.
And since that was their foremost focus (each interest and enterprise), the home by no means acquired a lot consideration in any respect. It appeared to be falling aside proper round them — two brothers who had gotten the home when their mother and father died, I consider. For the eight years we lived right here with them as neighbors, they by no means had a sound roof on that home. For years, half of the roof was lined in a blue tarp. After which they acquired their arms on some further steel roofing and beginning patching their shingle roof with random items of steel roofing.
Regardless of all of this, I’ll say that they had been fantastic neighbors. They had been each the kinds of people that would do something for me that I wanted. A number of instances, they fastened my automobile, modified my oil, repaired flat tires, and many others. I gave them my outdated automobile, and in change, they mowed my yard (once more, one acre) each week or two for about two years. I didn’t love taking a look at their property, however I did get pleasure from having them as neighbors.
They moved final 12 months, after residing in that home for many years. I used to be so to see what the within regarded like. I wasn’t shocked. It regarded precisely how I’d have anticipated it to take care of two single, older brothers, who clearly weren’t too involved concerning the state of their house, had lived there for many years with their pit bulls and different random members of the family out and in through the years. The unique hardwood flooring had been in unhappy form. The entire home windows had been outdated (identical to ours had been) and a few of them had been damaged and lined over with cardboard or plywood. The partitions hadn’t been painted in most likely a long time. It wanted assist. Numerous assist.
I talked with Matt about shopping for the home and flipping it, however we determined that it simply wasn’t one thing we’re able to tackle proper now, and even when we had been able to buy a home to flip, that most likely wouldn’t be the one. It has two entrance doorways, which is complicated. The structure of the house is sort of awkward. And it has no storage or carport, and there’s no place to place one since they constructed that massive steel constructing proper there on the driveway. That may be a deal breaker for plenty of house patrons, so it will be a deal breaker for me shopping for it as a flip home.
Anyway, let me present you the home because it’s regarded for the eight years we’ve been right here.
This truly appears to be like fairly tame. ? There are solely three vehicles within the driveway on this Google maps picture, however typically there have been as much as fifteen within the driveway and on the road, and they’d keep there for a very long time. They had been at all times being threatened and fined by the town due to it, however they appeared fully unbothered by it. And this doesn’t even present the junk yard within the again. However you’ll be able to inform that the home itself, whereas positively needing some consideration, might most likely be cleaned up and become a cute home. I imply, it’s a protracted, ranch home that doesn’t have a lot character, however there’s nothing terribly offensive about that home.
Anyway, as I mentioned, they moved out final 12 months, and the home went available on the market for $160,000. That alone reveals you simply how loopy the actual property market is correct now. Bear in mind, Matt and I purchased our home on one acre of land simply eight years in the past for $80,000. So this one was promoting for actually double the value that we paid for our home. And the situation was each bit as unhealthy (and possibly far worse) than ours was once we purchased it.
I don’t know the way lengthy it took to promote, but it surely wanted a ton of labor — a brand new roof, all new home windows, some main flooring restore/refinishing, a complete tear out of the present kitchen and loos, drywall restore (or most likely all new), all new exterior siding, and on and on.
It lastly bought to somebody who deliberate on flipping the home. And I’ve been watching as they’ve labored on it over the previous few months. And as they had been ending up a few month in the past, I walked by the home to see the progress.
It was high quality. Very clear. There wasn’t something particular about it in any respect — all white partitions, no crown molding, normal door and window casings, new laminate flooring protecting up the unique hardwood flooring, new primary home windows. Right here’s an image of the entrance eating room/front room space.
The kitchen and loos had been all in black and white, and regarded to me like a bachelor from the Nineteen Eighties had designed them. However I assume they had been an enchancment from what was there.
The home positively felt chilly and sterile with the whole lot being so stark white, however in fact, any purchaser can change that with a little bit of coloration on the partitions, or with their furnishings, decor, window coverings, and many others. I truthfully thought that that they had accomplished a reasonably respectable job on the flip.
I wasn’t thrilled with the outside coloration they selected. It’s so harsh and appears to conflict with the stone.
It simply looks as if such an odd coloration to decide on to go along with that stone. And a lot cash wasted, as a result of paint isn’t low cost! However my hope was that maybe the subsequent purchaser would take a few days and provides that home a impartial coat or two of paint to tame no matter that’s. And I used to be so hoping that they’d take away or transfer that steel constructing, but it surely’s nonetheless there. Nonetheless an eyesore sitting proper there at our property line. Ugh. Oh properly.
So this was simply a normal, primary flip. And it was fairly unremarkable and non-newsworthy, proper up till they put that “on the market” signal within the yard just a few days in the past, and out of curiosity, I regarded it as much as see how a lot they had been asking for this home with its new makeover.
Y’all, I practically choked on my tea. I couldn’t BELIEVE what I noticed. Are you prepared for this?
They’re asking $439,000 for that home.
$439,000!!!!!
Now earlier than you Californians and New Yorkers say, “That appears affordable,” let me remind you that this isn’t California or New York! That is central Texas!
Once more, eight years in the past, Matt and I purchased our home on one acre of land within the metropolis of Waco for $80,000. It was a fixer higher and wanted tons of labor, however even now, it’s valued at round $250,000.
And this home I’m exhibiting you, simply final 12 months, bought for $160,000. And now they assume it’s price $439,000?! And that’s after an $11,000 markdown! So that they initially priced this factor at $450,000!!!
If anybody buys this home for that quantity (I can’t think about anybody would truly pay that), that will make this home the highest-priced home not solely on our avenue, however one of many highest-priced homes on this space. And there are some very nice homes which might be RIGHTLY priced round $350,000 all the way in which as much as about $675,000 on this space, however these are homes with actual character, set again on large, attractive tons stuffed with timber. However to assume that this home instructions a value within the vary of a few of these homes is totally ridiculous.
There was an enormous inflow of individuals from California shifting to Waco and surrounding areas. And I really feel like these sellers are relying on come Californians seeing that value, not understanding the Waco actual property market, having a California actual property mindset, and snatching it up considering that it’s a cut price.
Let me present you what you will get within the Waco space for that very same value.
This house is in Woodway, which is a suburb of Waco, and a a lot nicer space that Waco correct. (It’s the place I grew up, and the place my mother nonetheless lives.) This home is $450,000.
Right here’s one other home in Woodway, and this one is $429,000. Look how cute! It truly has character.
This one is situated in Waco. I believe it’s 5 bed room, 4 loos, priced at $444,498.
That is Texas actual property. What you’d pay hundreds of thousands for in California, you pay lower than $500,000 for in Texas. And what you’d pay 1,000,000 for in California, you will get right here for about $150,000 to $200,000.
After which there’s the home subsequent door. I simply can’t wrap my head round it.
So after seeing that value, I checked out the entire photos they supplied, considering that I had missed one thing. Possibly there was one thing actually particular that I had missed. There definitely wasn’t something concerning the exterior that I had missed. It has new siding and a brand new coat of darkish grey paint (which I simply don’t perceive), but it surely was nonetheless the identical lengthy ranch-style home with little exterior character.
And sure, I had missed one thing, however nothing good. I would like y’all to take a look at this kitchen. They ripped out the unique (which wanted to be accomplished, because it was past restore), and put in this model new kitchen.
I would like you to take a detailed take a look at the structure. It is a normal U-shaped kitchen, however look how they put in the cupboards. Let me present you up shut.
As an alternative of wrapping the cupboards round from the again wall to the aspect partitions in a steady manner, they put in a full wall of cupboards on the again wall, after which needed to depart these awkward areas between the again wall and the aspect cupboards.
So what does that do for the range? It offers the kitchen a floating range with no countertop area subsequent to it.
I’ve seen some awkward kitchen layouts in older properties. Heck, our home had a clumsy kitchen structure once we purchased it. However after I reworked it, I fastened it. This home has a U-shaped kitchen, and there are normal methods to make the most of a U-shaped kitchen. This isn’t one in every of them!!! And in the event that they didn’t desire a U-shaped kitchen, there was a ton of area to revamp all the factor and make it an environment friendly (and far bigger) kitchen. However that is some half-baked concept with average effort that they now count on to get nearly half 1,000,000 {dollars} for.
They usually additionally did one thing that’s one in every of my greatest pet peeves EVER, and that I see DIYers and home flippers do on a regular basis. Do you see this hole of area between the cupboard and the wall?
Yeah. Evidently they couldn’t be bothered to take away the baseboard earlier than putting in the cupboards.
It is a shortcut I’ve seen even high-end designers do. I keep in mind seeing Candice Olsen’s individuals (keep in mind Divine Design?) do that in a number of of her rooms the place she added built-ins, and it bothered me a lot each single time. In case you’re going so as to add cupboards or built-ins, REMOVE THE BASEBOARDS in order that they match proper up in opposition to the wall!! How laborious is that? It’s these little particulars that can take your undertaking from trying like a DIY undertaking to trying like an skilled improve. However actually nothing about this kitchen appears to be like like knowledgeable job. This has “first-time DIYer” written throughout it.
Anyway, I simply needed to share this with y’all. I nearly discover myself getting offended by it. ? It offends me that our home, after all of the work I’ve put into it with customized upgrades and touches, is valued at $250,000, whereas they assume they will promote this factor for practically half 1,000,000 {dollars}. It’s absurd.
I genuinely hope some household from California doesn’t see this on-line, examine it with California costs, assume they’re getting a steal, and purchase it sight unseen. I do know Californians are doing that proper now (shopping for Texas actual property sight unseen), and I’d hate for anybody to get suckered into such a value for this property.
I truthfully would have simply minded my very own enterprise if it hadn’t been for that price ticket. I simply can’t recover from it.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and enhance the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You may be taught extra about me right here.
I hope you’ll be part of me on my DIY and adorning journey! If you wish to observe my initiatives and progress, you’ll be able to subscribe beneath and have every new publish delivered to your e-mail inbox. That manner you’ll by no means miss a factor!
