We bought a new house to remodel! If I’m counting correctly, this makes house No. 9 for me. I’ve done all sorts of projects — a small house (less than 1,000 sqft), a 100 year old house, a house that had the worst smelling carpet ever, and 3 flooded houses. Some of them I kept as rentals. Some of them I sold for someone else to enjoy. Some of them were for myself, even when I didn’t expect them to be. Each home has had its own unique story and each of them has meant something to me for a different reason.
This new property is no different. This one will be the second largest one I’ve done. It’ll have the largest budget, and it’s the most rural. This will be my first 4 bedroom and it’s on the most acreage. It’s also the first project that Zach and I will *officially* do together.
Quite frankly, there’s nothing in this home that won’t be touched. Most of the house will be gutted to the studs. At first glance, it’s probably in the worst shape of any project I’ve tackled. The smell is something I’ll spare you the description of. I’ll be hiring a demo crew before I even head back in with my usual contractors.
The roof has been leaking, creating quite a situation to be fixed. Once we begin, this diamond in the rough will be getting a new roof, new HVAC, new flooring, new cabinetry, new countertops, new bathrooms, new fixtures — you name it. There’s a tiny chance that I’ll keep the tile in one bathroom and if so, that’ll basically be it.
I made these photos black and white, because even the worst situations look better in B&W. Try it, if you don’t believe me. Even your pile of dirty laundry can look decent in black and white.
When this project is finished, it’ll be an affordable 4 bedroom/2 bath home with a stunning living area, separate office or sitting room, planted on a little under 2 acres in Woodlawn school zone — something that’s incredibly hard to find. Cowboy Santa (pictured below) agrees — it’s going to be great.
My vision for what this home could be came to life instantly. I could see the potential so clearly, even though I had to hold my breath and overlook the piles and piles of abandoned personal belongings. Even though the ceiling was caving in and the paneling walls were buckling. Being able to see potential in this way is both a blessing and a curse for me.
As I embark upon this new project, I’ve thought a lot about the fact that I get to do this work. Once upon a time, this was merely a dream of mine. It was something I never imagined actually getting to do. I didn’t know where to start and I didn’t know how I’d ever have the courage or the resources to do it. Now, I’m starting on my 9th house to remodel in just 4 years.
Taking this thought a little further — I’ve done most of these projects myself. I’ve been the creative visionary, the contractor, the designer, and the financial manager. I’ve secured the financing for the projects via my own credibility and strategic relationships. No one handed me this opportunity — I earned it. No one offered me a back up plan or a cushion if I failed. I put my own security on the line as I launched into this work.
I’m going to say this a little more bluntly for the women in the back — I did almost all of this work/planning/funding on my own, without the help of a man. (Unless you count my banker. He’s a dude.)
Even though I was married when I remodeled my first two houses, my ex husband was not a fan of real estate investing. It felt too risky to him and I passed on a lot of opportunities while we were married because I knew it made him nervous. This isn’t a character-flaw in any way. We all have different preferences and comfort levels. For me, this process of taking a forgotten property and bringing it back to life is in my blood. It’s a part of who I am, just like writing or working hard. I’ve known for a long time that I was made to do this work, and it wasn’t until I was divorced and a single woman again that I really jumped in.
For the sake of authenticity, I’ll note that two of the previous eight homes were bought in partnership with a male business partner. Even so, I brought my own ability to that table and that working relationship was in no way designed to coddle me through the process. Zach was also involved in the process at #wfwhitehouse, and even there, the responsibility still fell on me.
I say all of this to make an important point. If you’re waiting on permission to do something, don’t. If you’re a woman, seeking a man’s approval to go after your own ambitions, you do not have to do this. We, man and woman, exist here on this earth with our own unique skills and dreams. If you need permission to get started, it’s your own permission that you need. I might have started this adventure later than I would have liked, and I’m still glad I started when I did.
What’s that thing that you dream about in the comfort of your own mind? What is it that you think about when you’re lying awake at night? It’s probably something that scares the shit out of you, and you probably can’t figure out how to even do it. You’re probably scared to tell your closest confidants about it. It probably makes you feel dumb and you likely feel like an imposter even considering it. That thing — whatever it is — is probably the key to you living your best life.
I’ll say this, not all ideas/dreams are ones that you’ll actually do. I have so many ideas! There’s no way that I’ll ever chase them all down. However, there’s likely a few that come to you on repeat. Those are the ones you should investigate.
For me, I’d rather try something and fail than have to live with the regret of never trying.
If you’re sitting quietly on a dream, I beg you to take action. There will never be a time where you’re ready. You’ll never have enough money or plenty of extra time. You either do it anyway or you don’t.
And of course — if those silent dreams of yours involve real estate, I’d love to help. No matter where in the world you are, I can help.
If you’d like to follow along with this project, go follow the hashtag on instagram. I’m also launching a special newsletter, just for projects like this one. If you like seeing before/afters and would like more of a look behind the scenes of real estate investing, go sign up! See what it’s really like to “flip” houses.
I’m starting to think Zach and I might need our own HGTV show. What do you think??
