The House That Started it All
Click photos for complete set of before shots
After looking at these photos, did the question “Who would ever buy such a crappy house?” pop into your head? Well, unfortunately, that was NOT the question that popped into mine back in 2010. My question was more like “I wonder how cheap I can buy this house?” From the moment I saw the home online, my adrenaline was pumping. I was ready to make an offer ASAP. So I did – and 45 days later, I discovered my new passion – rehabilitating homes!
So the question remains – why did I do it? What led me to this point? What possessed me, someone with a full-time engineering position, to buy a home that was run down, ugly, and uninhabitable? There’s a cool story behind it as well as some inspired actions and events but I’ll leave that for another time. Together, these actions and events pointed to one idea – doing what I’m inspired to do while also uplifting, serving, and inspiring others. After several years at my job, I realized that I wanted to reach people beyond the means I was given at the workplace. I wanted to change people’s lives on a daily basis. I wanted to make an impact and express a high level of creativity. And real estate, for me, was a natural option.
Now let me take a step back. Rule #2 in real estate investing, especially when rehabilitating property, is never try to do it all yourself. This wasn’t an issue in the beginning because I had no idea what I was doing. I did what I could – tore out walls, pipes, floors, painted and most importantly dreamed – but all the dreaming in the world couldn’t replace the team of experienced professionals, contractors, and friends that came together to help bring the dream to life. This included plumbers, carpenters, HVAC personnel, roofers, painters, stagers, cabinet designers, electricians and the list goes on.
Check out my friends and I getting our hands dirty. Special thanks to Austin, Tenika, Freeland, Rozetta, and Ron as well as Nichole and Larry (not pictured).
Now you’re probably thinking, “Wow, Daniel bought his first house and everything went as planned…” Umm…not the case. The challenges faced when transforming a home are not to be overlooked and usually become valuable lessons learned. Not every contractor had my best interest in mind but rather their own pockets. And each project had unique challenges – most were completed late and usually over budget. Now, since you can’t have a second rule without a first, rule #1 – Buy it right. The fact that I bought it right allowed me to go over budget in some areas and still come out ahead. The biggest success though – no injuries on the job site.
So whatever happened to my first house? It is now for sale. Check it out HERE. Over the last 4 years, not only have I continued to rehabilitate other homes but I often returned to my first house to add more character (This photo was taken a few weeks ago and already the light fixture has been changed).
My love for what I do allows me to go the extra mile to ensure the homes I touch are unlike any other home of similar caliber. I arrive at this uniqueness by using specific colors, original design elements, special textures and patterns – all of these things give the home life. Once finished, they stand as true reflections of the company name – from house to a Home.
