Sacramento Real Estate by Julie Jalone
Article: Dump to Doll House (MFSS)
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Sacramento Real Estate by Julie Jalone Article: Dump to Doll House (MFSS)
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This
is a home we never intended to be in possession of. We purchased the house as
a tool to provide the owner, a family member, a way to use 100 percent of the equity during a difficult period of time. At the end of two years, the home would be repurchased and we would share in some
of the appreciation as a reward for buying and leasing it back. Yes we
could have just lent him the money but as it turns out he was not the person we thought he was and in the end we were glad
we had the house as collateral. When
we finally took possession of the house, almost 18 months after we legally bought it, we were embarrassed to admit belonged
to us. Not only was it run down and in need of repair but it was disgustingly
filthy. A leak under the sink left behind a reservoir of bubbling scum. The small deck off of the second floor master bedroom was rotten to the core and a
danger to anyone stepping out the door. The siding was so dilapidated we were
afraid much of the wall studs might be rotten. Looking back on that dark day
we took possession I think the thing that struck me was the total lack of caring given by the previous owner. Little things that could have been fixed for a few dollars or made to be more liveable by a can of paint
were not done. This little house was suffering and we, as the owners, could not
sell it to anyone in this condition. The
plan began to take shape pretty quickly, we would do some basic cleaning and quick repairs to make it habitable, and rent
it over the winter to my wonderful niece, Amanda and a couple of her friends. They
were looking for a place for a short period of time, had dogs and our place was perfect.
With that done we next contacted Michael’s son-in-law, Dave Northup who owns and operates his own construction company specializing in remodels. Dave
is a great guy, dependable, works fast and his work is top notch. Having Dave
looking out for us during the entire remodel was a blessing and saved at least two if not three trips to Alaska. Dave had some time and there was enough time before the snow came to work the outside of the house. When the snow melted we would tackle the inside and have the house on the market
by May 2007. We
picked a nice looking vinyl siding and all new exterior windows and doors to match the other side of this zero-lot-line home. While we did the scouting for a good siding contractor, Dave and his assistant
Nick did the hard work of cutting back the lower two feet of siding and checking out what damage lurked below. In addition they dug down two feet around the entire perimeter of the house to install a vapor barrier
and then replace the cut off siding with plywood. As they worked around the house
each door or window was removed and replaced with a new one. Michael removed
the upper and lower decks along with some sort of horrible thing that covered the back door like a cave. When Dave and Nick completed the siding prep they built brand new upper and lower decks. We were ready for the siding.
Mike
at MGF Construction was great to work with. He came when he said he would, gave
us a competitive bid for the work, did the work when he said he would and was responsive to our needs and requests. He didn’t ask for money up front and made sure we were happy with the job before he even sent us
an invoice. I’d use Mike again and recommend him for siding work. There
are lots of old adages about money and lending it to friends and relatives. I
am glad we were in a position to help and although this experience ended up in costing me a relationship I felt was important,
I would do it again but not with him…..ever! Money can and does make people
do bad things. Click
any of the photos below to see more of the exterior “in-progress” photos
Check
back next week and read Dump to Doll House, Part II: Who would paint it that color? |
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