Paul’s Condo – The Reveal!

Paul’s condo and is done and on the market!

Where do I even start here?  This project is a perfect addition to our portfolio because it was small enough that we could still maintain our normal work schedules, but big enough that we gained some essential experience in making budget conscious decisions as well as working on a deadline.  There is a little added pressure managing a flip when it’s someone else’s investment and I think that I was probably more conscious about the outcome than I might have been had it been our personal investment.

We really hit the jackpot with our contractor, Randy.  You hear so many horror stories of contractors ripping people off, doing less than quality work, not getting to the job site or finishing by the deadline.  Vanessa has known Randy for years (he is a regular at her classes at the gym) and hooked us up.  He is trustworthy, dependable and takes great pride in his finished product.  We look forward to a continued relationship with him and highly recommend giving him a call the next time you are in the market for a contractor! (btw, his bio and contact information will be posted very soon!)

It also helps to have a handy Dad :)  Thanks for all of your help and for giving me the opportunity to learn how to fix some unexpected problems along the way! (wink)

Here are some after pics of the condo – check out Flickr for a full set of before and after photos and/or see Paul’s Condo if you missed the project from the very beginning!

Paul had already replaced the kitchen cabinets and sink (installed by Randy) and purchased new appliances.  We finished the backsplash using inexpensive subway tile along with tumbled marble to add a little more detail and pizazz.   We also brought in a maple laminate that Paul had bought on sale at End of the Roll.

Not a great picture, but a better view of the backsplash.  We also replaced the ledge on the pass-through with a nice piece of marble.

We didn’t do much in the dining room.  The new floor in the kitchen was carried into the dining room and between Vanessa, my Mom’s store and myself we came up with enough items to decorate and stage.

Again, the living room didn’t need much work.  Paul had already had carpet installed throughout the living room and bedrooms.  We went to HomeSense and Vanessa’s living room to decorate and stage this room.

The Bathroom!  This might be my favorite end result.  Almost everything was replaced in here; new low flow toilet, new vanity with a marble counter top (which I’m pretty sure we have already raved about!) and a new light fixture.  The tub surround was re-tiled using subway tile and mosaic glass tile for detail.  Last but not least, we had the tub re-glazed – what a great, environmentally friendly and inexpensive fix!

The master bedroom received a makeover as well as some new closet doors.  What a difference those make!

And last but not least, the spare room.  If you remember the before, this room was cluttered with an over sized desk and a plethora of Paul’s ’stuff’.  Lucky for us, Paul was willing to part with most of the big stuff and move the rest to his storage locker.

Phew!  I’m tired just thinking about all of that work :)

Paul paid $148000 for his place in January 2009 and after all of his work and our work, it was appraised and is now listed at $189900!  WOW!

As for the budget – that might have to be another post lol.