Before and After

Here is 1802 SW 149th in it's pre-flip agony. A nice-sized level lot in Seattle right across the street from the Lake Burien Park. You can't see it, but the house was surrounded by a 12 foot high laurel hedge on both street fronts (a corner lot). the neighbors complained that varmints lived in that hedge, garbage collected there, and it was dangerous approaching the intersection because the hedge made it impossible to see approaching cars.

The house itself was built in 1946, a time of tight construction budgets post WWII. Notice no eaves to protect the windows (rotted). The siding is beautiful clear old cedar, but one of the previous owners was talked into spraying a faux stucco surface that was supposed to be impervious to the ubiquitious moss of Seattle, but if you look closely, you will see it. Inside is 880 sq. feet of smallness. Plaster and lathe, no central heat, bad plumbing and knob and tube wiring. Yes, it all had to go. Beautiful hardwoods underneath the drab carpeting had been stained and ruined in many places. We salvaged what we could, but that was only the living room and hallway.



The bathroom was a mess...here's a photo:





Yep, those are visegrips he used as handles for the tub. It actually looks pretty clean, but you had to be there. Mold under the sink, around the toilet, and behind the laminate sheet posing as tile in the tub.



The kitchen was pretty grim as well. loads of grease on the paint, nice wood cabinets hidden by bad treatment and poor upkeep, so we lost them as well.

We basically took the house down to it's stud walls and subflooring. The garage was detached, so we enclosed the breezeway adding 10 feet of width to the kitchen and master bedroom. To align the back wall of the garage with the back wall of the house we added 6 feet to the back of the garage, giving us room for a walk-in closet for the master and a furnace room for the garage. The added area of the master was turned into a sitting area and full bath, and the space in the kitchen became a laundry room as well as more kitchen space. All very usable space.

How's this for an after? Hedges all gone, new siding, new windows, new plumbing, new wiring, new roof, new furnace, new garage door, new paver driveway, and landscaping on the way. Inside we put in new cherry cabinets, refinished the oak floors and tiled both bathrooms. The bedrooms will get designer carpeting. The appliances have been ordered (Frigidaire SS), and slab granite countertops will arrive 2 days after the appliances. The cork floor was installed in the kitchen, dining area and laundry room. After that, it is new interiour doors, trim and some cleaning. We will then do a little landscaping and call it done.
More pictures to come. Oh, btw, thanks to Robert for his help in figuring out how to upload the pictures.

Chow!