Little House Has Potential

Back in February 2006, we purchased this 2 bedroom 1 bath 1920 derelict home in Centralia on Magnolia street for a rental property. At my first walk-through, all I could do was shake my head in its run down state. But once my husband pursuaded me that it could cash flow even with the refurbishing costs, I began to envision what the place could be. The location wasn't bad, it bordered the much-desired Edison District. It also had high ceilings and a breakfast nook which added to its historic feel. That spring of '06, we worked on this "project," our diamond in the rough.

As you can see, it was quite a transformation. We put on a new roof, blew in insullation in the attic, replaced windows, replaced cedar shingles, painted and trimmed, installed a new front door, tore down the old broken-down garage, built a new carport with storage, fenced in the back yard, paved a driveway, constucted new front porch railing, and spruced up the landscaping. That was everything for the outside.

Inside, we layed down all new floorings, painted the walls, put in new crown moulding and baseboards, set up new bathub and surround, installed a new dishwasher, and mounted new light fixtures. We tried to pay attention to every detail.

We brought the house back to life. We knew it had "great bones." It's certainly a far cry from when I saw it for the first time. I'm glad we trusted our instincts and followed our hearts. It didn't turn into a money pit. We're pleased with the results. It has character and charm. We always say that if worse comes to worse, we can sell everything and live in it. Who knows what the future holds?