Wanted: Home Owner

Excuse me while I briefly interrupt the new Donaghey story to introduce you to what I hope will be the next project in line for a storybook makeover.

This classic craftsman is currently a duplex sitting on Oliver Street in Old Town Conway.  My hope is to convert the structure into a single family home, in fact, the story and design are already solidified in my head- and boy is it a doozy.  Unfortunately, my ideas cost money... too much money to do this project as speculative. Now I know the responsible thing to do is to adjust the plan down to a reasonable design that would work for the comps in the area BUT guys, once I envisioned the full out version for this home, I can't go back; I just can't. This house DESERVES my best. I can't compromise less.

PLUS, don't you agree our Old Town deserves OUR (as in all of our) best?!?! I mean, where else in Conway do you see such an eclectic group of homes? No two homes (or at least very few) look alike; each has its own personality and unique character.  I have always believed that our historic district has just as much potential as the Heights in Little Rock if people were just willing to invest in the area. And guess what?!? It's happening! Over the last 2 years the amount of renovations occurring in Old Town has exploded- just drive thru the historic district and count the number of dumpsters sitting outside homes to see what I'm talking about. I truly believe it's the most up and coming area in our city.

But back to Oliver Street...

Rory knows I can't (won't) scale back the design in my head to a blah level that will land us at a price point that is deemed appropriate for the area by appraisers; therefore, his solution is that we do a simple fix and keep it as a duplex to add to our rental portfolio. I'll give it to him, it's a solid, reasonable, financially prudent idea. Problem is, what do I do with the story floating around in my head!?!? It NEEEEDS to get out and it can NOT be modified to a duplex, trust me on this one.

So, I have proposed that once again we search for a prerenovation buyer. Someone who understands the end price might not (probably won't) appraise but who sees the value in a unique one of a kind home. Then, IF no one steps up to join our story, I will accept Rory's plan to keep her as a rental. Deja vu? I know. I know! It sounds similiar to what I proposed for the Caldwell Manor before I figured out a way to get Rory to go forward without a buyer. But boy did I learn my lesson on that one! I don't EVER want the weight of one of my schemes on my shoulders again. Either Rory and I are in agreeance or we don't do it. And this is a plan we can both agree on.

Now when I say it will be above appraised value, I'm not talking anything too crazy. I'm talking around $130 a square foot which is comparable to new construction homes in our area (or a bargain if compared to homes in Hendrix Village or 30 miles south of us, I'm just saying...). Which makes sense because this home will essentially be brand new.  We are stripping her down to the exterior studs (think episode of Good Bones) and rebuilding from the foundation up. When we are done she will be the newest historic home in the area.  So even if it doesn't appraise today I think within a couple of years it will be considered a great value.

So what do you get for around $200k (hopefully less) with this Storybook renovation? Let me walk you thru the highlights:

• A little over 1500 sq feet of well-utilized space.  Each square foot has been carefully planned to maximize the function of the space. Plus with nearly 11 foot ceilings the place will feel much larger than it really is. 

• 3 bedrooms and 2 baths including ample closet space and a nice size master bath that includes both a walk in shower and a beautifully refinished clawfoot tub.

• One of my favorite Kitchens yet! Or anyway, if it turns out how I have it envisioned in my head, it has the potential to take the top spot. I'm dying to try out some ideas that would tell the story of this home perfectly!!

• Open floor plan. Kitchen, dining, and living room all open for optimal entertaining space. 

• Large Laundry/Pantry.

(This picture has nothing to do with the future laundry/pantry I just wanted you to see the footprints on the ceiling... what in the world?!?!) 

• On the outside, the historic windows are getting refurbished and rearranged for the new floorplan and all new Hardie siding will be going up along with a beautiful 8' door. 

• And of course, all the non-fun stuff will happen too: new electric, new plumbing (including sewer line), new HVAC, new roof, and brand new foundation- I'm talking every board replaced and new footings poured where needed.

It's going to be great!

I realize showing the before pictures might not be the most effective way to entice a buyer but gosh they sure do add great shock value to the ol' blog.😉   

You know I don't normally like to divulge what the end product will look like because I LIVE for a dramatic post renovation reveal but I feel like it is asking a lot to expect someone to commit to such a lofty renovation with blind faith so I have decided to make an exception.  Using my state of the art design software that rivals that of Joanna Gains and the Property Brothers I sketched up what the exterior will look like when finished:

In all seriousness, because EVERY old wall is being removed and the entire floor plan is being rearranged I have hired a real-life professional draftsman to draw up my floorplan into an official computerized house plan. (I can't wait to see my framer's face when I show him real blueprints instead of just painters tape on the floor where I want new walls.) This new floorplan will be available to review with all potential buyers. Of course, if left up to me, the design details and finishes would be kept a secret to the homeowner until the renovation is complete and is unveiled in a dramatic reveal....but ultimately the level of involvement will be left up to the new homeowner.

We are hoping to finish Donaghey up before our boys are out for Spring Break. That means we should be ready to start this Oliver renovation by the first week of April. That gives us a little over 1 month to find a buyer willing to go on this journey with us, otherwise, it will be forced to continue its life as a duplex! So please spread the word. 

If you would like more information about this project give me a call at (501) 472-3310 or Rory at (501) 472-8787.

WARNING: The current state of the home requires a MAJOR imagination and an EXTREME amount of trust and faith in the Storybook team. It is quite terrifying at the moment. But I assure you we are not scared and truly believe this home can be rebuilt to stand strong for at least another 100 years.

Exterior Update

Guys, I don't know if 1117 Donaghey was just ready to be renovated or if experience is FINALLY paying off but this project is going soooo smoothly (knuckles bleeding from knocking on my wooden desk). Like, I have not cried ONE TIME! Things are just hopping along and if things continue at this rate we might just be able to pull off an Open House before Spring Break. 

And to think, I almost passed on the opportunity to work on this cutie. Well not really....NEVER in the almost 18 year history of our marriage have I EVER turned down an opportunity to work on a project that Rory volunteers to purchase... EVER. BUT I will admit I scratched my head the first time he drove me past the property.  I mean look at her...

I'm going to give you just a second to form your own first impression before I tell you what I thought the first time I saw her. Here she is again from a different camera angle: 

Whatcha think?

My first thought was, "hmmm a mobile home." Now don't get me wrong, there is NOTHING wrong with mobile homes. In FACT, my ol' buddy Marcos, the tile guy, had great success in flipping several prefab homes before he moved. And these days there are some really nice manufactured homes on the market BUT when a home has never been on wheels it is not typically the design goal to make it look like it has.  I think it was the long flat facade with the vinyl siding that was doing it for me.  

So before my brain even had a chance to start formulating a story about how a double-wide rolled into the historic district of Conway, I began brainstorming ideas of how to update the exterior. The challenge was the property already sits close to the road so I was pretty sure the city would deny me permission to do a large front addition, so I tried to think of some small changes we could implement to make a large impact.

Fortunately,  I have access to some state of the art design software so i was able to sketch out a plan and visualize the finished product before moving forward with the plan:

I thought the added pitch to the roof would really help demobilize the home but the vinyl siding still bothered me. Problem was, I knew it was not in my budget to replace the siding especially in light of my New Years Resolution to actually be profitable this year. I had pretty much resolved to keep the vinyl siding when Rory (the financially prudent one) suggested we at least see what was behind the siding.  Well I didn't hesitate; I took that suggestion as permission to rip it all down, and boy was I pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to find this wide board wood cladding. 

I mean, sure the chippy paint isn't the cutest but the wood is in great shape and Nicolas assures me they can scrape the old paint off. So score! Honestly with the vinyl siding down I could see the cute home the original owners intended. But I had already fallen in love with the idea of the second gable and larger landing so Martin the brick man and Tommy Pate of TPA concrete readied the front porch and Pepe and his team extended out the original gable and added the second pitch.  

Once the gables were framed we were finally able to tear off the old roof and install new architectural shingles. 

And then a couple of days ago the brick went up!

And that is how she sits as I write this blog. There is still a lot of work to do on the outside but I do feel she has already come a long way from the trailer park. Not much scheduled to happen outside this coming week but tons of fun will be occuring on the inside. In fact, this is the week Dad comes down to help me with a special project for this house. That's always a good sign we are nearing the end! Countdowns on!