Tom's new house!

Drumroll please!

(I know I've been promising this post for about 2 months, but haven't had the time to write it, so without further ado....)

My brother is finally moving out of my parent's house. At age 33, I think it's about time!!! (And girls, he's single and available, don't tell me the good ones are hard to find! LOL- but seriously, he's a really interesting guy, just living with Mom & Dad to save money...)

Being handy, he wasn't afraid to buy something that needed a little work, so long as it was in the right neighborhood. After months of searching he finally found a c.1960s rancher. After many more months going through the short sale process (there is nothing "short" about a short sale, believe me), he's finally getting the place fixed up.

We've spent the last several weeks helping him out with demo (two unfortunate 1970s bathrooms and a poorly "finished" basement), and now the painting and flooring is going in. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, we'll get some updated "after" pics. But here is the "before".

The kitchen will eventually get new cabinet doors, appliances and counter tops, but for now is not a high priority, since he doesn't cook. Those yellow things hanging from some of the cabinet knobs are ceramic lemons- the house was full of cheesy stuff like that, and cutesy switch plates of apples, cows, and the like. All free to a good home, if you want them! ;)

This is the front door and entrance area, as well as the sunken living room. That is a wall of mirrors on the left. And before you say, "Hey, a mirrored wall could be kind of cool in a bachelor pad...", let me tell you that they were beveled edge bathroom mirrors put in all kinds of crooked. They amazingly came down fairly easily- no breakage and only one small laceration!

The sunken living room will bachelor pad central- Tom is really into the mid-60's modern look. The yellow textured-glass panel next to the door will stay.

The master bedroom- I don't know how anyone could sleep in here with those neon green walls, and puke green (original to the house!) carpet. Maybe the cow country border was soothing? LOL

That carpet was up within 24 hrs after settlement, the ceiling fan is history (angel pull and all), and my poor Dad spent days carving up those crappy cows with wallpaper stripper . The bedrooms will be painted a neutral putty color with white trim.

The master half-bath. Really good original tile in a sunny yellow will stay as well as the medicine cabinet. The vanity and toilet have been replaced though.

This part of the "finished" basement is not bad. Ceramic tile floors and good quality paneling might stay, depending on how bad the moisture is behind it. He's putting in a wood pellet stove down here to take the dampness out and help heat the house. I could definitely see a bar area down here eventually.

This is the horror show. We don't know what happened here, but suffice it to say that that "wall" of paneling stapeled to 2x4s, and that midnight blue paint is gone, gone, gone.... Why you would paint a dark basement dark blue is beyond me. And that wall? It's not a fun house mirror, it's paneling gone wild! A few simple steps, like a dehumidifier and a new Bilco door have brought the moisture level under control already.

So that's the "before". Things are already looking much better, and I'll be putting up another update soon!