HGTV; realtor.com
“Flip or Flop” stars Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead are accustomed to seeing some pretty run-down houses, but their latest flip is downright creepy.
In the episode titled “Broken Flip,” they find a promising three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Anaheim, CA. But they soon see evidence that squatters have been living in the place. Furthermore, the house needs a lot of work.
Can they turn this property into a beautiful (and profitable) flip? Check out how they pull it off, plus some lessons that might help you spiff up your own house.
Rip out those bedroom carpets
With El Moussa running a bit late, Anstead is on her own when she first walks into this home. Unfortunately, it seems that urine from someone or something has stained the carpet of the master bedroom. Anstead is totally grossed out!
When El Moussa shows up, he says they shouldn’t worry about the mess, since they can simply replace the carpet. But instead of putting down new carpet, the flipping duo decide to go for laminate floors in every bedroom.
While carpet is a more traditional bedroom flooring, laminate is easy to clean and looks fresh and nice. In this home, it’s the perfect fit.
Expand the master bathroom
HGTV
When El Moussa and Anstead first tour this house, they find a master bathroom with a laundry room right next to it. While the latter is definitely useful, these two know that a huge master bathroom is even more popular with buyers.
So, they knock down the wall and turn that laundry room into an incredible shower with modern tile and a glass door. Both Anstead and El Moussa are impressed with the gorgeous finished product.
But don’t worry—they still make room for a washer and dryer, putting stackable units in a closet next to the kitchen.
Stucco can create a subtle fireplace
HGTV
A big fireplace is usually an asset. But this home’s brick fireplace might just be too big.
The fireplace is so large, in fact, that Anstead and El Moussa are afraid that tiling the brick will actually look bad.
“If we tile it,” El Moussa says, “it would just be so dominant, I think it would literally take over the entire space.”
So, instead of tile, they decide to cover the brick with smooth, white stucco. To add a little bit of visual interest, Anstead suggests installing a chunky, wood mantel.
At the open house, this cozy fireplace looks great: bold but not loud, the perfect balance.
Matchy-matchy kitchens can be a bit too much
HGTV
El Moussa and Anstead are quick to pick out a stylish design for the kitchen: white cabinets, gray countertops, and a shiny gray backsplash. But when they go to install the backsplash, there’s one big problem: The counter and the backsplash almost match.
While a gray-on-gray kitchen can look great, this cabinet and tile are way too similar.
El Moussa and Anstead are afraid it might be too late to change it. So, they continue as planned, but they decide to lay the backsplash tile in a brick pattern instead of straight columns and rows. This adds a bit of dimension to the backsplash and helps differentiate it from the counter.
An exterior with color and character
HGTV
While Anstead and El Moussa do a lot to improve the interior of this house, some of their best work is on the outside.
When these two buy the home, the exterior is in good shape, but dated. El Moussa has the smart idea to paint the home white and gray with blue accents, but he also has another thought.
While the home already has siding on one side of the bottom of the exterior, El Moussa wants to extend it to the other side, covering up some brick and unifying the design. This siding, painted blue, completes the look of the house, making it feel updated while also keeping its classic charm.
Smooth stucco finish on dated planters
Just outside the door, Anstead and El Moussa are not impressed to find large, brick planters. They are bulky, and could also be expensive to remove. El Moussa decides it would be best to simply cover the planters in white stucco.
Once the planters are fixed, it’s clear that El Moussa and Anstead have made the right choice. The white planters look simple but elegant, and the bright flowers inside them bring a splash of color to the house.
So, is this a flip or flop?
Even though Anstead and El Moussa started out scared of this house, it ends up being a great flip. They paid $475,000 for the house and spent $90,000 on renovations. With an estimated $25,000 in commissions and closing costs, El Moussa calculates, they would need to get $590,000 to break even.
While the comps in the area are around $600,000, El Moussa decides to list the home for $649,900. In the end, they get a full-price offer.
El Moussa and Anstead stand to make $57,850 in profit. It’s an impressive flip, especially for a house that started off so scary.
The post Tarek and Christina See the Worst Thing You Can Find in a Bedroom, Ever appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
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