As part of the property’s makeover, the investors opened up the floor plan by removing a wall, closing off a side door that led outside from the kitchen (visible half-covered in before images of the kitchen), and creating a walk-in pantry with a fashionable barn door closure. They also installed new wood floors throughout the house.
BONUS ROOM BEFORE
KITCHEN BEFORE
KITCHEN AND LIVING AREA (OPEN CONCEPT) AFTER
MUDROOM AFTER
The home originally had only one bathroom, so the investors used space taken from a “bonus” room that had been added off the back to create a master suite that included a second bathroom. “The bonus room had no closet, so it was not considered a bedroom,” noted Smith. “We added a second full bath and a walk-in closet using some of that space, then used the remainder to create a mudroom with a built-in at the rear door of the house.”
LESSONS LEARNED:
“We learned a couple of important lessons with this deal, such as the fact that stucco houses can be a pain to deal with in our climate and tend to have more termite damage than others. “We will also never leave any of the old plaster walls in place again. In this property, we replaced the plaster in some areas, but not all. It would have been much easier to just get it all out of there and go back in with new drywall.” – Braden Smith
BACKYARD AFTER
LIVING/DINING AREA BEFORE
Brand new flooring, bright colors, and clean lines completely changed the look of the living area (below). The investors kept the focal feature in the room, the fireplace, intact, as an attractive, unique nod to the home’s historic location.
BATHROOM AFTER
LIVING AREA WITH FIREPLACE AFTER
BEDROOM AFTER
DEALINGWITHTHE FLOOD FACTOR:
This property is located in flood zone X, which might sound a little intimidating to non-natives. However, Smith noted, zone X was an advantage for this deal. “In New Orleans, everything is below sea level. That means everything is in a flood zone. The X flood zone is a more favorable flood zone, so, in turn, there will be a lower cost on flood insurance. That helps when selling the property!”
LIVING AREA WITH FIREPLACE BEFORE
Braden Smith is the owner of REvitalize Property Solutions, and Chris Leniek is the owner of St. Croix Construction. Learn more at www.revitalizepropertysolutions.com and www.stcroixla.com.
14 | think realty magazine :: may 2018
thinkrealty . com | 15
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