The Reveal of Our Chatsworth Charmer

Our time in Montgomery has come to an end.  So many memories and experiences were made in our six week detour that we wouldn’t trade for anything.  A serendipitous detour that led us hundreds of miles away in a completely opposite direction from initially planned.  While we were there we cherished quality time with family, made some incredible new friends, spent time with some old friends, took a walk through civil rights history, and even caught a glimpse of the President and his family for the commemoration of the 50^th anniversary of the March from Selma to Montgomery.  This visit to Montgomery also presented us with our first opportunity to get our hands a little dirty since hitting the road with our very first investment property. 
 

We found this home via an auction website, and completed the purchase virtually sight unseen.  Not something we would normally do, but we were familiar with Montgomery.  Jaime grew up here and I lived here for a few years, and we were able to get some eyes on the home before bidding, (thanks dad!).  The neighborhood was great, the school district was highly rated, and with some words of confidence from our eyes on the ground we began the bidding process, and came out as the highest bidders just shy of our pre-determined top price for the home.  Soon after, we began the long trek from Texas to Alabama. 

Our first order of business upon arriving was of course visiting our new home.  At first glance, the house was hiding behind years of overgrown shrubbery, a few missing shutters on the side of the house, and a weed infested front yard.  It was a full brick home, which was great for the steamy Alabama summers, with a carport and side parking pad.  The exterior trim paint was an odd plum-ish color, as was the front porch which we determined after maneuvering around the 10 foot tall shrubs.  Years of grime had collected on the driveway and walkway leading to the front porch. 

Overall, though, we could all immediately see the potential in our Chatsworth Charmer.

These front exterior fixes were thankfully all cosmetic and could be easily handled.  First things first, we had to uncover the home so it could actually be seen from the street.  We spent an afternoon removing the once beautiful shrubbery.  The intention was to attempt to salvage some, but the years of unmanaged growth and neglect had caused the majority of the smaller shrubs in the rear to partially die off.  In the end they were all removed, and it turned out to be a great decision. 
Under the direct supervision of their grandfather, Tyler and Haley reconstructed the front garden area with some beautiful flowers, new shrubs, and of course some fresh mulch. 

Tyler diligently worked on pressure washing the driveway and walkway.  Our family Picasso, Jaime, added a brilliant beige color to the front porch and exterior trim, giving the home some new life. 

 

Around back was not much different than the front, but right away showed some promise.  The yard had a full privacy fence, a screened in porch, and a large storage shed that was already wired for electricity.  The landscaping, although overgrown, was pleasantly surprising with some beautiful azaleas and even a pomegranate tree. 

I had a lot of fun working in the backyard, especially adding the new paver patio.  Although there was already a small existing patio, we felt it was important to offer some additional outdoor living for the new homeowners to enjoy on those Alabama evenings.  Some color was added with a stone garden area, a birdbath to enjoy the local wildlife, and we completed the outdoor living area with addition of a fire pit for a little extra charm.

 

The inside of the home really needed very little throughout the main living areas.  It featured some beautiful hardwood floors throughout the dining room, formal living room, and bedrooms.  It even came with two inch blinds throughout.  The light fixtures had previously been updated as well. 

I really wish we could take more credit for the way these main living areas turned out.  A little cleaning and some fresh paint throughout really made these areas sparkle. 

Now on to the kitchen.  Kitchens sell homes, so we struggled with which upgrades to do here while staying within budget.  At the forefront of the dilemma were the cabinets which were oddly hanging over the peninsula.  While the floorplan was “generally” open from the kitchen to the informal living area, these cabinets restricted the view in such a way that it essentially made a wall. 

The kitchen already came equipped with some relatively new white appliances, minus the refrigerator.  And it appeared that the existing countertops were in decent shape.

That said, we made most of our major changes here in the kitchen.  We started with the purchase of brand new stainless steel appliances.  Also, despite the risk of repairing the entire ceiling and eliminating cabinet space from an already small kitchen, we made the decision to remove the cabinets that were creating the barrier between the two rooms.  With the addition of the stainless steel hood, I feel this project turned out looking great and really opened up the floorplan. 

After some serious tile and grout scrubbing, the Chatsworth Charmer project was finished out with some stunning granite countertops adding tremendous appeal for the next owner.

 

And that was that!  After six weeks, our project in Montgomery had finally come to a close with the official listing of the home on Monday by our local superstar agent Kitty Wasserman with Capital Realty Group, River Region.  Chatsworth is priced aggressively, and even before listing, we had already received some interest.  Hopefully this is a good indication that we will get a quick sale. 

But, just as quickly as the Chatsworth Charmer project has ended, a new chapter is already in the works!  I write this today from the beaches of Pensacola, Florida…an amazing location to begin our next project, which we close on this week.  Meet our “Bayou Bargain”!

 

 

 

We have lots of exciting things in the works for this project, and it has been hard to contain up to this point!  This time, we hope to bring you our progress through video!  That’s right, it will be our own personal spin to many of the renovation shows you already watch.  We are excited to open this new chapter, and especially excited to have the opportunity to share with all of you!