North Avenue

This house was the inspiration for the original name of this blog. The first time I saw it I immediately thought this "ugly" house has so much potential! Built in 1976 with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths -- from the quintessential 1970's exterior to the lava rock on the fireplace, there is no question what decade this house was built in. The previous owners kept the original decor but everything was very well maintained, so I made the gamble that it would primarily be a cosmetic overhaul.

*UPDATE 11/1/2010* --- I purchased the home in 2007 for $283,000 and sold it in 2010 for $305,000. In a bad housing market, I was very fortunate to sell the house. When I bought the home I never intended to sell it only a few years later. I took a financial hit, but I still consider myself lucky as it sold quickly while many homes in the area have languished on the market for months, even years.

In hindsight, I would recommend not buying anything built in the 1970s. Are there good homes built in the ‘70s? Sure, mine was one of them, but I was lucky. House's built in the 1970s tend to be poorly insulated (yup), often use suspect siding (yup), have poor layouts (oh yea), and terrible style (for sure). The 1970s style is just not my cup of tea.

BEFORE

AFTER