Michelle’s Home First Anniversary
Sept. 2009
I want to tell you about my first client, Michelle Harrington, as we just passed the one-year anniversary of closing on her house, just around 15th Ave and Indian School.
This was Michelle’s first house and she did an incredible job sprucing up the property on a budget.
The property she bought was built in 1939. Back then, they had race restrictions on who could buy the house! I could actually see them in the title report. Yuck!
The home had been passed from a long-time owner to a person who just wanted to flip the house, but who got stuck in it when the market went “kerplunk.” They just slapped some paint on the walls and that was about it.
Here are the “before” pictures:
All the previous buyer did was slap some paint on the walls, put down some flooring and call it a day.
The front was nicely kept, but did not exploit the “charm potential.” It was really quite bland, if you ask me. It took a good eye to really make it “pop.”
Michelle found colors that complemented the color of the flooring really well. So, she did not need to splurge on all kinds of accents. She also brought in original art, which gave it a local feel.
I don’t have photos of the old master bedroom. But it was the same color as the rest of the house. Another indication that it was a “flipper.” Michelle used an accent wall to give the room depth.
Michelle worked for a non-profit that advanced respect for the desert biology. So, she replaced the grass yard with a lush desert landscape. She included many types of plants, such as desert sage and desert shade trees, which attract hummingbirds and natural life.
The end result is a home that draws attention without being over-powering on her street. She has the beginnings of a lush desert landscape that will provide lots of shade and biological diversity all year round.
Congratulations, Michelle! I can’t wait to see what you do in your second year.
What an absolutely lovely home! Great landscaping, great colors–a real desert gem. Your client has excellent taste. Says a lot for you as a Realtor to take such pride in your client’s investment. Good on both of you.
Thanks, Ken, for the feature! AND for the assistance in buying this home. It means a lot to me that we were each others’ firsts! And thanks, Dave, for the kudos. This place is perfect for me, and I think it shows. I also have to give props to my mother who on more than one occasion said, “You need to paint those shudders–they’re just too boring, and they don’t suit you.” I did pick the color, but she came down from Seattle to make sure it got done.
Two qualifiers on the house front photos: the lovely round green chairs were stolen off the front porch within a day or two of the photos being taken. BUMMER. And the dead tree that looks like it’s in my back yard actually belongs to my neighbor. PHEW!