Unsellable Houses

Day Care Reno

Season 2, Episode 12

It’s always an extra challenge to sell a home when it’s previously been used as a business. Buyers have a hard time seeing past the current business configuration and into the home with all its possibilities.

That’s exactly what we tackled here. Sue and Mary had run a day care out of this home for many years, and they were both ready to move on. However, when they put it on the market, there were no buyers willing to move in.

We took this 1,475 square foot rambler and converted it back into a gorgeous family home. Some of our work was as easy as removing all the cubbies and shelving that had been added for the day care. Other parts—like renovating the kitchen and bathroom—took more effort and more budget, but in the end, it was totally worth it!

Ready for the numbers? Here it is…

That’s $175,000 more than Sue and Mary originally expected to sell it for!

Here’s what went into this house…

Colors, Patterns, & Texture Inspos

Inspiration for this house’s design theme came almost entirely from a visit to a local estate sale where I found a ton of fantastic treasures. I took the items—things like kitchen canisters, wallpaper,  a blue typewriter, and more—and used them to create a modern-vintage farmhouse aesthetic. We chose to lean into black and white as our base throughout the home with pops of color to add a flair of personality.

This was a super fun house to stage, since we used a mix of estate sale finds and favorite items from our store to create a striking look.

Ready to pin the look for inspiration? Head to Pinterest and follow us for more great design inspo!

Key Updates

DIY Project: Wallpaper Art

I fell in love with some old wallpaper I found and knew we had to use it in our design. We decided (okay…maybe I decided, since Les had doubts!) to use it as a focal point in the main bedroom. 

We took two long, narrow wood panels and used spray glue to attach the old wallpaper to the wood. Then we mounted those boards on the wall on either side of the bed, just behind where the nightstands would sit. We finished the pieces off with dark stained trim to create a lovely wood frame. 

The result was a memorable focal point that showed off the character and possibilities of the home…and it was super easy to do!

Featured Finds

You can find several of the items featured in this episode online and in our Snohomish Storefront location! Check these favorites out: 

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Key Materials

You can see all of our great Amazon finds right here

See ya back on HGTV next Tuesday at 9PM ET/PT for the last episode of Season 2!

Love,

Lyndsay