Surely, Though a Bit Slowly

Hick is planning to sign paperwork and hand over keys to the realtor this week for the Double Hovel flip house(s). He has almost everything done that she suggested. Well. As much as he's told me. Seems he left out a couple things. White paint has been applied to the front and side of the Beauty Shop efficiency cottage. 

Still no rock garden or anything appealing under the front window. That appears to be Hick's "burn pile" in the background, for twigs and small limbs and wood scraps. 

Hick's buddy has still not delivered the load of gravel that will go in the area behind the burn pile, along that fence. Hick at first told me it had been done. Maybe he meant ordering it! I guess off-road parking will be a selling point, although many people around here just park on the street.

Tuesday, Hick was killing the weeds that are growing in the fence around the main house. He also sent me a picture of a surprise project:

"Painted back of shed too"

Heh, heh! Hope you can see it! It's like when Hick took The Pony on his college tour at the University of Oklahoma, and pictures were of a tiny Pony amidst a vast panoramic view. Oh, look! There's Old Buddy, who is back, over-the-weather rather than under it. He helped Hick paint the side of the Beauty Shop on Monday. In case you can't see the shed, I'll zoom in:

It's an eyesore that I might have torn down, but as the realtor told Hick, people like a place to put their stuff. Also, in the full picture, you can see that Hick has taken his tractor to town, to use for spreading that gravel when it arrives. He left the trailer over in The Pony's back yard.

Now Hick needs to find some cleaner for scrubbing the bathtub some more in the main house, as the realtor instructed! He said CLR. I asked if it was rust or lime scale, and he said no, it looked like soap scum buildup. Which I said needed something foamy, with the scrubbing bubbles. Maybe Soft Scrub. I told him to read the bottles and see what they're good for. Hope he doesn't mix anything that shouldn't be mixed! My old principal did that when he moved, and had chemical burns on his forearms! 

Gotta keep Hick working!

Slowly, and Hopefully Surely

Hick had planned to have the Double Hovel flip house(s) finished and listed with a realtor by the end of July. Well. You know the date. He DID call the lady who sold us Pony House, and make an appointment for Tuesday afternoon. 

Hick made the call on Friday. (Or so I thought. Seems he actually popped into her office.) I suppose he thought she would just run over and take pictures with her phone and VOILA, our property would be on the innernets by that evening. Nope. She said she has to schedule a professional photographer (I see bundles of our profit sadly bidding us adieu), and will do a walk-through that day.

I'm sure this will come as a complete shock to all of you. Sit down. Have some smelling salts at hand. Be ready to put your head between your knees if you feel faint. Are you ready? The realtor told Hick that all the walls on the outside of the house should be the same color! I might have dislocated my shoulder while fist-pumping during my victory celebration.

Hick did not reveal that information without considerable interrogation. Ironically, he had been painting trim on the main house of the Double Hovel last week. Black trim, on the porch and deck, which looks good to me. Not sure he was quite done when he sent these photos. Said he was going to lunch. 

No, Hick didn't spill black paint under the porch light. I was covering up the address. You can see the painter himself in the window reflection, with SilverRedO.

Hick was not about to miss his lunch at the Senior Center to finish this project.

Hick said something about painting the handrail on the Beauty Shop. I asked him then about the two walls, and he was noncommittal. SHADY might be a better word. But now, it seems like he will comply. Meaning he has MONDAY to get that painting done. It shouldn't be a big deal. It's not a big house.

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Well. After typing this whole thing on Sunday afternoon, there were new "developments" Sunday night. Not changing the post I've already done, but more will follow tomorrow.

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A Sneak Peek at the Double Hovel Beauty Shop

It's taken a while for Hick to renovate the Double Hovel flip house. He's had several irons in the fire, like the QuickFlip, and before that, his back surgery. He had decided that once the main house was updated, he would just make the Beauty Shop building into a garage. The Pony and I were not on board with that decision, seeing as how we invested in the Double Hovel with the intent of having TWO houses to offer upon resale.

Hick acquiesced with the efficiency apartment plan for the Beauty Shop. He and Old Buddy have been working on it between efforts for getting the QuickFlip ready for closing.

Here's what the Beauty Shop looked like when we bought the property:

It was actually the beauty shop where my mom used to get her hair done! When we bought it, the business had been closed for seven or more years. 

Hick put a new roof on it:

Looks black to me, but Hick says it's dark blue.

Then Hick decided to take out the side-street window, to make the living room more friendly for furniture. He will patch the vinyl siding to match.

Hick also put new windows in the front. Don't worry, the living room will have plenty of natural light. Also, Hick has replaced the original front door with a red metal door. 

It still needs fine-tuning, like painting the trim, and making the plants and "sidewalk" more appealing. But I'd say Hick hads made some major improvements for curb appeal. He's currently working on the insides.

Ready to Renovate

Hick was supposed to get me some pictures of our newest acquisition, but he forgot the keys! So all I have today are views of the outside, and a bit of description. Here's the original view from the corner, showing both houses:

They were a package deal. Couldn't buy just one. We were able to get them for $51,000, which is more than we wanted to pay, but less than the asking price. Flip properties are scarce around here now, unless they are outrageously priced, or have the roof falling in, or a bedroom burned off. Yes. Hick looked at such properties. 

 

This one just had a FOR SALE sign out front, and wasn't listed with any agency, and wasn't found online. This is why we take a drive, or ask The Pony what he might have seen on various routes during work. There is virtually nothing listed for under $60,000, other than lots or acreage with no structures. This was at the high end of our limit, since we buy outright, with no loans. Don't have to worry about interest rates going up!

Let's start our tour with the little house, although it will be the second one Hick works on. It's actually my mom's old beauty shop!

 

 

The inside is just one big open area (still with the beauty chairs, Hick said, though the seller might have moved them out before closing). There's a bathroom. Hick says it's about 400 square feet. The plan is to make it into an efficiency apartment, with a kitchen and bathroom. Maybe a dividing wall for a bedroom. Maybe not.

 

That's the beauty shop's nether region. Hick asked the building inspector what was needed to be up to code, and he said it had to have a toilet, sink, and a place to wash. So just a shower in the bathroom is fine. I think it could be appealing to a college student or an older person. It's less than 5 miles from the local junior college, which has a 4x4 program with a bigger college for certain degrees, like elementary education. Hick is thinking he will make it handicap accessible, because a college student wouldn't care, and an older person might need it. I think it would make a good mother-in-law house!

Behind the beauty shop is the main house.

 

This is the side of the house you see while standing in the back yard of the beauty shop. The house has a fenced yard, and a deck that Hick says needs to go away. He plans to put on a smaller porch, unless the supports are in better shape than he thinks, and can find some decking that is not too expensive. The fence is bent because a tree limb fell on it at some point.

 

There's a shed that's usable on the back corner of the yard. Needs some paint! The fence is good here in the back yard, and runs up to the alley beside the house.

 

Here's the front corner, showing the beauty shop in the background, and the alley beside.

 

Another view of the alley side. Hick likes the generous crawlspace, handy for plumbing. He plans to move the bathroom. 

 

Here's the front. Hick says the porch is sound. The house is about 1000 square feet. Two bedrooms, one bathroom. Hick might add a half bath. He says the roof and electric are good. The flooring will have to be replaced, and the kitchen re-done. It has baseboard heat, which Hick plans to leave, and add one of those wall units that will blow heat or air conditioning. He also says the windows are good.

We are all excited about our new project. Hick will have something to do during the winter. The plan is to sell, but we can always rent if the market is slow.

It's Official!

Hick's winter project is now simmering on the back burner. He first has to finish his duties at the new old house of Back-Creek Neighbor Bev in the middle-er of nowhere. Then he must complete the painting of Pony House. But there's nothing else keeping him from our new venture:

 

 

I'm not sure what to call it. We got two houses for one purchase. They sit on a corner lot. One faces a main street, and one faces the side street. That carport in the background is NOT part of our house. It's across an alley from it.

More details tomorrow. What could we name this project? It's not for a specific person. Just two buildings to flip, and sell. I'm not very creative in naming. Perhaps 2fer Hice, heh, heh. Because we got two for one purchase, and hice is my plural of house, like mice for mouses, and lice for louses! More boring is the Double Hovel, which is not very nice. Maybe PairaHice. Or Hick'n'Pony Row. The Pony is our co-investor. 

What say you? Any opinions on the naming? Save your opinions of the actual buildings for tomorrow, when I reveal a tiny bit more.