Talk about seeing potential.
A couple of renovation experts have told how they bought a dilapidated property with missing walls, moldy walls and missing floorboards for just $6,500 and transformed it into a stunning, livable space which they went on to sell for $410,000.
Kyle Dubay, 34, and Bo Shepherd, 32, from Detroit, run a furniture restoration company and they told DailyMail.com that they found their three-bedroom, doer-upper in 2019 through a client.
Kyle explained: ‘He had us tour it because he was going to purchase it and have it torn down. He wanted us to see what types of materials we could save to repurpose them. We loved the house when we walked it with him.
Kyle Dubay and Bo Shepherd from Detroit, run a furniture restoration firm. In 2019, they bought a tumbledown home for $6.5k and went about doing it up
The couple found their three-bedroom, doer-upper in 2019 through a client
Kyle said they loved the house when they had a tour of it and decided to rescue it
While they renovate goods for a living, Kyle and Bo found their house project was on another level as everything had to be completely redone
As much as they could, the couple used salvaged materials to repair their home in Detroit’s North End
Kyle said: ‘Our goal was to create a modern home but to use salvaged materials’
‘It was in terrible condition, but we thought it had good bones. So we asked him if he’d be ok if we purchased it and renovated it.
‘And he obviously loved the idea of it being saved. So we ended up buying it from the Detroit Land Bank Authority on auction.’
While they renovate goods for a living, Kyle and Bo found their house project was on another level as everything had to be completely redone from the roofing to the plumbing to the electrical work.
As much as they could, the couple used salvaged materials to repair their home in Detroit’s North End.
For instance, discarded oak church pews were used to build kitchen cabinets and refrigerator panels.
Meanwhile, floorboards from an old basketball were installed in some of the rooms, and old science lab countertops from a local college were given a new lease of life as kitchen worktops.
One of their more unusual finds was a spiral staircase that came courtesy of one of their Instagram followers after they posted a request for one.
Kyle said: ‘Our goal was to create a modern home but to use salvaged materials.
‘Something we do with our furniture designs, just on a larger scale.’
‘It was in terrible condition, but we thought it had good bones. So we asked him if he’d be ok if we purchased it and renovated it,’ Kyle said
One of their more unusual finds was a spiral staircase that came courtesy of one of their Instagram followers after they posted a request for one
Kyle said that ‘these big renovations can really test your emotional capacity at times’
Despite the renovation being tough at times, Kyle says they ‘love doing them’ and ‘it’s so much more rewarding doing it with a loved one than doing it by yourself’
Kyle said: ‘Our goal was to create a modern home but to use salvaged materials’
When it came to the garden space, this was also in a disheveled state with overgrown weeds and unkempt grass
Overall, the renovation took three years and cost around $300,000. Kyle said this over twice as much as they had originally intended
Bo’s father also works as a professional building contractor so he was able to help with some of the more technical aspects of the makeover
‘The shared memories of the project and our accomplishments greatly overshadow the dark moments,’ Kyle said
After selling the property, Kyle and Bo say they now have their sights set on an industrial building that they plan to convert into a house
While they did most of the work themselves, friends and family pitched in along the way.
Bo’s father also works as a professional building contractor so he was able to help with some of the more technical aspects of the makeover.
When it came to the garden space, this was also in a disheveled state with overgrown weeds and unkempt grass.
One of the images from their renovation project show Kyle armed with a chainsaw and protective goggles as he goes about tackling the jungle-like scene.
He said the garden was so overrun with plants, that their dog couldn’t even enjoy the space.
Overall, the renovation took three years and cost around $300,000.
Kyle said this over twice as much as they had originally intended but the reality of construction is that ‘there is always a new problem to fix.’
One of the most expensive rooms to transform was the kitchen, as the couple had to invest in new appliances.
After selling the property, Kyle and Bo say they now have their sights set on an industrial building that they plan to convert into a house.
Kyle concluded: ‘It’s a property we have both admired for the better part of 10 years. We own it now, and we plan on starting it in the next month or so.’
‘These big renovations can really test your emotional capacity at times. But we love doing them, and honestly it’s so much more rewarding doing it with a loved one than doing it by yourself.
‘The shared memories of the project and our accomplishments greatly overshadow the dark moments.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk