REHAB ADDICT: RESCUE

cASTING ROUND 1

 

CHRIS (55) & LISA (52)

Home: 1896 Queen Anne Victorian

Layout: 4 Bedrooms, 8 Baths

Square Footage: 5,700 sq. ft.

Approximate Budget: $100,000

 
 

RESTORATION NEEDS

1. Pub/Kitchen

2. Bathroom

3. Porch

  • Lisa and Chris have a “restoration romance.” Sixteen years ago, they met on a message board for old house enthusiasts and they fell in love with each other and shared passion for restoration projects.

  • This home is Lisa and Chris’ 4th restoration project but they think this is the one where that has them in over their heads. This home was open for decades as a bed and breakfast called The Victorian Inn and it hosted celebrations like weddings, proms and holiday celebrations, but since it was used as a commercial property for 30 years, things were fixed to work, not fixed correctly. In 2018, Chris and Lisa decided to take the plunge on the project and soon realized they felt like they bit off more than they could chew.  

  • The home was abandoned for nearly 7 years after The Victorian Inn went out of business.

  • They are dealing with exploding sewage, animals in the walls, as well as dusty and worn out surfaces. As of now, there isn’t really one remodeled bathroom for them to use!

  • Pub/Kitchen - The home came with a Victorian pub that is the hidden gem in the house. Unfortunately, it’s in poor shape. It is a stone encased space styled after the classic 1800 Irish pub. There’s outdated wiring, dust, old fixtures and outdated wood that all needs help. It has potential for a beautiful full bar, fireplace and space for a kitchen. Chris wants to add the kitchen so they can use it for entertaining in the space.

  • Bathroom - Though the home boasts 8 bathrooms, not one of them has been fully restored. Lisa wants at least one bathroom to be finished as a “creature comfort” so it will make the restoration process feel a less grueling.

  • Porch - Chris wants to build a back porch off of the kitchen. There is currently a door that opens up and sharply drops down 6 feet to the ground where a porch is meant to be. At one point there was a porch, but through neglect the porch had to be dismantled.

  • Though Chris and Lisa are enthusiastic historic home owners, they feel prisoners of their home. They don’t have any money or time to do anything else, because there are so many issues with the issues. They want to be able to start living in the home instead of living in a half-working construction site.

  • They love Nicole and absolutely would love her help and expertise in breathing new life into their home.