GABRIELLE (32) & SEBASTIAN (33)

Home: 1916 French Renaissance

Layout: 7 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths

Square Footage: 9,000 sqft

Approximate Budget: $75,000

RESTORATION NEEDS

1. Carriage House

2. Kitchen

3. Bathrooms

4. Sunroom/Exterior

Gabrielle and Sebastian are an entrepreneurial couple who work for several businesses and own three barbershops throughout Detroit. Sebastian and Gabrielle fell in love with their old home located in the historic Indian Village neighborhood of Detroit. They have two daughters, Kaylan (9) and Kairo (4) and Gabrielle's mother, Dorice Ann, lives with them as well. They bought the home in August of 2018.The previous owners lived in the house for over forty years and within that time nothing has been remodeled, updated or restored. That means that the historical aspects of the house are intact but they’re in terrible shape. What’s worse is that that house was over-run by massive amounts of “stuff.” Even after a half dozen truckloads of junk removed from the home, Gabrielle and Sebastian are still finding random objects throughout the house. One special find was the original blueprints that they hope might come in handy as they take on the restoration.

The carriage house: This is a 700 sqft, two-bedroom space separate from the main house. This is their first restoration priority.

• They want to restore the carriage house in order for it to be used as a rental property to help subsidize the overall renovation budget.

• The carriage house is in complete disrepair: The walls need to be stripped of dated wallpaper, the plaster needs to be repaired, the ceiling needs to be fixed, and the bathrooms need to be completely redone.

• They have been quoted between 25k-45k to restore their carriage house.

• To make this space attractive to potential renters Gabrielle thinks that they need to create a clean, modern space with an updated kitchen with plenty of storage space and a walk-in shower.

The kitchen: The electrical in the kitchen is in very poor condition, so much so that it causes power outages and blown fuses. They are currently cooking their meals using hotplates and Bunsen burners. It’s a tough situation for a family with two young children and an elderly woman to look after.

• The cabinets are in bad shape and the layout is not functional.

• The kitchen needs new cabinets, countertops and appliances.

Bathrooms: The bathrooms in the home all need to be "rehabbed." They each have cracked and mismatching tile that needs to be replaced, there is mold and mildew in the showers and the plumbing is, "temperamental" at best.

The sunroom: The sunroom is a unique space at the back of the home that has a fountain in the middle of the room. The room also houses a bar area that Sebastian wants to restore. Eventually this room will be used for hosting meetings, social activities and a reception area for an upcoming wedding. Additionally, Sebastian envisions putting in a barber chair since he is a barber by trade and owns barbershops.

Exterior: The exterior of the home needs masonry work, plaster repairs and a new coat of paint. This coat of paint is actually mandated by the neighborhood historical organization. They have one year to comply with the new paint regulation.

• There is a deck off the back of the house that is unstable and in need of repair.

• The driveway needs to be resurfaced to add to the home’s curb appeal.

• There is little to no landscaping throughout the property.

The couple views this house as an investment in their family and their community. However, they feel overwhelmed because the house is more expensive, less safe, and more time consuming than they had anticipated. Gabrielle and Sebastian have seriously considered selling their home and moving into a turn-key home because of the stress and magnitude that this project presents. They are extremely anxious that without help that they will be forced to sell and move into a less interesting home devoid of character or charm.

A wedding: Sebastian and Gabrielle have been legally married for ten years but they never had a ceremony because they had saved their money and sacrificed in order to achieve their financial and personal goals. They hope to have their long-anticipated wedding ceremony and reception in their new (old) home in June of 2020. That goal seems like a pipedream under the current state of affairs.