LIZ (39) & KEVIN (46)

Home: 1911 Arts and Crafts

Layout: 6 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths

Square Footage: 3,084 sqft

Approximate Budget: $75,000 - $100,000

RESTORATION NEEDS

1. 2nd Floor Bathroom

2. Basement

3. Entire 3rd Floor

• Liz and Kevin moved to Detroit six years ago and fell in love with the Historic West Village area of the city. They were originally living down the street in a rented home and unexpectedly received an eviction notice: the owner sold their home and they had 30 days to leave. They were shocked and discouraged about finding another house… especially in the dead of winter. But low and behold, their current home came on the market three days after and they closed escrow and moved in under a month.

• Kevin is a software engineer at a start-up company and Liz is an assistant professor/researcher specializing in public health and community engagement. The couple has a six-year-old son, Gavin, and the family enjoys exploring the city, riding bikes and playing hockey.

• Although Liz and Kevin love their old house, they underestimated the amount of work that they could accomplish themselves. Although they tackled the kitchen and parts of their home, they feel “stuck and helpless” because there is so much additional work to be done. Because they want to do as much as possible on their own they are often tasked with making the difficult choice of choosing their house over time with their son.

• According to Liz, they are only using 50% of the potential living space of their home because the other spaces are in disrepair, are not functional nor livable. It’s a MAJOR issue for a busy and active family to not be able to use their entire house.

• The 2nd Floor Bathroom: The walls are cracking, the pedestal sink (that is likely original) often clogs and is slow to drain and the plaster on the walls needs serious repairs. Liz also says that the “hands-free” shower is broken and in order to fix the issue, a wall of glass bricks needs to be demolished. The major concern, however, is a leak from the shower drain that is leaking into their dining room. Liz is scared that the leak is creating serious water damage. Kevin and Liz need a functioning bathroom for their son, especially because this bathroom is the only one on the 2nd floor of the home that services four bedrooms

• The Basement: The basement is an area of the home that Liz is most excited to complete! She envisions the space as being “home” to an arts and crafts workshop for she and Gavin, a home gym and works spaces for her and Kevin. But at the moment the space is FAR from that. Dreary lighting, exposed concrete, broken tile flooring, and mold make the space a toxic and dismal place that they rarely step foot into. The basement has asbestos that needs to be remediated and the wood is rotting in certain areas. It’s overwhelming for the family to think about restoring.

• The 3rd Floor: The entire 3rd floor needs serious help if it is to be usable. The door to the 3rd floor barely opens and has to be pushed and prodded in order to enter the space. The plaster and paint need to be updated - one of the current bedrooms has “Barbie pink paint with a hint of shimmer” and outdated blue carpet. Kevin and Liz would love to see if there is hardwood under that carpeting that can be brought back to life. The windows on the third floor need to be restored or replaced. They have 37 windows in the house and only a few of them are functional!

• Storage is also a major issue. Since they don’t have a garage, they are pressed at where to store their things as they originally planned to store them in the basement. They’re resorted to storing bikes in the living room, workout equipment behind couches and Christmas decorations under their son’s bed. It’s not an ideal situation.

• Liz and Kevin are at their wits end with restoring their home. Liz fears that the pressure of doing the work themselves is putting a strain on their marriage. The couple admits that making decisions can be hard for them because they are never on the same page but agree that having Nicole as their general contractor will help them make decisions more easily because of her expertise.