All Forum Posts by: Dorene Mangels-Bacalhau

@Hunter Harms I'd work with an Architect when doing an addition or overhauling the front elevation. If curb appeal can't be improved with minor cosmetics such as landscaping, new paint, siding, trim and posts. An additional not done by an architect will look like an addition; an architect will add space but incorporating it flawlessly so it looks like it was originally intended to be there.

@Hunter Harms team with an interior designer we are the trained eye for everything inside the framed shell of a home. Floor plans, drafting, finishes, paint colors, appliances & curb appeal. When a designer suggests changing the layout (moving walls or stairs) a licensed contractor can advise if he's already going to do the work and if it's a load bearing he may want to call in an engineer. As an interior designer I usually charge 10% of the overall budget to workup overall design idea (kitchen & bath layouts, floor plans/adjacency matrix, color & paint finishes, cabinet color & style along with countertop & flooring suggestions) or hourly to draw things up and take you shopping. If you don't want to be your own GC a designer may stay with the project for a daily rate. 

Hi @Angus Yang I'm an interior designer looking to expand my portfolio and interested in similar investments. Trying to find the right projects & partnerships to get involved. Where are you looking to buy your vacation rental maybe we can work something out? I'd love the opportunity to get it furnished & styled within your budget.

Nice job @Jennifer S. love the original artwork tied into the draperies and the timeless bathroom choices-you maintained the character 

When updating bathroom plumbing and it doesn't need a full gut I don't try to salvage the tiles I make it a feature always looking to add character to my spaces. 

sounds beautiful @Jennifer S. would love to see pics. I do the same thing when I decorate, using old pieces gives it history and that "collected over time quality". Plus I love the rush I get doing it for less. If you haven't seen it HGTV magazine has done some of the work for you in the "Highs/Low" comparison article every month.

@Herbert Wu a brokers open house is very common for a high-end home and it's the best way of cheap/free marketing. All takes a platter of wraps and trapse realtors through  who are looking to connect buyers to houses. Best advertising is always word of mouth. Share on fb, Craig'slist and restage with cozy cleanline furniture, big gray sectional in the family room. Try just changing the light over the kitchen island, stage the Dining room in front of the wall I'd take out and stage the small existing DR as an office.

What stands out to me aside from the neighboring houses being 350-500k, the shared driveway and being very taste specific. While spacious...the layout is compartmentalized and dated looking. As a Designer I saw many things in the photos that didn't make sense but upon looking at the floor plan I could see it's potential. The warehouse resemblance is accurate with the 100's of high hats which are a nightmare to change but the bigger nightmare is that kitchen. The workspace triangle should never be interrupted that's basic kitchen functionality 101. Your kitchen island may as well be a dump truck blocking all access to the refrigerator. That's not touching on the fact that it resembles the Jetson's home with that cumbersome light over the island. Big spacious home-tiny dining room with closet? So strange-turn the closet over to the bedroom on the opposite side. My other layout advice would be to take out the wall from the dining room into the living room opening up a grand L-shaped kitchen (preferably in white)with one level, rectangular island and minimum 4 stools. The existing kitchen would make for a better dining area with chandelier. The basement boomerang bar wastes a ton of space totally screams 90's. From the floor plan the 5th bedroom has no closet and doesn't show an egress window is it really a bedroom or are we calling it that to justify the hefty price tag-Sorry if this is harsh it's just what stands out to me. The other bedroom on the second floor seams like it has a wall of doors and from the floor plan has a dinky bathroom and closet. I'm not sure where the fish bathroom fits in? I hope that's not the main bathroom off the kitchen. If you played down the modern in the staging and just went with size appropriate furnishings with simple clean lines I think your house would show better. If you are willing to paint I'd get rid of that cream color or paint the tall ceiling of the living room a more inviting color. Try to appeal to more buyers by giving the house a more transitional feel. Small changes along with the kitchen would make a big difference. If I can help furthermore don't hesitate to reach out.

@Amanda Fishman to answer your question I'm still looking for my first deal on my own or to partner with an investor. I've been on/off this year to wholesale but the numbers hadn't been adding up in the markets I've been trying. Over the years I've helped friends and family plan and execute renos on their REI but at the time I was doing for the experience during college and not thinking about it as a business. All the Flipping shows weren't plastered all over HGTV and Bravo then so I kept on track for my design degree. Don't get me wrong I love what I do with Interior Design but self marketing while working with clients has me in money wave pool. I've done a bunch with renos and enough DIY that I'm told I have mad skills but turning the job over and delegate what I'm envisioning has bitten me in the a$$. Some of the "contractors" out there are handymen at best or send day laborers with 5gal bucket and a grinder to install tiles...that was my favorite. I laid out the travertine subway tile and mosaics in the pattern that the homeowner and I decided and purchased for(brick pattern with 2 rows of accent, mosaics entirely behind the stove and the gap from the sink to the sill). While he gets started I went in the other room to paint. I come around to the kitchen to wash a brush out not an hour later and he's gone rouge with the pattern. Instead of the 2" upper strip of mosaic he's got 6" luckily the mastic wasn't dry and I could remove them. That was just the start to the mess that would become my nightmare of all nighters leading up to thanksgiving and that Friday when the homeowner was hosting his brother's wedding brunch for the groomsmen. Amongst other things the guy Didn't sponge the excess mastic so between every tile it had to be cut out with a razor for the grout to fit.

*If you look closely you will see that almost every outlet opening was cut too large. Thanks to oversized designer outlet covers the filler tile barely stuck out.

If the cabinets are solid wood and the layout is the best solution to the space already have them painted white-makes all the difference in the world. In a rental of ours I had a kitchen gut on my hands between vacancies in a 100yr old home. I prefer to use Cabinetstogo.com but I was pressed for time. I used Hampton Bay lower in Mahogany from HD and stone-look laminate with the ogee edge and uppers from Ikea. Mounted hardware horizontal and centered on the frame for a more up to date look. To maximize the space and double storage I created a breakfast bar and pantry from an old hutch painted Lacquer White and frosted the glass to coordinate with the IKEA uppers, built custom shelves/legs stained to match the mahogany in Varithane (American Walnut) which sandwiched the IKEA solid birch butcher block shaved down to 16"  to counter lever the breakfast far-Opposite side had simple stainless HD bracket. Found modern black stools on sale at Target $25/ea. between HD & Ikea did slide out garbage, recycle bin, paper towel mount, new 17cu. Refrigerator, new hardware, Elkay stainless sink and Kohler pullout faucet and soap dispenser for @$1200.

This was before the slide out spice rack with matching counter top was between the refrigerator and stove. Every room in the apartment was upgraded, matching vinyl plank from Traffic master including closets, Bathroom got a mini makeover including plumbing ugrade to single handle diverter and semi-new mahogany colored vanity that I took out of our place when we remodeled. The Apartment hadn't been modified except for painting the paneling in 30yrs so you can imagine...everything especially the cheap squeaky subfloor.

Just after re-grout but before caulk. This mosaic stone/glass combo pulled the dated butter walls and mismatched bone flooring out of the 70's and gave it a spa feel. I know the vanity is a tight squeeze but it works for now. The toilet is original except for the guts so when that goes the new ones tank will be a lot sleeker.

(Excuse the shaky panarama the bathroom is barely bigger than a bath mat)