How We Found the Worst House in the Best Neighborhood

Learn how we found the worst house in the best neighborhood, renovated it ourselves, and doubled its value in just a few years.

a screenshot of an ariel view of a house - the one we miraculously found and bought that had everything we needed and was the worst house in the best neighborhood.
In this private town location, we only have one close (and wonderful) neighbor. There’s a huge park across the street with access to the city trail system. And, our woods go on forever in the back of the house.
TABLE OF CONTENTS HIDE
1 Our Fixer Upper Home Journey
2 What We Were Looking For in a Fixer-Upper
3 Finding “The One” (And Winning the Bidding War)
4 What It’s Like to Renovate a Fixer Upper as a Family
5 What We’ve Gained by Buying a Fixer Upper
6 Are You Thinking About Buying a Fixer Upper?
7 What We’ve Learned (And How You Can Learn From Us)
8 Check Out Our Other Projects!

Our Fixer Upper Home Journey

6 years ago, when we bought this house, it was literally everything we had dreamed of — with one exception: it was in town. 

We had always imagined ourselves in the country. 

But after a couple years of searching the outskirts of our beloved town, we became discouraged. 

Everything was so expensive, and so far away from the hub of culture, convenience, work, and even the easily accessible outdoor activities we had grown to love around here. So we widened our search with a fresh perspective.

A shot of the front of our house before we bought it. It was the worst house in the best neighborhood. It's a peeling paint, terrible "updates" sort of situation. It's also pink.
This is a shot of the front of our house before we bought it. It was the worst house in the best, historic neighborhood. It had peeling paint, warped porch floorboards, three layers of shag carpet in most rooms with bonus linoleum nailed down every three inches underneath, and so much more to fix!

What We Were Looking For in a Fixer-Upper

When we started house hunting, we had specific non-negotiables:

  • A two-stall garage for Zach’s workshop
  • A spare bedroom for my sewing studio
  • A quiet, wooded location—but close to town
  • A historic home with good bones
  • Something affordable we could fix up over time

We wanted something secluded but connected—surrounded by trees, but close enough to walk or bike to the library or grocery store.

And most importantly: we needed a fixer-upper. We couldn’t afford something move-in ready, but we had the skills (and grit) to make it beautiful over time.

So we started looking for the worst house in the best neighborhood. Something with good bones. Historic charm. A layout we could work with. Something we could live in while restoring it slowly ourselves.

Then, one day, a house popped up.

The kitchen was a hole in the wall. The stove was on one side of the room, (that floating dishwasher didn't work), the sink was on the opposite side and there were almost zero countertops to speak of.
The kitchen was a hole in the wall. The stove was on one side of the room (that floating dishwasher didn’t work), the sink was on the opposite side, and there were almost zero countertops to speak of.

Finding “The One” (And Winning the Bidding War)

Zach went to see it the very day it hit the market (I stayed home with a sleeping baby), and he called me immediately: “This is the one.”

(You can read more about that whole story here. I didn’t even see the house until inspection day!)

We put in an offer at asking price that very afternoon. Turns out, someone else had done the same.

Cue the bidding war.

But we stayed in the game, at last offering a bid well above asking price but still under the appraised value.

We got it.

Not only that—it sold under the lowest assessed value the house had seen in many years.

Not to mention, this was just before the COVID housing boom. So, we bought it just in time.

Since then, with the sweat equity we’ve poured into it, our home’s value has more than doubled (possibly even tripled). It was a miracle. The right house, at the right time, for the right price.

It’s one of the best financial decisions we’ve ever made. But more importantly—it was the right house. The kind of house we could shape, love, and truly make our own.

But it’s been anything but easy.

This was the "parlor." In this room, old stained carpet covered linoleum and hardwood floor. The wallpaper and plywood wainscoting had to go, not to mention those seaside (shower) curtains!
This was the “parlor.” In this room, old stained carpet covered linoleum and hardwood floor. The wallpaper and plywood wainscoting had to go, not to mention those seaside (shower) curtains! After Zach removed all of these things and refinished the floor before we moved in, this was our bedroom while we worked on slowly restoring the whole upstairs over the next 3 years!

What It’s Like to Renovate a Fixer Upper as a Family

It really was a miracle that we found exactly what we were looking for and one were actually able to purchase it. 

It’s been a labor of love in the truest sense. Blood, sweat and tears, years of hard work, sanding, scraping, painting, fixing and dreaming.

The interior has been completely livable for the last three years, with finishing touches still to be made. The outside is slowly being restored, one side, one year at a time. We’re doing everything ourselves. 

In home restoration, they say you only get to pick two:

  • Fast
  • Cheap
  • Good

We chose cheap and good–which means nothing about this journey has been fast.

We see woods from every bedroom, which makes this feel like such a private location, just like we're in the country!
This is a before picture of the north bedroom. Zach removed all the trim and carpet and relaid and refinished the floorboards. We’re so thankful that we can only see woods from every bedroom, which makes this feel like such a private location , just like we’re in the country (and in a treehouse)! It is the best of both worlds.

What We’ve Gained by Buying a Fixer Upper

Buying a fixer upper in town turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Here’s why:

  • We’ve built real equity—our home’s value has probably tripled
  • We’ve developed skills we never thought we’d learn
  • We’ve created a space that’s uniquely ours
  • We found something special with some of the privacy and beauty of the country and the perks of town
  • We’re still walking distance to the heart of our community

So, from winning a bidding war on an outdated fixer-upper to creating a home that’s now worth two to three times its original value in just a few years, we certainly feel like we made the right choice. 

We’ve learned so much—about home ownership, craftsmanship, marriage, patience, and perseverance.

And now, through Maxon Made, we want to share everything we’ve learned.

This is a work in progress photo of our house Zach completely restored the porch. The pink pillars painted a shiny white, the porch floor repaired and refinished, the trim and ceiling painted white and the house wall painted a dark dusty teal. The top story is still pink.
This is a work in progress photo of our house after Zach completely restored the porch. We’re excited to keep plugging away on the house and yard year after year.

Are You Thinking About Buying a Fixer Upper?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

  • Are you willing to put in the work slowly?
  • Do you have a list of non-negotiables and a list of flexibles?
  • Are you open to location trade-offs for long-term gain?
  • Would you rather renovate over time than go into debt?

If you said yes, you might be ready for your own fixer-upper journey.

What We’ve Learned (And How You Can Learn From Us)

We’ve made mistakes. We’ve learned lessons. And we’ve figured out how to:

  • Spot a house with potential
  • Live in a renovation zone
  • Budget and plan long-term
  • Prioritize projects in the right order
  • Keep a healthy marriage in the midst of it all

Are you working on a fixer-upper?

Dreaming of the worst house in the best neighborhood?

Looking for encouragement, inspiration, or just a little know-how?

We’re here for it.

Leave a comment or send us a message—we’d love to hear where you’re at and how we can help. Because around here, we believe in doing things resourcefully and sustainably and still have time for our family.

And we’re just getting started.

Check Out Our Other Projects!



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