Before the Demo: A Sneak Peek into the Owner’s Unit

When we closed on our two-flat, we figured we could wrap up our owner unit renovations in 3-4 months (it was just a kitchen and bathroom, right?), and then we could get those moving boxes ready!

Well, in classic DIY renovation fashion, that didn’t happen. We learned that renovating a 1910 home that hasn’t been updated in a decade is not an easy feat. Instead of just replacing cabinets and simple bathroom vanity, we found ourselves googling things like, “How bad are galvanized pipes, really?” and “Is our house built with balloon framing?!” (It’s definitely not, by the way).

So, let’s break down where it all began (untouched before we lived in the thick of wall-less demo and dust for months of our lives!).

The Exterior

*Fall 2021, right before we closed on the house!*

The curb appeal was a huge selling point for us. After devouring way too much Brick of Chicago content on Instagram, we were a little too obsessed with the idea of living in a home made from REAL Chicago brick! We also loved the look of the bay windows, original front door, wood porch, and courtyard. The exterior totally sold us and, overall, was (and still is) in great shape.

You might be wondering if you see the Chicago El train tracks in the back, and yes, you do! Our home is right up to the El. It’s noticeable but not too loud and meant paying $75-$100k less for a comparable home just a couple of blocks over—a great compromise and win for home hacking. We also have a three-car garage and parking under the train, which means more rental income.

Living and Dining

*The Living Room before any renovations.*

Besides updating light fixtures and getting a fresh coat of paint, the living space was naturally beautiful and needed little work. We eventually decided to invest in getting the floors professionally refinished in the whole unit, which elevated this room especially.

*The living room flows into a big dining space (before photo) that connects to the kitchen.*

We have never had a formal dining space, only a kitchen bar, and we are the type of people who love a great night in with friends and all the food…all of it. So, we’re thrilled to have a dedicated space to eat and host. One of our longer-term goals is to build a custom bar under the built-in arc so that we can take our entertaining game to new heights. Eventually, we will also replace the light fixture and set up a small desk for Emily.

Finally, one of the things you can’t quite see in this photo is how cake-y the trim is. It looked 100% like this TikTok that we aspire NOT to live up to as landlords. We removed all of the trim to get an extra fresh look (updates are coming soon!).

First Bedroom

*Our bedroom sits off of the kitchen toward the back of the house*.

Things to be most excited about for the bedroom - we can finally get a queen-size bed AND have a luxurious walk-in closet (more on that in a moment). Not pictured here is that there’s a ceiling fan. After doing some research, it seems many older homes with HVAC systems need to have vents installed near the ceiling versus on the floor. This means having a fan to manage the temperature better is beneficial. We replaced the current fan but spent many hours searching for the sleekest replacement possible!

Second Bedroom/Office

*Corey’s office and future workout space.*

With Corey working fully remote, we needed to find a home with an office space. This room used to be a nursery for the former tenant (hence the owl wallpaper - I mean, keep it?!) but will now make for a perfect workspace at the front of the house. We’ll also place our workout machine here.

The Kitchen

Okay, folks, we started easy, but NOW comes the actual renovation. The kitchen layout didn’t provide much countertop space, especially with a corner sink, and the fridge blocked out all of the natural light from the window. Again, fine, but not functional for us.

We ultimately decided to move the fridge, wrap the counter under the back window, and build a breakfast bar on the right wall. We are now 95% done with renovations and can’t wait to show updates!

The last thing hidden behind the walls is galvanized pipes and cloth wiring. While theoretically, we could’ve left everything as is and waited for something to go wrong eventually, we felt it was essential to get as much updated as possible before we (or anyone!) lived in the house. As first-time landlords, we wanted plumbing and electricity we could rely on. So, we opened many of these walls, and here’s to hoping we never have to open them again!

*The original pantry/walk-in master closet.*

Let’s talk about the one quirk we just had to get rid of in the kitchen - the combined walk-in pantry and master closet. In the picture above, you are looking into a pantry entry from the kitchen. However, the door to the back right leads directly into the first bedroom. Neither of us was quite into hanging up our clothes next to our beans, soups, and other… pantry things!

We decided early on to build a wall to close off the closet from the kitchen. Hence our “Is our house balloon framed?!” Google search. Again, it’s not.

Now, this room will serve purely as a walk-in closet with a washer and dryer. Installing plumbing for in-unit washers and dryers in our unit and the tenant unit was one of our most expensive decisions, but we felt it would be best for us in the long run and raise rents slightly in the tenant unit.

The Bathroom

Unfortunately, the original bathroom was just not super functional for two people’s everyday use. The storage felt awkward, and the pedestal sink didn’t provide any counter space. When buying the home, we knew we wanted to transform the space - give it the TLC it was craving, glam it up, and make it more practical!

More hidden things in this photo that we’ll share later: a totally messed up sub-floor that took weeks to re-build!

Finally, the shower! While we could’ve cleaned up and kept the tub, we felt strongly about building a dream walk-in shower. Potentially because we wanted the DIY challenge of learning how to waterproof and tile, but either way, we think our vision has paid off.

We’re 95% done with the complete DIY bathroom reno and can’t wait to show you the updates soon!