The Home
During this season of This Old House TV, Kevin and the crew follow the progress of a Rehabbed & Ready home in a nearby neighborhood. The program is a collaboration between the Detroit Land Bank (where the Polks purchased their home as-is) and corporate sponsors, The Home Depot and Quicken Loans. The renovations happen quickly—within 90 or 100 days—and the homes sell for about $75,000, Kevin says. Most of the renovation price tags are about $15-20,000 more, but the predicted loss on the project is negligible to the benefits of an inhabited home and real estate transaction to a neighborhood.
Greenery Overgrowth
At the back of the Rehabbed & Ready home, you see the spacious backyard, but also notice the overgrown vines spilling out from the rooftop and draping down and around the windows and doorways. It’s all no match for the renovation team, who will also have to clean out the items left behind by the previous owners—who left it vacant nearly a decade ago—before renovations can begin.
The Lead Contractor
Darrick Scruggs, pictured here, is the lead contractor on the Rehabbed & Ready home. This is his third project with the program, and he’s tackling it with a “worst to first” mentality. Scruggs grew up in the area and is excited about having a hand in its rebirth.
The Kitchen
The kitchen in the Rehabbed & Ready home will be taken back to the studs and opened up, Kevin says. It’s shown here before any clean-out took place. “You can see the ceiling is torn down above the bay area in the kitchen,” Kevin notes. “Copper pipes were pulled out and stolen, which is typical for many abandoned homes.”
Abandoned Furniture
Everything seen here was left behind when the most-recent homeowners abandoned the home about ten years ago, Kevin says. And if you look to the window in the back, you’ll notice it’s missing casings. These were pried off, allowing access to the four lead window weights, which were also stolen for scrap.
The Bathroom
Before clean-up in the bathroom, a calendar was left hanging on the wall. “Even a toothbrush and mouthwash are still on the counter in the vanity,” Kevin notes.
The Stairwell
By peering down the stairwell between the first and second floor, you can get an idea of the pre-renovation status of the walls.
The Details
“This really shows the potential of the house,” Kevin says. It’s past its prime, but the great original details show through in the mantle and fireplace surround.
The Archways
The archways found throughout the Rehabbed & Ready project house are another testament to the original builder’s eye and attention to detail.
Finished and Sold
Though we’re still following along with these renovations on this season of TOH TV, the Rehabbed & Ready home was officially sold to a new family in April! Read about that here. Check your local listings for the latest TOH TV episodes.
Don’t forget to check in weekly for new photo galleries from TOH TV host Kevin O’Connor! In the meantime, check him out at @kevinoconnorTOH on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for more photography.