Early last summer I got the opportunity to walk our clients, DKE Custom Homes, through an incredibly unique property in one of Decatur’s most prestigious neighborhoods, Glenwood Estates.

165 Mt. Vernon - Exterior Before — 165 Mt. Vernon - Exterior *Before*

165 Mt Vernon was an aging mid century ranch with fading curb appeal & little to no offering once inside. The compartmentalized galley kitchen, in the center of the house, had original pine stained cabinets & laminate counters. There were aging bathrooms with outdated finishes, a bonus room addition with vinyl flooring and paneling on the walls, and gold fixtures everywhere. The overgrown yard still boasted the residue of once being the talk of the neighborhood when it came to gardening with all of its native plantings, winding walkways, & mature hardwoods.

165 Mount Vernon BEFORE - Master bath.jpeg

The price was incredibly steep for investors looking to renovate and possibly make a profit. At $599,000 it seemed like the only buyer would have to be someone who would be willing to move into this tired & aging home as-is with the idea of tackling a laundry list of DIY projects in the future. But the more we walked the lot, the more we investigated the floor plan, the more we fell in love with the possibility that there might just be a way to reinvent this sprawling one level (or split level depending on how you looked at it) home.

The wild card was the 1200 sq ft addition behind the garage that had been connected to the house sometime in the late 80’s or early 90’s. It was built as an in-law suite (literally) and was incredibly well done. With 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a living room, & a kitchen, everything was there, including a porch out to the rear courtyard off the living room.

165 Mount Vernon BEFORE - Kitchen up 2.jpeg

The addition, that I am sure was the reason not to buy the home for most due to functional obsolescence, gave us the existing sq ft we needed to possibly pull the whole thing off. Once you added in the original house & bonus room addition, the in-law suite brought the above ground sq ft to around 3,200. In addition, we were able to capture another 400 sq ft in the basement with an existing bonus and bedroom.

SO we went for it! We got the price down to 550k and thought that with enough innovation, design, and good ol’ fashion elbow grease we could turn the non-functional & ailing 5 bedroom 3 bath ranch into a 6 bedroom 4 bath masterpiece craftsman cottage. This home would be turned into an open concept, with all new amenities and a new elevation that sharpened the roof pitch and added gables to define the home from the street. This home would be the pride of Mt Vernon Street boasting a brand new finished basement with a bath, a luxury filled master suite drenched in sunlight, a gourmet kitchen with every upgrade, & a reconfigured lot that was absolute magic!

Earlier this year we delivered that incredible home & within 3 days we had two offers! Another amazing home to another incredible family we’re proud to call our neighbors! To see the story via images scroll through the before and after photos below.

Best!

Jonathan