Basement Bungalow
/If you read my last post, you know a little more about my family. Now, ladies and gentlemen... Meet my husband - Pahl. My support system and the legit reason I am able to do what I love.
The actual moment, San Fransisco, CA May 2012
We met because our moms started hanging out when I was in middle school. He and my older brother were in the same grade, Pahl's brother was a little younger, and I was the youngest and a girl trying to keep up with these rowdy dudes (I managed). Basically, we grew up going to Mexican food on Friday nights and snowboarding in Mammoth with our families. But it wasn't until after I moved, and he joined the Navy, that we ended up dating. I had not seen Pahl in years and was living in Portland, Oregon when he randomly messaged me on Facebook. He was moving across the country after finishing Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island and wanted a place to stay on his way from LA to Bremerton, Washington where he was getting stationed next. I said, "Pahl Sayeski?!.... Sure!". Before I knew it he ended up saying his car broke down so he could stay an extra night. Aaaaand after hanging out and drinking PBR's out of our pockets under the Burnside Bridge (we were young and in love!) we started dating long distance from Portland to Bremerton. More than a year later Pahl and I got engaged in May 2012 just before I left to Alaska for the summer and Pahl went to Hawaii with the USS Nimitz on a "work up".
The Nimitz was moving over to the Everett, Washington side of the Puget Sound when it got home from Hawaii, so we decided to move in together when we both returned to the continental U.S. I was in Alaska and starting looking into properties online and became OBSESSED with the historic homes in Everett (@historiceverett). I found a large home built in 1905 that had been converted into a triplex in the 1930s and my wheels started turning. The pricing was sooooo cheap compared to the Southern California market - It surprisingly took minimal effort to sell Pahl on the idea, and we bought it before ever seeing it. Yup, young dumb and full of... ambition!
Rucker Avenue, Everett, Washington September 2012
We were relieved to find out that it sure needed work but it was not an internet scam - we owned this property! We inherited two tenants and took over Unit #2 with the porch and front door, it was perfect. After the tenants in the basement moved out - we gutted it. It was a ginormous under taking for someone who had never *really* done this before. It was scary, expensive, and exhausting, but I absolutely loved it. Here are some before and afters:
Honestly, the tenants left the apartment in HORRIFIC shape so those are the tame before photos. While we were working on this unit, I was also working a full time job in Bellevue at a salon - and Pahl was rushing to get everything in order before the Nimitz (and he) left for deployment. Jared, who worked with Pahl, overheard him talking about the work we were doing and wanted to come check it out. We kept an open door to any neighbors and friends who wanted to come check things out because I love getting feedback and bouncing ideas off of people - since we all live differently! Our neighbors were always stopping by to say thank you for cleaning up the street and ally way surrounding the property and appealing to better renters. Anyway, once Jared saw the unit it brought him back to when he was living in England and doing carpentry work - he has an amazing eye and wanted to pitch in, ooobviously free labor is always welcome! He came and installed the cabinets, countertops, and window trim - He did some amazing work and it shows! The basement was so lucky to have his skill because with such low ceilings, and small windows, it needed all the help it could get.
The entire time I was choosing finishes I had to be really careful to make it feel like a home and not a basement. Our biggest and BEST splurge was the recessed lighting. The space literally NEEDED cans because the ceiling was so low. I think most people would have done lighter floors, but these were only $1/square foot - and hey, it is still a rental! I went with white walls, and cream trim to warm it up. I went with the yellow/cream cabinets and soapstone looking laminate for a classic almost cottage feel and I found the stainless appliances off Craigslist to save money. We actually turned it from a (very small) two bedroom into a one bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and walk in closet. The kitchen layout stayed the same with the exception of switching the fridge and range and blowing out the pantry to make an opening for the bar and more cabinets. That opening was a huge game changer. It's amazing how much an opening like that can completely change a space as a whole. The bathroom was my favorite. We considered that since it was a one bedroom a large shower was appropriate and it sold everyone on the unit.
After all the work Jared put it to it... he ended up moving his wife and three (ya, three!) pugs into the finished "basement bungalow" just before the guys left on deployment. Jared and Rachael currently live in San Diego and me and Rach are best friends for life. We were able to raise the rent from $750 to $950. When we sold the property in 2016, the basement was being rented for $1000.
The entrance to Unit #1 from 33rd, June 2016
I've decided to take this house unit by unit because there is a TON that happened during the process of remodeling each unit, and lets face it, I'm too OCD to try and fit it all in one post. Next week I'll be sharing what happened when Pahl and Jared left on deployment that lead to the remodel of Unit #3!
With gratitude, Lauren
