Mina and Karen have some fun with paint and salvaged pieces in their warehouse. In this Good Bones project, the fearless duo goes back to Woodlawn Avenue, coming to the rescue of a Victorian era home in serious disrepair. In terms of repairs needed, peeling paint and a sagging roof were just the tip of the iceberg. Karen and Mina remained firm in their conviction that, underneath the crumbling exterior, the house did still possess promise and period charm.

Once Karen was able to negotiate with local authorities to waive some city fines, Mina and Karen were able to secure this house for $40,000. The home is in rough shape, but it’s located in the East of State neighborhood, just on the outskirts of Indy’s popular Fountain Square district. At only 1780 square feet, the two-bedroom, one-bath home is one of the smallest properties Karen and Mina have taken on. The initial to-do list includes replacing the siding and sagging roof, reworking the plumbing to add functional bathrooms and dealing with the degraded front porch. Estimated cost for complete renovation, inside and out, is $160,000.

The exterior gets a thorough facelift, and a new life, with mint green exterior, white trim, new windows, a rebuilt front porch and the quintessential wood picket fence. 

Ground Floor, After. The square footage of the home was increased by means of a rear two-story addition that made room for two additional upstairs bedrooms as well as this spacious, free-flowing floor plan downstairs.