Laundry Room Gets a Facelift

Ron and Crystal are starting a new life together, they moved into his house, but haven't been able to sell her house. They are tired of having to pay two mortgages, so they called in the Designed to Sell team to give them a hand. Built in 1956, the 1,000-square-foot home should appeal to buyers with its three bedrooms and an almost-finished basement.

Real estate expert Brandi Malay is accompanied by host Michael Johnson on a tour of the home. She tells Johnson the outside of the home is adorable and she likes the way the living room looks. Malay positive comments cease in the kitchen. The drop ceiling and bold colors are making the small space seem even smaller. Malay calls the basement a disaster. Johnson explains it is a work in progress -- the floors are concrete, there is no drywall and worst of all, there are no stairs. To get to the basement, buyers will have to use a ladder.

As long as the homeowners put in a staircase, designer Monica Pedersen will fix up the rest with her $2,000 design plan.

Step 1: In the kitchen, eliminate the tacky drop ceiling.

Step 2: Replace the black kitchen backsplash with a pretty mosaic.

Step 3: Create a combination laundry room and craft room in the basement.

Carpenters Robert North and Chad Lopez know the plan and are ready to get to work. Once the homeowners get it all finished, they'll practically double their square footage. It should be a fix that will pay off for them. This home is located in the upper Midwest. In this region of the country, more than half of all homebuyers are looking for a finished basement.