Mausam Bhatt Chief Product and Technology Officer | realtors.com
A couple from Boston has shared their journey of transforming a dilapidated fixer-upper into their dream home with a budget of just $50,000. Emilie Fiskio and her husband, Andrew, originally from the greater Boston area, returned to the East Coast after spending three years in Newport Beach, California. The decision to move back was motivated by their desire to be closer to family and friends.
The couple purchased a property in South Boston for $925,000 in March 2024. Emilie explained that a newly renovated house in their desired neighborhood was not within their budget, leading them to consider homes needing renovation. "Andrew and I both grew up outside of Boston," Emilie stated. "After a few amazing years in California, we both felt like it was time to be close to our friends and family again."
The home required significant work due to its crumbling exterior and dated interior design. Despite this, Emilie noted the property's "good bones," including an open-concept layout and original wood floors dating back to the 1860s. "We fell in love with the location," she said.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom house spans 2,000 square feet across four floors. Emilie revealed that they used clever budgeting strategies for renovations: "We purposefully found a mortgage that allowed us to use a 5% down payment." They are currently on phase one of many planned renovations.
Emilie documented their renovation process on TikTok, garnering significant attention with one video reaching 2.4 million views. She described the transformation as remarkable: "It's amazing what paint, refinishing floors, and updated furniture can do for a space!"
For larger tasks like painting the home's exterior and interior, they enlisted professional help while handling smaller projects themselves. Emilie shared that Andrew took on tasks such as building a kitchen dining nook bench.
Additionally, they plan to convert a ground-floor living space into a rental apartment for potential income: "We have always been interested in owning a multifamily home that would provide rental income."
Emilie emphasized the importance of paint in transforming the house's appearance: "Creating a clean slate with fresh paint... seemed like our short list for what we wanted before we moved in." The couple continues working on additional projects but is thrilled with their progress so far.
Reflecting on their experience, Emilie expressed excitement about future projects: “I think I caught the fixer-upper bug for life.”
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