Chicago Real Estate and Home Staging
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AVONDALE VINTAGE SEARS BUNGALOW RENO

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This was a project I'm so incredibly proud of.  My seller bought this home several years ago (a vintage beauty with strong bones and really good mechanicals), with the thought of updating it to meet her needs over the course of a few years.  She never was really able to get around to it and decided to move back into the heart of the city.  Before selling we discussed the upside to renovating this home before selling so it appealed to a buyer looking to move right in with no work needed.  I discussed why I thought would help it sell including:
  1. Full kitchen renovation including opening up the back wall of house to the enclosed porch to expand kitchen into sunroom area and then insulating and encapsulating the space under that sunroom.  We added additional heat and structural support to this room as well.
  2. Rework of a staircase that spilled directly into the middle of the kitchen making much of the space unusable.  We repitched the staircase into the rear sunroom making for an easier ascent to the 2nd floor.
  3. Full attic renovation to turn an old 1960s paneled attic space into a functional primary suite with reading nook with full luxury bathroom and walk in closet, an extra bedroom and a beautiful, bright usable space.  We added insulation throughout.
  4. Bathroom remodel of both existing baths to modernize as well as expand size of teeny tiny shower on 2nd floor
  5. While we would have loved to strip and salvage all of the wood on the trim, doors and moldings, we decided to put a fresh coat of paint in a darker color to stick with the vintage character of the home.
  6. We updated every electrical fixture in the house and swapped out all switches and outlets.
  7. We added a mini split HVAC unit to the 2nd floor for added climate control and dual zone.
  8. The original plaster in the home was in major need of work (uneven surfaces from years of paint and wear).  We restored the plaster and updated with drywall on the second floor in addition to beefing up the roof structure for support.
  9. We were able to sand and stain all of the original hardwood floors throughout and add matching hardwood to rooms that needed it including the kitchen and the entire attic space.
  10.  In keeping with the vintage beauty of the home, we were able to salvage the original door hardware (beautiful knobs) and remove 75 years of paint on the hardware to bring them back to original condition,  we reused extra vintage doors from the home in the newly built out attic space for continuity through the home, in addition to refurbishing a vintage built-in.

And to top it all off, I had a buyer looking for a similar type of home before we even started the project, so I was able to serve as the middle-woman and connect the seller and buyer, make the sale for both, and deliver a custom experience for the buyer where they were able to participate in the process and chose finishes/design choices that I was making along the way.  What fun!


No Charge Consultations.  proven results.  real estate redefined.


Hours

M-S: 8am - 9pm

Telephone

312-282-6422

Email

[email protected]
© 2025 Molly Marino
  • Home
  • Stage to Sell
    • Developer Rehab
    • 600 Fairbanks
    • Evanston Remodel
    • Clybourn Corridor
    • North Park
    • Highland Park Historic
    • 2840 Lincoln
    • 950 N Michigan
    • NW Side Raised Ranch
    • Andersonville Vintage
    • River North Condo
    • Andersonville 3 Bed
    • Southport Corridor
    • West Town Condo
    • Depaul Duplex Down
    • Lincoln Park Duplex
    • Lincoln Park Townhome
    • Wicker Park Penthouse
    • Old Irving Single Family
    • Albany Park Stucco
    • Budlong Woods Condo
    • 2020 Lincoln Park West
  • Remodel & Stage
    • Niles Reno
    • Avondale Vintage Bungalow
    • 3510 Palmer
    • Berwyn Remodel
    • 1540 State
    • 801 S Wells
    • Logan Square Blvd Condo
    • Avondale Reno
    • West Loop Mod Loft
    • Sun City Huntley Makeover
    • Ravenswood Rehab
    • Palatine Condo
    • Oak Forest MCM Ranch
    • Vernon Hills
    • Portage Park Condo
    • Green St Gut Rehab
    • Morton Grove Mid Century Ranch
    • West Town Condo
    • Roscoe Village Vintage Walk Up
    • 1301 Artesian
    • Skokie Single Family Remodel
    • Wrigley Townhome
    • Evanston Apartment Therapy
    • Skokie Senior Condo
    • Lakeview Hi Rise Studio
    • 1464 Michigan
  • Fave Before-Afters
  • Contact
  • In Progress Projects
    • Willow Springs Reno
    • La Grange Rehab