Remodeled Studio Condo Project
| In Early October 2004 an opportunity appeared to purchase a sight-unseen condo in Honolulu Town. The price appeared very attractive and the immediate purchase allowed the absentee owner to avoid bankruptcy or a ruined credit rating. Sight-unseen? How about a drive-up or walk-up; OK that'll work. Condos are usually sound structures; after all the AOAO is responsible for the building infrastructure — so the deal was inked. Presented herein are Rough&Remodel™ photos taken before, during and after — with a focus on the livingroom, kitchen and bath of this studio condo. Basically a 280-something square foot area that's 11.5-feet by 24.6-feet. If you want to make it more habitable then you need to maximize the space available. The title wasn't cleared until early January 2005 because of missed connections, second-time-around signings, and the property management company layers of busywork. Finally, on January 12th keys were obtained and entry was a reality!
Structurally it was fine, but everything inside was a disaster — it would have to be gutted. Everything: The leaky shower pan, the ill-positioned sheetrock walls, and the tiny no-storage-space-in-the-kitchen cabinetry. Initially we retained the kitchen sink and the gas range. Demolition began within days. While demolition was in progress a decision to purchase a new kitchen sink and gas range was made. Gone!
The remodeler, Stacy Oga [808 864-7769], was a perfect match for our requirements: Simple instructions, without constant approvals upon approvals, and call us when you're done! We stopped by from time-to-time, and every time we went away with an ear-to-ear smile. Very good remodeler that Stacy! His estimate was an exact match of the final bill. Almost wanted to give him a tip ... but Uncle Sugar wouldn't get his due.
Gutting the inside of the condo was the best decision — a clean slate to allow the most functional layout possible. A tiny hallway between the bathroom wall and an under-sized closet was eliminated; which made the new bathroom larger and the closet an actual walk-in, plus Stacy created a hideaway space for a double-door refrigerator! This seemingly small modification allowed an entire wall in the kitchen to become full-sized cabinets and counters; parted only by a new four-burner gas range. Another plus: A two-person breakfast bar was added to the counter end.
Everything and all appliances, except the wall-hung toilet was purchased new and installed professionally. Lighting, switches, and sockets. Real ceramic tiles on the floor and in the all-tile shower with an easy step-up. Kitchen counters and cabinets, and bathroom vanity — all fresh from the manufacturer. Closet door where there was none before ... and a front door with some style and elegance. Add two-tone paint with a chair-rail divider, and you're done.
The property was listed through (Marvin) KO Realty [808 842-3414] for an asking price of $95,000. Price was immediately bid up to $105,000, but the primary buyers changed their plans. Immediately two other offers were made — both $105,000 cash offers with no contingencies. A New York real estate firm representing father/son buyers won — the son is destined for the University of Hawaii/Manoa. It's just a hop-skip-and-a-jump down the road to the college. A little bit of luck connecting with the right people allowed a difficult job to be made easier ... with a more than satisfactory result. Happy seller, initial buyer, remodeler, suppliers, title company, realtor, and new buyer. Everyone got paid including good ol' Uncle Sugar. Mahalo! |
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