This Cramped and Boring Bungalow Was Totally Transformed With $100,000

With dreams of growing their family, Jessica had her hopes set on a bigger home with a better layout, while her husband Aaron resisted any discussion of change. Their current two-bedroom home was valued at $305,000, and they’d set aside $100,000 for Hilary’s renovation (which in Hilary’s opinion, was tight for all they wanted to achieve). Meanwhile, David was ready to impress them with a brand new home, but the couple’s $400,000 budget didn’t get them quite as far as they thought it would. When all was said and done, would they decide to love their newly renovated home, or would they list it? Read on to tour the home and find out!

Hilary immediately noted the awkward kitchen layout, which left the fridge jutting out into the middle of the room. But she was incredibly impressed with how well Jessica had utilized the storage space. Hilary could tell immediately that she was working with a highly organized family.

Related: 10 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Hilary Farr

The kitchen renovation allowed for a total reconfiguration of the home. The entryway became a bright, open space, the family had a play area off the kitchen, and the kitchen itself received a total makeover. The finished result is chic and bright, with loads more prep space and storage. Jessica was overwhelmed at how functional the kitchen was post-renovation.

Related: 12 Stylish Kitchen Designs Only Hilary Farr Could Pull Off

When Hilary saw the extra wide garage, she saw the potential to give Jessica and Aaron the extra square footage they desired for their main floor. And by gaining all that extra living space, she’d be able to reconfigure the kitchen layout, and build a proper laundry room and mud room for the family to utilize.

A bright and welcoming mud room off the driveway created a highly functional space for the busy family, where boots and coats could be stored, and groceries could be easily unloaded straight into the kitchen.

After taking over the garage, Hilary was able to build a true laundry room for the family, complete with upper cabinet storage and handy drying racks. An electrical panel was cleverly camouflaged behind beautiful wallpaper.

Related: 18 Laundry Rooms That are Beyond Stylish

Hilary was blown away by how tidy Jessica and Aaron kept their home. She knew, despite the tight square footage, this family would appreciate a better layout, without requiring loads more space.

New French doors opened the living room up to the outdoors, something Aaron and Jessica had dreamed of. Hilary and the Love It or List It team also upgraded the design of the living room to feel much more feminine and contemporary.

Related: How to Decorate Your Living Room Based on Your Zodiac Sign

The reconfiguration allowed Hilary to shift the dining space, and create the open floor plan Jessica had been dreaming of. This way, she’d have undisturbed sight lines no matter where her son Foster was playing.

After viewing several new homes that fit their bill (but not their budget), Jessica and Aaron had to decide if they were going to bite the bullet and buy a new home, or stay put in their newly renovated home. Would they love it or would they list it? Jessica and Aaron decided to…love it! After investing $100,000 into their $305,000 home, the family had increased the home’s value by an additional $20,000 to $425,000. Jessica and Aaron were so taken with Hilary’s design work, and they just weren’t ready to leave their neighbourhood, despite David’s efforts to impress them with more square footage. Hilary scores another win!