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That kind of bothers me,
the two different heights on those two arches.
NARRATOR: This home renovator and his architect brother
know a lot about houses.
I have renovated about 17 houses and built 6 from scratch.
NARRATOR: But now John is looking
for a move-in-ready place for himself in Scottsdale, Arizona,
so he can just relax.
I like the granite. I like the floor a lot.
It appears to be really well constructed.
It's move-in condition.
NARRATOR: Will he stick to his plan
or end up with a total fixer after all?
JOHN: Oh, boy. This is really bad.
DEVRA: I think we call this authentic.
[ Doorbell rings ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Want to go swimming?
Want to go in the pool?
Go get it.
My name is John.
I live in Scottsdale, Arizona,
with my two dogs, Scout and Gracie.
Good girls.
No fighting.
NARRATOR: He moved to the southwest about 10 years ago.
I am originally from Canada.
I ended up in Scottsdale
because my brother and sister moved here,
and I fell in love with the landscape
and decided I need a place here, too.
That goes there. That goes there.
I'm a die-hard home remodeler, and I do interior-design work.
I have renovated about 17 houses and built 6 from scratch.
I do all the work myself.
It goes down inside here.
NARRATOR: His current home is one of the houses he fixed up.
I bought this house and got it for an amazing deal.
I installed all the stonework on the front of the house,
redid every single bathroom, redid the backyard.
NARRATOR: But after living here for six years,
he's ready for a change.
The reason I want to move now
is this house has gotten too big for me.
It's over 5,000 square feet.
When I bought it, it was the right size.
I had family coming in and out of here.
But now it's time to downsize.
NARRATOR: Working with $650,000,
John's looking for a home
that's at least 2,000 square feet smaller.
Okay, new listings.
The thing that's most important to me --
It's got to have a great lot where the dogs can run around
and they have room to play.
I need a pool, and I want some kind of a view.
It doesn't necessarily have to be, you know,
a spectacular view,
but maybe some mountain views or something on a golf course,
so when I sit in my backyard,
I'm not looking at another house.
I like the pool.
I really don't want a house that has a backyard that faces west
for the simple fact that it gets so hot
in the late-afternoon summer sun
that it almost renders your backyard useless.
You just cook.
NARRATOR: He's also adamant about having
his master suite in the back of the house
for greater privacy.
My favorite style of architecture would be Spanish.
I'm really attracted
to the traditional, white stucco, red-tile roofs.
I don't want anything with a flat roof.
I'm over the Tuscan thing.
I'm just looking for something fun.
Hey, guys.
Hi, girls.
NARRATOR: John's siblings have offered to help him
on the latest house hunt.
We are a very, very close family.
We worked on quite a few projects together.
We are each other's support system.
BILL: You see anything interesting yet?
JOHN: I've seen a couple,
but they're all going to multiple offers,
and it's just gotten crazy.
NARRATOR: Brother Bill, an architect,
has offered to see properties with him.
I'm probably gonna play
more of an advisory role than anything else.
My background in architecture gives me
quite a bit of knowledge with structures and all of that.
So you're willing to do renovations on the houses?
You know, within reason. I don't want to get carried away.
I'm looking for a house that is mostly done --
might need some cosmetic renovations,
but I don't know if I'm really up to doing a huge renovation.
I'm at a point in my life where I want something
where I can relax and enjoy the house.
NARRATOR: John's working with the same agent
that found him his other properties.
But with the market in Scottsdale
significantly more competitive this time around,
she thinks they're going to have to use extreme measures
to be able to close on a deal.
The market in Scottsdale is very difficult.
The buyer needs to be willing
to write the offer first, look at it later.
But it's been very difficult
to get John to agree to that process.
I finally got John convinced
that this would be a good way to proceed.
So now we're finally in a position to be competitive,
and I think we might be more successful
in getting him the home that he's looking for.
NARRATOR: Today they're going to see a Spanish-style home
that John has already submitted an offer for, sight unseen.
Oh, it's got a flat roof. I didn't want a flat roof.
Well, unfortunately, this is the one
we've got in contract at the moment,
so I'm hoping you're gonna love it once we get inside.
This house has three bedrooms, three baths.
It's 2,500 square feet.
BILL: What'd you offer on this one?
We offered $475,000.
And for this neighborhood, that's about half price.
So it's really a good deal, and probably worth
doing some work on to make it how you want.
JOHN: Ugh. Saltillo tile.
I hate Saltillo tile.
But you know what? This is a nice room.
JOHN: Yeah, I like the room, too.
But I think that fireplace is massive.
I think you'd really be able
to open this room up if you got rid of it.
And I'm not sure -- you know, Saltillo tile,
you've got Italian columns, you've got the rustic ceiling.
There's a mishmash of architecture going on.
I like the lot.
There's privacy here, even though it's on a golf course.
This is a west-facing backyard, which is one of the things
you didn't particularly want in your home.
But you know what?
There's some big trees here, and I'm sure as the sun sets,
that's going to give me shade in the backyard.
BILL: The only thing you have to be concerned about
is the golf balls coming into your yard, like that.
Yeah, I can see there's a big pot there of stray golf balls.
Oh, boy. This is really bad.
I think we call this authentic.
Original from 1977, when the home was first built.
I don't know, but with the view that you've got of the golf course,
this would be really nice if you could relocate this
toward the back of the house.
But now you're talking, like, huge money.
DEVRA: I think that's why the house was priced the way it was.
Right, I just don't want to get into a money pit,
and I'm starting to think that this is gonna be a money pit.
Bill's suggestion to move the kitchen
to the back corner of the house was a great idea,
but then I'm thinking, okay,
now I've got to think about relocating plumbing.
I've got to run electrical lines.
All I'm seeing are huge, huge dollar signs.
What is that?
DEVRA: I think they call it a turret.
That's creepy. I expect the bats to start flying out of there.
The room's a nice size, but I think this needs
to become something else, like maybe a den,
because if the kitchen's not gonna be next to it,
then it doesn't need to be the dining room.
DEVRA: Okay, here's the master bedroom.
It faces the street...
It does.
...which I didn't want.
It's in the front of the house.
We're racking up all the things you don't want.
You've got this beautiful golf-course lot with this amazing view,
and you've got the master bedroom facing the street.
Okay, wow. It's almost comical.
It's gross and dirty and...
You got to throw some money into here.
Yeah. It needs a wrecking ball.
It does.
NARRATOR: On the opposite side of the house
are two bathrooms and two additional bedrooms.
JOHN: Okay, it's a good size. It's a nice size, so, yeah.
DEVRA: I think if you're gonna move the kitchen,
this might be a good side of the house to move it.
I can see that.
I get where you're going, but I don't know
if I want to get into this much work.
It's just, you know, too much for me right now.
Personally, the only redeeming quality about this house
is the lot and the fact that it's on a golf course.
But other than that, this house is horrible.
DEVRA: We're in contract on this house.
We have the opportunity to buy this one
without any other competition,
so you've got about 10 days to decide.
In the meantime, let's go look at some other homes and see
if there's something that you would like better.
Okay.
NARRATOR: Now they're going to see a house
that's completely move-in-ready,
but may not be the style John's looking for.
It's kind of cookie-cutter, though.
JOHN: That's a good term for it. It is kind of cookie-cutter.
JOHN: Come on, girls. Let's go get some yogurt.
Come on. Who wants yogurt?
NARRATOR: John's a designer who flips houses for a living.
You want to try some? That's good?
NARRATOR: Now he wants to buy a smaller home for himself under $650,000
that doesn't require a massive renovation.
I'm looking for something
that's really more just cosmetic changes.
NARRATOR: With his architect brother
helping him on his house hunt,
he's seen a well-priced house that's on a great lot,
but it needs major renovations.
Now his agent, Devra, is taking them to see
a move-in-ready house that's just come on the market.
They're seeing this one without putting in a bid in advance.
It's four-bedroom, three-bath, 2,953 square feet,
and it's listed for $475,000.
I like the fact that it doesn't have a flat roof.
I like the color of it, too.
BILL: It's kind of cookie-cutter, though.
That's a good term for it. It is kind of cookie cutter.
Well, they say it's move-in-ready,
so let's go see what they have done.
Okay, I'm open to it.
JOHN: Wow. I didn't expect this at all.
Very nice.
BILL: This is really nice.
Love the hardwood floors. I like the tall ceilings.
They go to, what, 16 feet?
Yeah. There's a lot of volume in this space.
Very nice.
Not feeling this tile, though.
I'd have to replace this with a stone or something.
So, what would this be?
This here is a den.
Okay. Nice.
DEVRA: Then we have a family room.
JOHN: Again, I love the hardwood floors. Nice.
The family room's open to the kitchen.
I like the floor a lot,
not big on the color of the cabinets.
I could probably just get new doors and re-skin them.
You know, this is under your budget.
You could even replace them if you wanted.
Don't reface them. Just get new stuff.
That's true.
Maintenance-free.
Yeah. I don't know if I'm big on this.
The shortcomings of the yard, to me, are the fact
that it doesn't have a full-size pool
and the neighboring houses are substantially higher,
and I feel like I'm on display.
It flows kind of nice.
I like the circular flow pattern
around the first floor, here.
BILL: You know what would be really nice?
If you take this carpeting off
and replace it with birch treads, like that floor.
Wow, this is a great loft. I could put my office up here.
Nice.
NARRATOR: Adjacent to the loft are two bedrooms
and a Jack and Jill bath.
JOHN: You know, I could do some renovating in here.
I could replace the tile, put in a new vanity,
some granite, and tile the tub here.
DEVRA: That wouldn't cost very much, yeah.
It's a good-sized bathroom.
It is a good size.
Especially for two rooms sharing.
Master bedroom has some mountain views.
Very nice. I like the vaulted ceilings.
I think it's a good-size room.
Nice layout, too. Everything's facing the back.
We've got a walk-out balcony.
JOHN: Wow, very nice...
although, you know,
I kind of feel like I'm in a fishbowl up here.
Well, you can see into everybody else's backyards.
JOHN: But from up here, this is a good sized yard.
BILL: There's a lot of room
if you decide you want to put a pool in.
There's still lots of room to be able to do it.
Yeah, there's lots of room.
There's a lot of potential.
Yeah, very nice.
The master bath has been partially remodeled.
Okay. Again, with the same tile.
You know, I could replace that.
Yeah, and the cultured marble around this tub, too.
Yeah, that has to go.
I like the vanity and the granite countertops,
so it's got a good start.
JOHN: Surprisingly enough,
for being such a cookie-cutter house,
I like the house.
I think it has a great flow to it.
BILL: It appears to be really well constructed.
It's move-in condition.
And you've got extra money to do stuff with.
I like the price point.
And the best part is, it's actually available.
But that's only temporary in our market.
Is there anything else out there, though,
that you can show me that maybe is
a little bit more custom on a bigger lot?
Yes, I think there is.
NARRATOR: Now his agent's showing them a house
she thinks fits the bill.
JOHN: That is at the top of my budget.
But it has a lot to offer.
[ Doorbell rings ]
Good girl. I know. I love you, too.
NARRATOR: Interior designer and home renovator John
is looking to downsize from his massive, 5,000-square-foot home
and buy a smaller place for himself and his dogs.
Okay, get it.
NARRATOR: Working with a $650,000 budget,
he and his architect brother have seen a house
on a great lot overlooking a golf course,
but it needs major renovation.
Then they saw a move-in-ready home with good flow,
but the backyard lacks privacy.
Now his agent, Devra, is taking them to see
a Spanish-style house that she thinks fits the bill.
DEVRA: This house is $650,000.
It's at the absolute top of your price.
Yeah, that is at the top of my budget.
It's four bedrooms, three bath.
The most significant thing is
it just came on the market yesterday,
so if we're gonna do anything, we need to act quickly.
BILL: You know, for the top of your price point,
this house doesn't have much curb appeal, though,
and it needs a lot of work.
Look at all these beams. They're all full of dry-rot.
JOHN: It looks like somebody started
some kind of renovating on it.
It does. We'll have to see how much work is done.
Okay.
JOHN: Oh, this is nice. I like the tall ceilings.
BILL: I'm not sure of the step-down, though,
between the entry and this room, though.
Yeah, that's kind of odd.
It's pretty common, for the year of the house,
to have a sunken living room.
It was very popular back --
Back in the '70s.
That's right.
Pink tile.
That was all over my last house. Pink tile everywhere.
That's easy enough to change if you want to.
I like the tall ceilings.
Again, I like the volume of this house.
It's got some great ceiling height.
Although it's a really sunny day outside,
there's not a lot of natural sunlight in this room, though.
You're right.
And the room is kind of narrow,
but the more I'm looking at this,
I'd have nowhere for my TV.
Oh, that kind of bothers me,
the two different heights on those two arches.
I think that arch was added in after the fact.
That doesn't look original.
It'd almost be nice just to blow that wall out
and make it one big room.
Open this whole thing up.
Oh, wow. This is unbelievable.
This is why I brought you here.
Yeah, now I see why you brought me here.
We have the east-facing backyard that we want.
We have the ramada, we have a pool,
we have grass, we have a tennis court.
This is huge.
Palm trees -- it has it all.
You can't find lots this size
anywhere around here any longer.
This is spectacular.
This is beautiful.
The very best feature of the house is the yard.
It's unbelievable.
This backyard has me sold.
I'm ready to throw a party.
Yeah.
Well, it looks reasonably updated
within the last couple of years.
I like the granite. I like their choice of granite.
It just seems kind of narrow.
It's beautifully remodeled,
but it's very, very small for the size of the house.
But it would work for now,
because of being at the top of your budget.
Right, I'd have to make it work for now, as you know.
I couldn't come in here and start busting it apart.
We have an office/den, could be a bedroom.
This is a closet, but the sellers
turned this into an office.
Yeah, and I would use it as an office.
BILL: This would be perfect because it's isolated
to one side of the house.
I don't know if I'd get any work done
staring at that all day.
Here's one of the three bathrooms in the house.
I like this bathroom a lot because there's a door
that has access onto the pool,
so if you're changing or you want to use the restroom
while you're in the pool, you just -- Yeah, that works.
That's a really important feature with the pool.
And it's a good-sized bathroom, too.
BILL: Yeah, it is pretty good.
NARRATOR: On the other side of the house
are two guest bedrooms.
Here's the master.
JOHN: I like the baseboard. I like the crown molding.
It's a decent size.
But with the view that you've got on this backyard,
that back wall needs to be all windows.
It's got that tiny, little window, there,
and it's just not cutting it.
The master bath.
Yeah, this is a nice room.
Love the tile. This is nice.
Oh, this is a really nice tile.
Yeah, I wish this was through the rest of the house.
In fact, I'd probably put this in where all that pink tile is.
Yeah, this is done really well.
They did a nice job in this room.
So what'd you think?
I really like it.
There's a lot of aspects to the house that I really like.
The lot is unbelievable. It's spectacular.
You can't duplicate that,
so that is the big, big plus to this house.
You know, some of the renovations have been started,
and there's a lot of things that I can do to bring it up.
I'd have to live with a lot of it for a while,
but I don't know where I'd be able
to duplicate this lot.
DEVRA: Well, even at this price point,
I think it could go quick.
You're gonna need to make a decision quickly.
So, what's it gonna be?
NARRATOR: John, a designer who flips houses for a living,
is looking to downsize from his current space.
With a budget of $650,000,
he and his architect brother have seen several homes
in the competitive Scottsdale market,
and now he has to choose.
So, what do you think of that one
with that fantastic view of the golf course --
the one that you've already got an offer in on?
You know, it's got a great lot.
That is the best quality about that house.
I can sit in that house,
look out on the green grass and green trees
and not have to worry about maintaining it.
But the rest of that house was awful.
It needs to be completely gutted.
I see a lot of potential in that house, you know.
There's some really, really wild things
that you could do inside there
and turn that into a beautiful masterpiece.
I just don't want to get in over my head.
So, what do you think about the two-story?
Even though it was cookie-cutter,
I liked the house.
I liked the fact that it has an east-facing backyard.
It's move-in-ready.
I can move in there and not have any disruption
and update the bathrooms and update that kitchen,
and do it at my own pace and still live in a clean house.
The minuses for me are the fact
that I feel like I'm in a fishbowl back there.
There's so many two-stories around it
looking right down into that backyard,
and I'm not big on that.
How do you feel about that one with the tennis court --
that huge lot with that tennis court on it?
That's a great house.
That house is a diamond in the rough.
It's just crying to have somebody
come in and do a number on it.
It's got that unbelievably beautiful east-facing backyard,
which is really what I wanted.
The inside of the house -- I could probably live
with the way that it is temporarily.
I would really want to do a giant renovation to that house
and bring it up to its full potential.
Yeah, well, with it being at the top of your budget,
you wouldn't be able to do the typical renovations
that you normally do.
I know, I know.
So, what's it gonna be?
I am gonna do the house on the golf course.
There's way too much potential in that house to pass up.
I'm just gonna go for it, dive in headfirst,
and take a leap of faith.
I think you can turn that one into a spectacular home.
I think so.
I think that was a good decision.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
[ Doorbell rings ]
I've owned the house for three months now.
I paid $475,000 for it, which was the asking price.
And when I look at what I got,
I pretty much paid for what the lot cost and got a free house.
I wasn't sure whether I wanted to do a full house renovation,
but because I enjoy doing it so much,
I figured, you know what,
I can do what I want to do to this house.
I enjoy doing it, and I like being creative.
Let's go.
What I compromised on in this house
is that I ended up buying the flat roof that I didn't want,
the west-facing backyard that I didn't want,
but I got this amazing, beautiful, golf-course lot,
and my philosophy is
I can change everything about the house.
I can't change the lot and location.
This is what sold me on this house.
What I want to do is make this window the front door
so that when you walk in the front door,
you look straight through the house,
through those doors, over the pool,
and directly out to the golf course,
so that it's just a straight shot.
You can see right straight through the house.
Before I move into this house,
I am going to add on a kitchen, a family room,
a laundry room on one side of the house.
On the other side of the house,
I'm gonna add on a master suite with master bathroom
and large, walk-in closet.
My original plan when I started looking for houses
was to downsize,
and what I found was, when I was downsizing,
I wasn't comfortable with how far I was going down in size.
So I plan on adding about 2,000 square feet onto the house,
maybe just under that.
That's nice. I like that idea.
Hey, so, let's just roll it like this, please.
I have a great bond with my family,
and I think that a lot of my renovation projects
pull us closer together.
They're always here to help me,
and I think I enjoy working with my family
as much as I enjoy redoing these houses that I move into.
We work really well together.
Take a quick, little break.
Okay.
Yeah, the next time you decide
that you want to start ripping things apart,
let me know first so that I can bring the right clothes for it.
JOHN: I've come to the conclusion
that there's no real pressure on me to get this house done.
I want to do it right. I have a great opportunity here.
It's one of the last houses on the street
that needs to be redone,
and I want to do the house justice.
I want to make sure that it's exactly what I want
and not rush it.