Saturday, October 30, 2010

Say "No" to Cracks

Monday, October 25, 2010

Overheard

"Last night I woke up at 2:30am and it was raining cats and dogs outside. Soon I noticed a 'drip, drip, drip' sound in our bedroom. It was well known and documented that our kitchen leaked when it rained a lot, but the trash can is positioned directly beneath the leak, so there was no need to worry there. Our bedroom ceiling had never leaked before.
I got up to put a towel under the leak and went upstairs to make sure it wasn't leaking through the roof upstairs, puddling in the office, and then through our bedroom ceiling. I sure wish roofing was in our landlord's budget."

Dumb Plumbing

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

About Project Provo

Have you ever taken a stroll through the grid of streets in Provo? I've been out and about on foot recently and I have mixed feelings about what I've seen.

It's a pleasure to see the beautiful homes that have been cared for and restored. I sometimes even pause in order to admire the work invested into the house and yard.

Unfortunately, sometimes right next door to a well cared for house, there is a monstrosity of a house that has obviously been a rental unit for years. The yard is overgrown, the wood needs to be painted, the windows need to be replaced, and the roof has seven layers of shingles.

If you've ever been in the market for a rental unit, you know that the inside of these houses match the outside. The wiring is old, the air is drafty in the winter and like an oven in the summer, the plumbing is questionable, and there's probably asbestos lurking behind every corner.

I know from personal experience what it's like to try to find a decent place to rent among the dungeons available. Every time I see a house in such disrepair I wish that I had enough money to swoop in, gut the house, fix it up, and move on to the next one.

Well, I've decided to do something about it! This blog is an exposé of the houses I see around town that need to be fixed up. I will be taking my point-and-shoot camera with me on my walks and posting pictures on this blog of the houses I would fix up if I could.

Most of the pictures will be solely the exterior of the houses, since I can't just go barging into homes to take pictures. I hope to be able to develop the portfolio of pictures as much as possible though. My main goal is to get sponsors and grants for my ideas and raise enough money to purchase a home in Provo and flip it so it contributes positively again to the neighborhood.