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iSpec LLC

 

Chicago Ave — Zombie Property Remodel

Chicago Ave — Zombie Property Remodel

Project name: Chicago. This project was brought to us by an existing customer who purchased it at a sheriff's auction and wanted to turn it into an income-generating rental property. Sheriff's auction purchases come without any real inspection — you're buying the property as-is and finding out what's actually wrong with it after you own it. That's the reality of zombie properties. What we found was a house that needed every system replaced and had serious structural problems hiding underneath. We designed a layout that provided two large bedrooms, a living room, one bath, a large open kitchen with a dining nook, and an adjacent laundry room. The challenge was keeping the project viable as a rental investment — with this much structural work and full system replacement, the total cost pushed hard against the after-repair value. Every finish decision was made with that math in mind: functional, clean, and durable without overinvesting on a property that needed to earn its money back through occupancy.

Before

The property was a cramped 2-bed, 1-bath in serious disrepair. The original addition on the back of the house had a hole in the roof that had been letting water in — the rear exterior wall and subfloor beneath it were rotted through. The interior wasn't much better — every surface showed neglect, the existing electrical and plumbing were outdated and not worth saving, and the layout was awkward for what the space actually had to offer. We patched the roof on our first visit to stop the damage while we waited for permits to be approved. Once we got inside and started opening things up, we discovered the addition had been built without an actual foundation — just sitting on the ground. There was also a chimney that was no longer in use, taking up space in the layout. Between the addition and the main house, we pulled 35 yards of debris out of the property before any rebuild work could start.

During

The first priority was stabilizing the roof structure over the original addition so we could safely remove everything below it. With the roof shored, we stripped out all the damaged framing, the rotted exterior wall, and the failed floor system down to the ground. We updated the plans to document the structural repairs needed and got approval from the city before moving forward. We built new pier foundations with 6x6 columns supporting a 4-ply 2x10 girder. The new 2x10 floor joists and 23/32-inch T&G OSB subfloor were cantilevered over the old foundation wall — maintaining the original footprint while making the old wall obsolete. That detail let us keep the building envelope where it was without relying on a foundation that was never built to carry the load. On the main house side, additional structural repairs were made to stabilize the original rubble foundation, which had deteriorated but was salvageable with proper reinforcement. With the structural work complete and inspected, the build moved into framing. We built 2x4 wall partitions to create the new layout — a laundry room, bathroom, and two bedrooms — plus new rear walls and a new roof structure on the addition. The entire house was re-shingled once the addition roof was framed and sheathed. We removed the unused chimney during framing to clean up the layout and free up usable space inside the floor plan. Rough plumbing and electrical were installed once framing was complete, followed by insulation in all walls and ceilings per local code. A new furnace and AC system was installed to replace the original equipment, which was well past its service life. After rough inspections passed, we closed in the walls with drywall, taped, and finished every surface for paint.

After

The finished house is a clean, fully updated rental property — every system new, every surface finished. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, laminate countertops, and a butcher block island — practical choices that look good and hold up. The open kitchen and dining area has vaulted ceilings with recessed lighting throughout, giving the space a feel that punches well above its finish level. The bathroom is straightforward and functional — tile floor, solid fixtures, built to hold up to tenant use without overinvesting on finishes. New LVP flooring runs throughout the living areas, and fresh paint on every wall and ceiling ties the whole interior together. Every system was replaced from the foundation up — new furnace and AC, new electrical panel, new wiring, new plumbing. We passed all inspections and received our certificate of occupancy from the city. The property required serious structural repairs on top of full system replacement, but smart budgeting on finishes kept the total project viable as a rental investment. The house went from a sheriff's auction liability to a rent-ready asset — which is exactly what the owner needed it to be.