When our family started thinking about moving back from Houston, Texas to California, we looked long and hard around the Lake Tahoe area. We wanted to find a property we could grow into, and that had potential for more. What started out as a second home ended up turning into a lucrative vacation rental several years later! Let’s take a look at what we were able to achieve with our 1973 gambrel:
Specs: First, the basics: It’s a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home. It’s an open concept with a lofted area, with lots of big windows and natural light. And of course, it’s got a gambrel roof. What is that? It’s like an A-frame with an extra bulge, to make better use of the interior space versus having a steeper roof.
Exterior: We executed a full remodel, both inside and out of the property. On the exterior of the home we replaced the siding, decks, handrails, paint, and corrugated metal trim. These changes all majorly freshened up the appearance of the home for us, and served us well once it was on the market for renters. One of my favorite touches is the bright, canary yellow paint we chose for the front door- it’s so welcoming!
Interior: Inside the home, we had a lot of work to do. We started by replacing all of the old flooring. The home previously had white carpet throughout, and if you partake in Tahoe outdoor activities, it doesn’t bode well for your flooring. We put new carpet in all of the bedrooms, luxury laminates in the main areas for a contemporary look and durability, and opted with a more classic tile for the bathrooms.
Fixtures & Finishes: We also swapped out many of the dated light fixtures for a more modern take. We took a creative approach to new countertops, opting for oversized slate tiles to keep the budget down, and classic subway tile backsplashes. Similarly, we retiled the showers and hung up new mirrors. We did opt to keep all of the cabinetry, but painted it and installed new hardware to bring it up to date. New live edge open shelves helped give the kitchen a modern, outdoorsy finish.
By the time we made all these changes, we had spent a couple wonderful years here as a family and realized we wanted to move into a larger home. But we still wanted a connection to this property, so we decided to rent it out! After fully furnishing the home, it was ready to hit the rental market and did well for us ever since. If you’re wondering how you can convert your Lake Tahoe or Truckee home into a rental property, reach out to us at Tinsel House Studio to get started!