Nicole Curtis knows how to stretch a dollar!
In an Instagram post from April 14, the former “Rehab Addict” host recalled the time she bought an eyesore of a home for $1. Curtis shared how she was working in Minneapolis at the time when a stranger stopped by her work site and asked her to help save the property from being torn down by the city.
The HGTV star explained that in order to stop the house from being demolished, the stranger-turned-friend, Brian, helped sell the house to her for a buck, ultimately saving the city of Minneapolis $20,000 to tear it down — and keeping the lot from going vacant.
Nicole Curtis Explains Why. a Vacant House Is a Bad ‘Stigma’
“In 2011, I was fast at work on a restoration in LYNLAKE Minneapolis,” Curtis captioned her 16-photo Instagram carousel. “A car pulled up and a guy got out. I was on a lift 3 stories up, he introduced himself and said, ‘they’re going to tear down a bungalow down the street, we think you can save it.’ True story, I lowered the lift, hopped in his car and went to see it.”
Curtis continued, “The house was scheduled to be torn down as the city engineers’ evaluation cited a crumbling foundation. The sad thing was, once demolished, this lot would remain empty for eternity as the updated Minneapolis City Plan didn’t allow such ‘irregular’ lots for building.”
She also noted that if the city of Minneapolis tore the home down and left the lot empty, it could create unwanted attention. “A vacant building in a neighborhood is bad, a forever vacant lot is a stigma and the worst,” Curtis shared.
The 49-year-old went on to emphasize how “any house can and should be saved ❤️.” However, that’s not the end of it — Curtis teased more of the story by sharing that the bargain wasn’t exactly what she expected. Fortunately, intrigued fans can watch her hard at work rebuilding the dollar house on Apple TV and Roku in “Rehab Addict” reruns.
‘Dollar House’ Sells on Market for ‘Well Over the Asking Price’
Curtis renovated the blight by investing $145,000 into the property, Realtor.com reported. From mechanical functions to an entirely new foundation and getting the bathroom and kitchen up to proper standards, the former HGTV star was able to transform the home into a gorgeous 3-bedroom, 2,610-square-foot masterpiece.
After filming the repairs for season 3 of “Rehab Addict,” Curtis sold the Minneapolis property for $150,000 in 2012. Fast forward to 2022, and the home, which is over 100 years old, went on the market for almost double the price Curtis spent renovating it.
According to Realtor.com, Garrett Matheson, the home’s listing agent, noted that Curtis “was able to keep the 19th-century charm while adding 21st-century amenities,” adding that the home sold for “well over the asking price.”
