Kaitlin moved into a flipped house with her family and quickly realized that the contractors had made a ton of mistakes
Her funny and insightful videos about what was messed up in her home quickly went viral and launched her to internet fame. Here's the first TikTok in the series
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Bored Panda was curious about how the home renovation has been coming along after Kaitlin, her husband, and her kids all moved into the flipped house. She opened up that the process has been slower than she'd care to admit.
"I have been pretty angry with the amount of money we bought this house for vs. the amount we have to use to put into fixing what was done to it that I can't seem to get out of my own head. I won't give up though. No way!" she was defiant that, in the end, they'd accomplish all of their goals.
"We love everything about where we live and the neighborhood, the schools, the community. We wouldn't change it for the world! I believe every house has a heartbeat and I will fix this old girl up until I hear hers again. I just need a moment to decide how I intentionally design each room with love. Home takes time!"
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Despite everything that's happened, Kaitlin told us that people shouldn't shy away from flipped homes. "We all know that flipped homes are usually done quickly. In most cases, as long as there isn't severe structural or electrical damage, there is no reason to walk away from a home that is in the perfect location," she noted.
"Cosmetic issues can always be fixed and even in your dream home, there will always be something you need to change! There's beauty in learning new skills along the way. Think of a home as a person, are you going to be the one to love it or will someone else do it better?"
Bored Panda also wanted to learn more about Kaitlin's TikTok roots. We wanted to hear more about how she first got started with making and posting videos on the platform.
"I started out just to share some before and after shots of my home out of sheer boredom. Now, I have a place to share my weird, theatrical self, my multicultural family, and talk about parenting through depression! It's amazing how many strings of relatability we can find as humans to each other. The world can feel so big yet TikTok and all other platforms help us feel so much more connected."
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Kaitlin shared what keeps her passionate about creating content on TikTok: "I've been doing this a long time and the DIY/Home Design community of women out there slinging power tools is just amazing. There is no other field I'd rather be in. I'm so inspired and have grown immensely as a human over the past several years due to the friendships I've made from like-minded creators and followers, who are now friends, alike!"
The DIY and home design expert told us that she hopes that the people watching her videos will be able to see through her satire and realize that she shares in their frustrations.
"If I ever get the opportunity, I would love nothing more than to find a way to get to some of my followers and help them find the courage to fix some of their own horribly flipped issues. I feel for those who spent more than necessary during the real estate crisis and perhaps don't have the means to fix what was left for them or the know-how. Finding a home's heartbeat, one home at a time!"
(PS—You can find the links to all of Kaitlin's awesome TikToks underneath each screengrab in the list. They're a lot of fun to watch, be sure to check them out.)
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Kaitlin and her husband, parents to three children, bought the flipped house in Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where they moved to from upstate New York. They hope to renovate the house slowly over time so that it can match their expectations.
They were looking to make the move a year ago, but they ran into some difficulties. The property market was in a very bad state: interest rates were rising, and would-be buyers were overpaying, and waiving contingencies and inspections just to secure a home.
The family was pressed for time, so they opted to buy their current home, only asking for an ‘information only’ inspection.
The house was fine in terms of potential structural and electrical flaws. Kaitlin had remained in New York to stay with the kids and saw the home virtually. Meanwhile, her husband, who was living in Massachusetts already, was able to view the home in person, and was present for the inspection.
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Kaitlin took her frustrations out in video form, showing that a heavy dose of good humor can help turn even a headache into a place full of potential. She is incredibly optimistic that she’ll be able to bring out the house’s full potential with care, attention, and lots of DIY.
Previously, we covered on Bored Panda why some contractors are completely awful at doing quality work. There are several possible reasons for this.
First, they might simply not be good at their jobs. There are tons of hard-working and talented professionals out there. But it would be naive to think that everyone is skilled, diligent, and willing to go the extra mile.
Secondly, the contractors and designers could be misinformed and might have a completely different interpretation of what their clients want. In other words, there might be some miscommunication wreaking havoc here.
And finally, they might cut corners in order to save money and have bigger profit margins. Usually, it’s a combination of the three, in different proportions, that leads to disastrous renovations.
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In some cases, contractors might not have access to the materials that they need, so they opt for (cheaper) substitutes. They might want to use up the materials that they have stored somewhere, for example. Constant communication with the team is vital if you want to avoid major mishaps. But also keep in mind that some minor mistakes are impossible to avoid: no house flipping is ever ‘perfect.’
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