The Before Photo’s on Rainbow Ranch (here are 8)
Before Photo’s of Rainbow Ranch
Here are the before photo’s and links to the projects at the Rainbow Ranch house. I started this post the day we looked at this house and it’s an ongoing labor of love!
We knew this house was going to be our future project before we even saw it in person. I didn’t even have to see it in person because my heart had already committed.
3/3 Country home on 5+/- acres. Tx Mesquite flooring. Easy maintenance in-ground swimming pool w/waterfall. Breathtaking hill country views from your back deck. Multiple outbuildings for hobbies, storage and 1200 sq ft barn wired as a recording studio. 12×18 cedar cabin, 12×18 greenhouse, 30×60 dog pen, raised garden, 2500 gal water storage tank, black top driveway, wet weather creek, fully fenced & gated.
The Description vs The Reality
I excitedly read this description out loud to my husband. Â
We were already planning to meet with our realtor to make an offer on a different house. Â It was a house that we had already seen and that already had multiple offers. Â The description on this house changed everything.
I immediately called our realtor and told her I’d found the house we were going to buy.
Did it matter that we’d already been searching for 8 months? That the owner was a smoker? Did I care that almost every inch of the property needed attention?
Of course not, because all I could see was the potential and the view – the view that goes on for miles! The view that is mine!
And that is how we came to own our little piece of heaven – our fixer upper and the inspiration for so many projects and ideas.
So now we spend all of our free time working on projects.
Some of the projects are big and some are small but I wasn’t kidding when I said that every inch of the property needs attention. The pictures in the listing were not the reality of what we viewed on the actual property.
From the Top
When you enter the top of the property from the road you are higher than all the buildings. All you can see is a little cluster of buildings and a lean to. The house sits down in a bit of a hole and there is the hint that someone did some landscaping at one time in the past.
When I stand at the gate I only see projects waiting for attention. Paint, repairs, touch ups and tear downs. They are all evident from the top of the property.
The House
This is the front of the house. The sidewalk goes from the front porch around the house and is painted red. The home itself needs a new roof, new windows and paint.Â
That’s just for starters.
And that’s just the exterior. The inside is it’s own story of “needs attention”.
The Guest House
The cedar outbuilding is what we call the Guest House. It is a one room building with this cute deck on the front and a window unit for A/C and heat. The inside is finished in cedar and plywood.
It’s a nice size for a guest house or office and it’s in pretty good shape.
The Barn
The giant red building is what we call the barn.
It’s not really a barn, it’s just a large outbuilding.Â
It appears that it was once just a screened in pole barn that was later enclosed. So I guess it’s technically a pole barn.Â
Or once upon a time it was a pole barn.
The previous owner built a recording studio inside this building.
What this means is that it has an entire building built inside of it. You literally walk through the giant doors and there’s another building inside.
The upside is it’s completely closed in and insulated.
The downside is that it’s a building inside of a building.
The paint on the exterior is in pretty bad shape. The interior of the barn structure is in need of attention but the inside of the recording studio is well built and insulated.
It’s the first thing that you see when you pull into the gate and it’s really not a pretty sight.
We will definitely have to figure out how best to use this building.Â
For the time being it will be storage since we are downsizing and remodeling.
The Greenhouse
We have a super cute little greenhouse.
It needs some minor repairs but we are excited to have this bonus building. And we’re hopeful that one day it will actually be part of our garden.
The Shanty
We are calling this building The Shanty.
This photo is the listing photo and it’s not really what the building looks like these days. It’s more of a leaning structure that looks like a strong wind might blow it over or away. The red paint seems to be a theme though.
The Before House Photo’s of the Back Side of Things
This view is standing at the pool looking up to the back of the house.
Red (peeling) paint is on the concrete surrounding the pool and the steps leading up to the house.Â
There is a very large deck that needs attention and also a large covered patio that has been enclosed with screens and lattice. You can also see that the roof that needs attention.
The Money Shot
When I walk through the house to the back porch I can forget about all the projects.
The view.
The view is amazing!
This is what we call our money shot. The view that makes it all worthwhile.
Standing at the back of the house the property drops down even more and the view is spectacular. The pool and waterfall line up directly behind the house but if you look up it’s pure Texas Hill Country. Trees, a dry creek and no other homes in sight. This is what makes it all worthwhile.
The red pool deck is a bit distracting but it won’t be here long!
This is the money shot.Â
This is the view that goes on for miles.
Well not really, but if you can overlook the red concrete and see the potential then you’ll understand.
And there’s a long journey ahead. There are lot’s of projects in our future and potential and possibilities.
I’m excited to get started and I hope you’ll join our family as we make Simpatico our home!
You can see some of the complete projects here:
Be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest for more inspiration!
