A 28-year-old paid just $10,000 for a rundown house that she and her dad are renovating into a hot-pink Airbnb
- Katie Hanes bought a rundown Ohio home on the Kentucky border for $10,000 in December 2021.
- She is renovating the house and will fill it with pink items, including a 99-cent grandfather clock.
Katie in front of a hot pink telephone booth with roses exploding out from it
Katie Hanes, 28, dreams of creating a one-of-a-kind Airbnb, an experience that is "more than just a place to sleep at night."
After a visit to the all-pink Rose Cafe in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, she imagined a pink palace where guests could create "lifetime memories."
The front of the home with paint peeling off and plants growing on frame
One night scrolling Zillow, Hanes came across a Portsmouth, Ohio, home listed for $5,000. "I thought it was a typo," she told Insider.
A side of the house
The 118-year-old house was in disrepair, with a crumbling porch and caved-in ceilings. Hanes' dad told her they should just tear it down.
The porch in the middle of renovation
But she felt the house had a unique charm. "I wanted to give it a new life," she said.
Katie sitting on the front stoop holding out the keys
Her winning bid of $10,111 was accepted in December 2021.
A side of the house with worn-out siding and dirty windows
Renovations began in January 2022. Hanes has mostly relied on her father's experience, with 30 years as a professional contractor and multiple home flips under his belt.
An outdated kitchen with a broken sink
He currently works as a chemical operator at a nearby power plant. So Hanes and her father mostly work on the house during weeknights and weekends, sometimes late into the night.
Katie and her father on side-by-side ladders fixing the roof
"This is what he's done his whole life," she said. "I knew he'd be the one to help bring this project to life." Renovations so far have totaled $13,000.
The living room with a dated green carpet and fireplace
Her dad has helped her draw up blueprints that reflect her vision of the all-pink Airbnb. Currently, she has plans to put a photogenic rose-covered wall in the entryway, inspired by the Rose Cafe.
Katie posing with a hammer in a room with wallpaper peeling off
Hanes also began documenting the renovation on Instagram under the handle @pinkdreamscottage. Initially, she expected only local interest, but now she has more than 300,000 followers.
A destroyed bathroom with wood paneling falling off the walls
Brands and artists have already reached out pitching pink collaborations.
A bathroom in disarray
On Instagram, she's received messages of encouragement from as far away as Australia and has even connected with the daughter of a previous owner of the house.
Katie and her father installing siding.
Hanes desperately wanted the house to be pink, but discovered siding that comes in the bright colors she loved wouldn't be suitable.
Katie and her father installing siding at the very top of the house.
She settled for white vinyl siding at a cost of $3,500. She plans instead to have pink exterior accents, from the front door to the shutters to the porch.
A vintage pink stove
She's already accumulating appliances and furniture that fit the color scheme, including a $65 vintage pink stove from Facebook Marketplace and a $150 pink sofa.
A grandfather cart in a shopping cart
Hanes frequents thrift stores and bought a grandfather clock for 99 cents. She's transformed it with the same pink paint her parents used in her childhood bedroom 15 years ago.
The finished clock painted pastel pink with a ribbon of pink flowers cascading down
Friends and family have gifted her items, too, like pink pots and pans. Hanes also took advantage of a 90% clearance sale on Christmas items at Hobby Lobby, picking up pink lights, trees, and ornaments for the Airbnb.
Wall structures standing in the gutted home
Hanes does not have a set opening date yet. But she already plans to market the home for bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations, friend trips, and even as a photo studio for brands.
Katie standing on the porch with a drill in a neon pink shirt
Hanes already picked out her first guest though. She wants the woman, who used to live in the house and found her through Instagram, to stay at the pink cottage with her daughter and granddaughter.
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