Katie Harris has purchased and remodeled two homes before reaching 30 years old.
The 25-year-old software engineer bought her first home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2020. The 1,500-square-foot house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms was a landing pad for her as she pursued her dream home — and a way for her to build equity.
The house cost her $226,000. Harris spent three months and about $20,000 remodeling the home, and eventually added a primary suite. In March 2023, she put it on the market for $340,000 and profited $102,000 when it sold two months later.
"I always knew I was going to sell my first house within a couple of years," Harris told Insider, "I was waiting for my dream home to enter the market."
Her dream home went on the market in March: a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house that dates to the 1930s and is located in a historic neighborhood in Tulsa.
The Gen Zer, who has a soft spot for older homes, was enamored with the property. "I've always loved historic homes," Harris said. "I could tell there was so much charm in this house and I felt really connected to it."
Harris bought the 2,274-square-foot house in May for $395,000, utilizing proceeds from her first home sale. Over the past few months, she's spent $24,000 remodeling the property and taking it back to its 1930s roots.
"The house was beautiful and had already been updated but I wanted it to feel like it hadn't been touched by time," she said, adding that remodeling the home "feels like the right thing to do."
So far, Harris has worked on the exterior, its kitchen, primary bedroom, and flooring throughout the house. During the process, she has relied on the help of her parents and TikTok.
"Watching DIYs and seeing other 25 year olds figuring out how to do something by themselves has given me so much confidence," she said. "The process has been really rewarding."
She has turned back to TikTok to document the home's progression. See how her project is coming along.