Hoosier Corner: How We Transformed a Dated Condo into a Stylish Short-Term Rental

Hoosier Corner started out as a dated student rental. The before pictures tell the story of a place that hadn’t been updated since the early 90s. The old carpet, dark wood cabinetry, and outdated fixtures screamed student housing. Despite its less than appealing state, the condo is an end-unit in a desirable location close to campus. The buyers saw the potential and knew the location would work well for a short-term rental since they already owned a unit in the neighborhood. After negotiating a great price, work began to transform the unit in early September.

As this is strictly an investment property, the buyers were anxious to have the work completed and unit ready to rent as soon as possible. The first step was removing all the old carpet and replacing the floors with a light oak laminate floor. This immediately brought the condo into the 21st century. The homeowners elected to forego flooring on the steps in favor of a safer, and less expensive, new carpet.

To maintain a sense of continuity throughout the space, we chose to paint the entire unit Silver Strand by Sherwin Williams. The unit doesn’t get a lot of natural light, so we didn’t want to go too dark, but also wanted to stay on trend with a neutral shade of grey. All the doors in the condo were painted white to complement the new wall colors.

The biggest change to the unit was the decision to paint the kitchen cabinets. The homeowners were on the fence about this change, but I think they’d agree it made the biggest impact. We chose to paint the dark wood cabinets Pewter Green by Sherwin Williams. The green-blue shade dramatically changed the look of the kitchen. By adding stainless steel appliances and updating the light fixtures, the kitchen is easily the most the dramatic change in the condo.

The bathrooms in the condo also received a facelift. The unit has three bathrooms and all received new flooring, paint, and updated vanities. Luckily the tub/shower combos were in good shape and just needed a good cleaning. The downstairs bathroom also features a washer and dryer. The homeowners found a great deal on Facebook marketplace and were able to replace the old appliances with a used front-loading set for a fraction of what a new set would cost.

Once the cosmetic upgrades were made to the condo, we began the process of decorating the space. It’s helpful to choose a theme to guide your design decisions. In this case, we elected to go for natural elements inspired by the outdoors. We felt this would give the condo a more timeless feel.

After making the costly upgrades of painting, new flooring, new vanities and appliances, the homeowners were committed to keeping the décor costs low. The homeowners scored the leather sleeper sofa (the bed had never been used) for a fraction of the cost of a new couch from Facebook marketplace. The same can be said of the blue chairs in the living room. The tables and dressers came from an antique mall. The twin headboards were from the same antique mall and updated with a dark green spray paint to keep in line with our subtle nature theme.

The rugs were sourced from At Home and were majorly discounted. Several of the art pieces were found at Hobby Lobby and a steal after using their in-store coupons. Other accessories were found at Tuesday Morning, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and from the homeowner’s personal collection. The lamps were found on clearance at Lowe’s for approximately $10. All dishes, bakeware, and kitchen utensils were bought second-hand from garage sales, Habitat for Humanity, and another local thrift store.

In the end, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’m including some more shots below. Hoosier Corner was a really fun project and the homeowners were thrilled with the results. They’ve already hosted their first guests and actually just received this review from their latest visitor:

“Our stay was excellent at this condo. Clean and fresh! And the owners made sure we had a few extras - water in the fridge, coffee and the best cinnamon rolls we have ever had! The location was perfect for us - we wanted to explore Brown County Park (30 minutes away) and the Bloomington College grounds (5 minutes away). Beds were comfortable, linens were very clean, and it was nicely decorated. Thanks for the great get away!”

What a great review! The guest highlights the perks of the space and the location, but also makes a point of recognizing the special touches these homeowners include to make their guests feel at home. A clean, well-designed space, with thoughtful amenities, will always please the discerning guest.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we work with homeowners or want to inquire about booking this amazing space, please contact me at stephanie@hosteryco.com.