1930 Ellendale Home, Fully Overhauled — $149,000

The sellers of this 936-square-foot house in Ellendale went through it room by room, system by system, and fixed things. That is the story here. Not a cosmetic refresh. The kind of work that takes time and money and doesn't always show up in listing photos.

Start with what you can't see. The old wiring has been largely replaced. The plumbing is PEX throughout much of the house. The basement and exterior foundation got foam insulation. New insulation went into the walls. Exhaust fans were added to the basement and bathroom. A reverse osmosis system is in place. These are not glamorous upgrades, but they're the ones that matter in a North Dakota winter and for decades of ownership after that.

What you can see has been updated too. New windows. New roof. New water heater. The bathroom got new flooring and a new shower surround. The kitchen has a new countertop and sink. Interior trim, doors, doorways, light fixtures, switches, outlets, and paint have all been freshened. The second bedroom was essentially rebuilt: new insulation, new walls and ceiling, new subfloor, new flooring and carpet. Outside, the siding damage was repaired, the exterior was painted, and a new screen door was hung on the front.

The house was built in 1930, so there is age in the bones that remains. The basement is unfinished and stays that way, useful for storage and utilities. There is no garage. Two bedrooms, one bath, 936 square feet. It is a small house.

But for under $150,000, you are getting a small house where someone already spent the time and money doing the work that most buyers either can't afford or won't get around to. The deferred maintenance list on this place is short. That is harder to find than it sounds at this price.