Cover Story

From Drab to Fab

Cynthia Bowman and Judy Rechtman in the East Cobb home they are flipping, photographed by Marcy J. Levinson.

By Ann Marie Quill
Photography by Marcy J. Levinson

What do you get when you take one comfy but worn East Cobb home and combine it with the talents of a real estate agent and a project manager? A fabulous first-time flip.

The old living room in the East Cobb home Cynthia Bowman and Judy Rechtman bought and redecorated was updated with hardwood floors and French doors.

Before

After. Bowman and Rechtman incorporated the master bathroom and vanity area into one room and added a step-in shower. New flooring replaced the linoleum and carpeting.

Before

After. Hardwood flooring, granite countertops, an island and new cabinets and stainless-steel appliances were part of the kitchen's facelift.

For Sale
3-bedroom, 2-bath home
2859 Water Wheel Court
Marietta 30062
$239,000
MLS #3656745

Real estate agent Cynthia Bowman decided she wanted to flip a house after spending years with buyers and realizing what was missing in the market: a single-level ranch home small enough to appeal to empty-nesters or single people, priced in the $200,000s, and located in a desirable area in a great school district.

When fellow Temple Kol Emeth member Judy Rechtman heard what Bowman wanted to do, she said she wanted in. It seems they have created the perfect team. The two possess similar tastes yet different, complementary personalities. Bowman describes herself as the "stir it up" partner, while Rechtman brings a careful-planning, common-sense approach to the table.

As they walk through the first home they have bought and redesigned in the hopes of selling it for a profit, they point out their improvements.

"The kitchen and the master bath are what sells" most homes, Bowman explains. She and Rechtman gutted the old kitchen, taking down the divider between the breakfast nook and the cooking area and ripping up the vinyl flooring. In its place is a state-of-the-art kitchen with brand-new stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops, an island and hardwood flooring.

The next improvement discussed is the master bathroom. Like a hotel room, the vanity area was separate and carpeted. The pair combined it into one larger room and added a walk-in shower. They paid careful attention to the rest of the house, too, where in every room there was much ripping up, replacing and painting.

The living room now boasts hardwood flooring, too, and where there was once a sliding glass door next to the fireplace now stand elegant French doors.

Some things did survive Bowman and Rechtman's overhaul, such as that same stone fireplace, though it did undergo interior improvements, as well as skylights in the living room.

"We were able to look past the cosmetics" to see great potential, Rechtman says. "Seeing it come together is exciting."

an adds, "This is a dream job for me. There is something about creating. This is not just a house — it's more emotional than that."

This will not be the team's last flip; they are hoping to go a little bigger next time but with the same goal, Bowman says, of "providing a nice quality project at a reasonable price."