OREM, Utah — Karen Ashton isn't finished thanking God for her financial blessings.
In addition to helping create Thanksgiving Point with her husband as a gift for the community, spearheading the creation of the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and serving in Canada with her husband in the Canada Toronto mission, she's now breathing life into a company that restores old homes for new owners.
The spiffed-up homes then not only bless the lives of those who are able to purchase their American dream, but bless the neighborhoods that no longer have an eyesore house in their area.
"We think Orem City should pay us for revitalization!" quipped Brigham Ashton, a son of Alan and Karen Ashton. Brigham's company remodels the "Little Wonders" homes Ashton buys.
"It makes me happy. It makes the couples who buy them happy. It makes the neighbors happy. I think it even makes the house happy," Karen Ashton said. "It's just a happy thing."
The homes are usually bought from a bank and are generally in pretty sad shape.
The 2,200 square-foot, 1950s rambler-style home BMA Construction just finished renovating in Orem needed a complete plumbing and electrical overhaul, windows put into the basement, the roof re-shingled, the roof line realigned, and moldy sheetrock, paneling and flooring pulled out and replaced. Insulation was put in. The foundation was re-tarred. New siding was added.
The Ashtons also added a cold storage room and outside patio; extended the kitchen to allow for a laundry area; redesigned the living room with a bay window, a stained-glass front door and a gas fireplace; and put new carpeting and fixtures in. They added a bathroom with a jetted tub to the master suite and a second main floor bathroom. Closets were redesigned with shelves and storage space.
In the basement, wooden beams were replaced with steel beams and space reallocated. Ducts were cleaned out. The yard is sodded and landscaped.
Karen enjoys the restoration process.
"I love the building process. It's very creative and it gives me a chance to redecorate," she said. "When they're finished, they are beautiful."
"Mom would come over to see what we'd done and she'd want to add just a few things more," said Brigham Ashton. "We kept having to remind her that we want to be able to sell the house at a reasonable price."
The Little Wonders home the Ashtons just sold for $225,000 was purchased at $140,000. BMA then put around $120,000 in materials and labor into it. (Do the math and you can see Little Wonders is a not-for-profit enterprise.)
"Some things you do because you enjoy them," Karen Ashton said. "If I were to design a sign for Little Wonders, I would design a little house with a great big smile on it!"
"This is one of those ventures," Brigham Ashton said, "that's an expression of gratitude to God. Little Wonders is one of those gifts, although we hope to help her make it a break-even gift."
Thus far, Little Wonders has refurbished three Orem homes with one under way in Pleasant Grove.
"Karen has the final say. She calls the shots. She has a good vision," said her son. "This is a new home now, nothing fancy, nothing big but someone could live here and be really happy."
The neighbors are thrilled, said Brigham Ashton. The home now adds rather than detracts from the neighborhood.
"What gives me a thrill is to drive past a Little Wonders home at night and see the lights on, the glowing windows, the flowers planted. Little Wonders is a project of happiness," Karen Ashton said.
The Ashtons are hoping more opportunities will come along involving old homes that need some upgrading and people who need a home with an affordable price tag.
To donate or recommend a home for Little Wonders, call BMA Construction at 801-785-3400.
E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com