Budget Breakdown: After a Contractor Scam, an L.A. Couple Wraps Their Bungalow Remodel for $176K

When Mandy Palasik and her husband, Adam Vest, found out they were relocating from Philadelphia to Los Angeles for Adam’s new job, the couple were eager to trade cold winters for a home with a sunny backyard—understandable coming from the native Baltimoreans and long-time East Coasters, who had endured their share of harsh weather.

Mandy, who likes to peruse real estate websites, was keeping an eye out for something that had—or could have—the same great light as the loft they were renting in Philadelphia. She immediately sensed potential in a listing for a Spanish-style bungalow that had remnants of its original charm, like a barrel-vaulted ceiling, altar-topped fireplace, and Sante Fe–style plastered archway; Adam, who has a green thumb, needed no convincing after seeing the ample backyard. The home, built in 1926, was clearly a fixer-upper, but as a registered architect who runs her own practice, Mandy had ideas for how they could make it their own.

She and Adam bought the property site unseen in 2019—just before the onset of Covid and the completion of SoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood sent the area’s home and rent prices soaring. The neighborhood still has its quiet charm and strong community, says Mandy, but she’s not sure they could afford to move there now. "Because the older generations that lived here are transitioning out, developers looking to make a quick profit have purchased a lot of the homes and stripped them of their original character," she says.