Photos by Hillary Ehlen
After being dissatisfied with the Fargo home they were living in for two years, Allison and Jesse Lunde were ready to take a leap and settle in the perfect dwelling. After looking all over, they finally found a beautiful eggshell blue home to purchase. The only problem? The interior was less than desirable…to put it very generously.
The original listing of the home included no photos of the interior, a foreboding warning of what might lay inside the charming exterior. Ever curious, Allison did her research on the home and found out as much history on the property as was available online. To the excitement of her inner true-crime podcast enthusiast and the unrest of her home-flipper, she knew there would be some interesting tidbits to uncover.
Despite the 1980’s pink bathroom with a shower that didn’t drain, dog urine stained flooring and debris-caked walls, the bones of the home drew the Lundes in. Built in 1939, this home features sturdy poured foundation and a new roof and siding. These structural components allowed the couple to feel safe that most of the work to be done would be on the interior. Other existing parts of the home that the Lundes appreciated were the enclosed porch, maple flooring throughout, the trim on the windows and door frames and the symmetrical, picturesque exterior.
By day, Allison owns and operates a full-service floral provider, Floret and Foliage, and Jesse is the Assistant Superintendent of the grounds crew at Oxbow Country Club. With no formal background in home improvement, these two make for an unlikely team for this project. However, they noted, “We had bought a home in Fargo two years ago and we were accidentally flipping that. We didn’t want to, but cabinets were falling apart and the floor was ripping and we had to replace everything.” They ended up sinking a lot of money into this house they weren’t even keen on.
“We had no experience other than working on our Fargo house. But I grew up with my father and if there was a project, he did it. It didn’t matter how long it took or what it was. So I figured if my dad could do it — all self-taught — we could do it, too,” shared Allison.
As a way to keep their intrigued friends and family up-to-date on the progress of this huge undertaking, Allison created an Instagram account for the project: @MidwestRevivals. By keeping this account updated with discoveries, progress and even polls asking for opinions on finishing, the Lundes are able to focus on doing the hard work, rather than spending time explaining each detail to the many interested people in their progress. Allison shared, “I figured posting on Instagram would be a great way to get it out there so that people asking me about it could follow along. I just wanted to keep people updated.”
Allison keeps this @MidwestRevivals account authentic. She swears, she shares sarcastic anecdotes on Instagram Stories, she keeps it real about the exciting parts and the struggles that come with flipping a house. Head to Instagram to follow along with Allison and Jesse as they celebrate triumphs and problem-solve difficulties. Whether you’re in the midst of a home flip yourself or have always dreamed of being a part of one, following along with their process is education, inspiring and entertaining for all.
