Stories
Home Repair John
John’s home on the corner will stay in the family for even longer, thanks to a new roof and other updates Above: Homeowner John (right)
10 Aug, 2023
This Denver couple is excited to have a place to call their own.
Every time Tylor and Renae helped build homes at Habitat Metro Denver’s Miller Home community in Wheat Ridge, they also got to see their own three-bedroom duplex take shape.
“It is very exciting to see it come to fruition,” shared Renae when the siding, windows, and interior dry wall were being installed on her family’s home. “We love seeing our home come together.”
Tylor, Renae, and their 2-year-old daughter currently live in a tiny two-bedroom apartment in Englewood. In the two years they’d lived in the apartment, there have been a total of seven floods due to bad plumbing. As they looked for other housing options, the couple had little hope of buying a home of their own, due to rising costs.
Then, a friend of Renae’s mother bought a home through Habitat of Metro Denver and urged Tylor and Renae to apply. Tylor is a project coordinator for a construction company and Renae is a referral coordinator for a neurologist’s office. The couple was accepted into the program and qualified to buy their home.
“We weren’t really looking. We assumed we’d always rent, but when we heard about Habitat for Humanity, we knew we had to jump on it,’’ Tylor shares.
In their journey to become homeowners, the couple takes Habitat classes in finance, debt, home ownership, trusts and wills, home repair and community building in the evenings after work.
“The whole process has been great,’’ Tylor shares. “I wish there were more programs like this. I think every young person should go through these classes. We are so grateful for it.”
During their Saturday sweat equity work, both Tylor and Renae learned to use nail guns and saws, climb ladders safely and other building skills. “It is great learning to do these things. All the Habitat staff have been great,’’ Tylor shares.
“I was a little afraid of going up on the roof, but I did pretty well,’’ shares Renae.
Renae is looking forward to having a flower garden and planting herbs next summer. She’s also looking forward to having an attic and plenty of other storage space. Tylor envisions grilling dinners on the backyard patio. The couple want to have another child and the third bedroom will make that possible.
“Having our own home will mean the world to us” Tylor shares. “We can grow as a family. We’ll have a sense of ownership and have a place we can call home for more than a year.”
“I wish there were more programs like this. We are so grateful for it, ” said Tylor
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