Boise Couple Transforms Ugly Home, Sells for $624k

HomeVestors, the company behind the "We Buy Ugly Houses" brand, hosts an annual "Ugliest House of the Year" contest to showcase dramatic makeovers by its franchise owners. In 2025, Tanice and Paul Myers emerged as winners out of 20 entries for their renovation of a Boise property.

The Myerses have been married for 25 years and have spent more than two decades investing in real estate. They expanded their operation in 2018 by joining HomeVestors and have flipped more than 500 homes together. Tanice Myers previously spent 10 years in corporate tech sales at Microsoft before transitioning to real estate full-time.

Tanice, 53, commented on the career shift, stating, "It was empowering to be able to walk into my management team and say, 'I don't want to do this anymore.'"

The winning property was a four-bedroom, two-bath home built in the 1940s on a nearly 9,000-square-foot lot. Before the renovation, the home was in "absolutely awful shape," featuring rotting wood, a cracked driveway, peeling paint, and dirt-stained floors. The interior reeked of moldy food and dogs.

The home's previous owner had lived there for decades, and the property deteriorated due to health issues. The Myerses noted that the kitchen and primary bedroom required the most work. Paul Myers described the conditions: "There was a lot of open food. There's a lot of rat droppings and flies everywhere."

Additional issues included:

• Smoke-stained walls with nicotine and tar residue
• Ceiling holes and paint blotches
• Outdated appliances and clutter
• Water-stained exterior and debris-covered walkway

Despite the condition, Paul Myers, 51, believed the home had potential, stating, "The house itself is a cool 40s house. It was begging to come back to life. It was a really strong house with a great foundation."

The Myerses invested more than $100,000 in repairs, performing a full transformation from top to bottom. The renovation involved replacing the roof, windows, electrical systems, HVAC, and plumbing. They also repaired drywall, floors, and resurfaced the driveway.

To address the smoke odor, the couple tore out most of the flooring and drywall. "Once you've torn out that much, there's not much to really smell," Paul said. The couple also completely gutted the bathrooms, updating plumbing and installing new vanities, tubs, tiles, and fixtures.

The renovation took about six to eight weeks to complete. The couple stripped rooms down to the subfloor before installing new flooring and fresh paint. They also poured a new driveway and installed a new sprinkler system, expenses Tanice noted are typically not included in their standard flips.

Regarding interior design, Paul focused on broad appeal: "I want to use colors that are current and modern, that can appeal to many buyers." The kitchen was opened up to include an eating bar to bring the family together.

Following the renovations, the home was listed for $624,000 in July and sold shortly thereafter. The project had a significant community impact beyond the sale. The Myerses removed a wheelchair ramp left by the previous owners and donated it to a Boise-area family with a 9-year-old daughter who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. The ramp was custom-installed for the family's home.

Through the HomeVestors contest, a $20,000 donation was made to the local Habitat for Humanity in the Myerses' honor. "We're really proud to be able to give back in different ways with one house," Tanice said. "The original owner was able to move into a much healthier living environment, and a new family was able to come in to start their memories brand new and fresh."

Tanice emphasized the hidden costs of such projects, noting that the $100,000 construction cost does not reflect utilities, insurance, holding costs, or resale expenses. She expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting the community's response was "incredibly rewarding."