SWEAT EQUITY OPPORTUNITY 82 Porter Street, Watertown $284, 999 3 bedrooms 1 bath 1, 624 sf 0.52 level acre Public water. Public sewer. Available now. Most buyers in this town will pay $390, 000 to $500, 000 for a smaller house on a smaller lot because the kitchen cabinets are new. Same-size houses on half an acre are being offered well above this price. Porter Street is more house, a bigger usable yard, and about $115, 000 less than that pack, because the cosmetic work is still open. Floors, paint, fixtures, and the kitchen are the remaining scope. The heavy work is already done. Oil tank removed and soil certified clean. Asbestos and vermiculite remediated. Electric upgraded. Third-party pre-inspection in the file. Clean title. It was under contract twice near $300, 000 before that work was finished. It is $284, 999 now. What is for sale is not a showroom. It is 1, 624 square feet of 1919 house on a level half acre the new-cabinet listings do not have. Half an acre, level, all usable. About 22, 650 square feet of yard, a red workshop already standing, public water and public sewer. Watertown allows one accessory dwelling on this R-10 lot, attached or detached, by zoning permit. On a 1, 624-square-foot house the town cap is about 540 square feet and two bedrooms. Confirm the permit with the town before counting on it. The yard and the sewer are what make the application realistic., Here's a realistic DIY cost estimate for the kitchen. Task Estimated Pull up vinyl $30-$60 Scraper, adhesive remover, utility knife. Labor is free. Refinish hardwood floor $250-$500 Drum + edger rental (1-2 days), sandpaper, stain (optional), polyurethane (2-3 coats).Paint cabinets $200-$450 Quality primer + cabinet enamel (e.g. Benjamin Moore Advance or similar), deglosser, sandpaper, brushes/rollers, tape. Plastic / peel-and-stick backsplash$60-$300 Typically $2-$8/sq ft. Most kitchens need 25-40 sq ft. Optional extras $50-$200New cabinet hardware (highly recommended), wall paint, extra supplies. Contingency (15%) $80-$150Mistakes, extra material, unexpected adhesive residue, etc.Total DIY $670 - $1, 660 Most people land in the $750-$1, 100 range. Key Cost Drivers & Reality Check Cabinet painting is the biggest visual win and usually the most time-consuming part (prep + multiple coats + drying). Expect 30-60 hours of work spread over a couple of weeks. Floor refinishing is the trickiest DIY task. A drum sander can leave permanent marks if you linger in one spot. Many people rent the tools and still hire a pro for the floor if they're not confident. Peel-and-stick / plastic backsplash is the easiest and cheapest item. It's fine for a budget update but won't hold up as well as real tile right next to the stove (heat + grease). Confirm there's solid hardwood under the vinyl before you commit. Some older vinyl was installed over plywood or particle board instead of hardwood. Comparison to Hiring Pros Doing this yourself typically saves $2, 000-$5, 000+ versus hiring professionals for the same scope (mainly on the floor and cabinet painting labor). Bottom line: This is a high-impact cosmetic refresh that can realistically be done for roughly $800-$1, 100 in materials and rentals if you already own basic tools and the hardwood is in decent shape. The labor is significant, especially the cabinets and floor.