On the market: A change of plans for a flip in Glenside

Mark Irwin was looking for a different kind of project when his uncle, Kevin Burke, alerted him to a rundown house down the street from him.

"I was originally looking for a place that my wife and I could move into ourselves," Irwin said.

He decided to drive by the home to take a look and immediately fell in love with its curb appeal.

"Thus began my almost year-long process of finding the current owner and purchasing the property," he said.

And then, once he got the property, "we realized it needed a lot more work than I was envisioning," Irwin said. "We knew that the renovations would take way longer than the time frame we had to move."

So he approached his business partners, Burke and Ken Buchholz, and proposed a rehab.

"We basically renovated everything in the entire house," Irwin said.

They also added a 425-square-foot addition.

Today the five-bedroom property features new hardwood flooring throughout, an updated wraparound porch, a master suite with private balcony, and an expansive new kitchen.

"The kitchen will definitely appeal most to new buyers," Irwin said.

The kitchen, which opens to the dining room, boasts quartz countertops, new stainless steel appliances, and peninsula seating for five.

In addition to the new finishes, Irwin said buyers are likely to find the neighborhood appealing. Roberts Avenue is a sought-after street, he said, and neighbors were friendly throughout the renovation.

"It was at that time that myself and Ken realized this was a really cool location," he said. "It's just a really friendly and close-knit neighborhood."

The home is listed with Buchholz at Realty Mark Associates for $629,900.