DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HomeVestors®, the original “We Buy Ugly Houses®” company, has named a dramatic Orlando home makeover as The Ugliest House Of The Year® 2021 after a tight national vote. Highlighting the most incredible “befores” and “afters” from the nearly 10,000 houses the company’s independently owned and operated franchises purchased in 2021, this year’s winner came courtesy of Bernardo Mazzucco, and includes a donation of $20,000 from HomeVestors of America, Inc. to his local Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando and Osceola County.
The house, a single-story ranch built in 1984, was Mazzucco’s first makeover as a new franchisee. When purchased, it had enough junk to fill five dumpsters strewn inside and out accompanied by an overwhelming smell inside that forced Mazzucco and his crews to rotate to help them endure it. Multiple animals ranging from those with four to six and eight legs had infested the house, which had not been cleaned of hair, waste, or mold in over three years despite it still being used. An overgrown landscape also hid creepy finds like buried dolls in the backyard. Mazzucco and his team painstakingly cleared the property of all ugliness and transformed it into a sparkling home that will be loved by occupants and neighbors for years to come.
“This year, I did my best to do small things in a great way,” said Mazzucco upon being notified of the honor. “I’m honored that this house we brought back to a beautiful and functional use has been recognized as The Ugliest House Of The Year. As a strong national brand, HomeVestors helped reduce my learning curve in an insanely competitive real estate market and helped me succeed with this house, my very first project.”
Mazzucco’s favorite part of any house renovation is the landscaping, which this house required extensively due to out-of-control vegetation. He also completely redid the bathrooms, installed new appliances, placed flooring throughout the house after a deep disinfecting and cleaning treatment, put in new attractive and efficient lighting and sprinkler systems, painted both inside and out, and installed new air conditioning ducts.
“We’re proud of Bernardo and what he’s accomplished in such a short time. Many may not have seen the actual hard work the We Buy Ugly Houses® people do on the houses we buy, dealing with everything from rodent infestations and natural disasters to neglect and vandalism,” said David Hicks, CEO of HomeVestors. “The Ugliest House Of The Year® represents the best of the thousands of houses that were considered hopeless by other buyers, but not by HomeVestors® franchisees, who see potential and know how to make it a reality. They don’t just buy these houses, but they also put in the labor to make these properties whole again.”
The $20,000 donation to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando and Osceola County will take place at a check presentation in February with David Hicks and Catherine McManus, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando and Osceola County.
About HomeVestors of America, Inc.
Dallas-based HomeVestors of America, Inc. is the largest professional house buying franchise in the U.S. with more than 125,000 houses bought since 1996. HomeVestors recruits, trains and supports its more than 1,150 independently owned and operated HomeVestors® franchisees that specialize in building businesses based on buying, rehabbing, selling, and holding residential properties. Most commonly known as the "We Buy Ugly Houses®" company, HomeVestors strives to make a positive impact in each of its 176 markets. The company ranked on the 2021 Inc. 5000, has appeared for 12 consecutive years on the prestigious Franchise Business Review's "Top Franchises,” for nine years on the annual Dallas 100, and ranked 39th on the 2022 Franchise Times Fast & Serious. HomeVestors has also been regularly recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, which most recently ranked it 16th “Top Growth Franchise”, named it as one of the top 200 franchises of 2020, and placed it at number 36 on its annual Franchise 500. For more information, visit www.HomeVestors.com.
