Nicole Curtis - Better Than New: Lessons Ive Learned from Saving Old Homes (and How They Saved Me)

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Better Than new

Lessons Ive Learned from Saving Old Homes

(and how they saved me)

Nicole Curtis

New York

In memory of my Gram

And to my babiesnothing matters more than you

Contents

Preface

Hi. Im Nicole Curtis, and Im addicted to rehab
(well, home rehab).

R ehab Addict is the name of my HGTV show, but it could just as easily be the title of my life. Ever since I can remember, Ive fixed things. I was brought up in a family where thats just how it was. And every moment seemed to yield a lesson to learn. I heard money doesnt grow on trees, never judge a book by its cover, or my Grampss favorite, Do you work for Edison? more often than I can count. These are lessons I carry with me to this day.

Throughout my childhood, I couldnt wait to have a home of my own, and at eighteen, I bought my first house. It seems like Ive always been rehabbing a house. But as much as I put into my houses, as much as I believe they save neighborhoods and change peoples lives, make no mistakeI get something in return. The houses teach me valuable lessons. More than once, a dilapidated house that Ive restored has actually helped save me, and given me a path to restoring the structure of my life. Im here as proof: You can do a lot worse than listen to the lessons an old house can teach you.

Always the tomboy, only on holidays did I look picture-perfect.

As Ive built my real estate and renovation career, Ive come to associate particular lessons with a given house. The glorious Minnehaha mansion in southwest Minneapolis taught me that sometimes in order to move ahead, you have to be willing to let something go. That lesson keeps on ringing true. It has made me tackle houses that others wouldnt touch, and thats led to a lot of success, both on and off my TV show. Whenever I think about the Dollar house in the Central neighborhood in Minneapolis, I remember that I need to be able to back up my words with action. For someone who is not afraid to speak her mind, that lesson is a good reality check. And even my first house, a feeble structure in Tampa, drove home the universally useful point that every mistake is knowledge waiting to happen.

Ive renovated so many old houses that after a while, the lessons piled up and started to seem like a guidebook to a well-lived life. I realized that every new one was another page in the road map out of troubled timesnot just for me, but for anyone. I write about these lessons in my social media posts and talk to friends and family about them, and now Im collecting them in a book to pass on what Ive learned.

With my grandparents in 1979.

* * *

I know it all started with my upbringing. I was born and raised in a small town called Lake Orion, right outside Detroit, Michigan. My parents taught me to work hard, be smart, and hang tough. My incredible grandparents, too, were part of my education. Children of the Depression, they knew what it was to have nothing and made sure each of us kids knew what it meant to work for a living. In fact, returning to my hometown to rehab their Indian Lake Road house brought me back to one of the most important lessons I learned from them: to live life on your own terms. My life might not seem normal to some, but what Ive come to learn is that there is no normal. I think thats been the most valuable lesson. You will never succeed in life judging yourself by someone elses standards.

Youre such a nice young man, I would hear so often.

Ive been described as having a strong personality, which I take to mean Im a woman who speaks her mind and stands her ground. Other people may have an issue with that, but I get into trouble anytime I lose touch with that woman. The houses I renovateand their lessonsinevitably bring that part of me back, front and center.

Ive always loved taking on challengeswhat other people call problems and roadblocks. Its a big part of what makes my business profitable and has led to my reputation as a savvy entrepreneur. Sure, on any given day you may lose more than you win. Ill be the first to admit that adversity isnt always fun. You have to be ready to fall and get right back up. But thats always easier if youre doing something you believe in, and when you know you can take away lessons from the experience. For instance, I didnt particularly want to rebuild a severely fire-damaged house on Campbell Street in Detroit, but doing so taught me that determination can be a tool, one that can transform a pile of ashes into a special home. That type of lesson is key to improving as a professional and as a person. I know its how I get better at everything in life.

My teens.

As I began to write this book, I realized I wanted to include more than just lessons. A lot goes on behind the scenes of my show, and over the course of any long and involved historic home renovation. Sometimes I find myself in totally unexpected and surprising situations. Ive swung a hammer next to LeBron James; Lenny Kravitz told me I was a badass; and Sia said she loved my show, not knowing that her song Breathe Me got me through more than one difficult moment. Im always caught off guard by the fact that this little idea I hadto save houses that no one cared aboutis celebrated by so many people worldwide. More often, I enjoy heart-tugging moments that seem to come out of the blue. Ive been surprised on my set by fans who just showed up and brought me to tears with their inspiring stories. When someone says, Youve changed my life, Im humbled, and I realize that all the bad I experience has purpose even if it takes me years to understand it. So much happens that the camera doesnt catch, and I wanted to share all that as well. There is simply a lot more to what I do than fixing up old houses.

A great friend once told me, Nicole, if you understand business and people, you can do anything you want. I look at everything in life like Im building a house. Whether its helping others or working on my own personal issues, if you dont start with a solid foundation, it will all fall apart.

Thats why, regardless of the difficulties and how successful I might be at overcoming them, Im always looking to learn. Ive gotten a graduate education from the joys and challenges in life. No degree out there will give you the skill sets required to go through life without making some mistakes. Believe me, I would have done anything to be handed a guidebook on the easy way to raise a teenager, manage businesses, age gracefully, and even prepare for the unexpectedthings that have occurred in my life that I never could have imagined. But instead, you learn as you go. And if you take the lessons to heart, it helps you down the road.