Bargain Mansions

Growing up on her family's Kansas farm, Tamara Day learned the construction trade by helping her father maintain and repair the property's buildings. Years later, she and her husband bought a 5,000-square-foot foreclosed home that required a complete renovation, and Tamara designed every inch of the house herself. Now she buys and overhauls neglected properties in Kansas City, Mo., for a living, and the process and results are documented in "Bargain Mansions." Tamara scoops up the big homes for a fraction of their worth, uncovers distinctive features hidden by years of decay and incorporates modern amenities that attract buyers. Teaming with her dad and mentor, Ward, Tamara redesigns unusual layouts to create desirable open-concept spaces. She also saves and restores authentic features such as pocket doors, stately staircases and exposed brick walls of these historic properties. … MORE