This is a 1964 ranch-style home on Auburn Road in Memphis, TN 38116, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 1,923 square feet of living space. A walkthrough by Spencer Buys Houses found loose flooring, cracked ceilings, and heavy rot at the roof valley and fascia. This house needs a full rehab, not just paint, and we’re documenting the repairs step by step.
A Street, a House, and a Lot of Years
Every street in Memphis has a house like this one.
On Auburn Road, in the 38116 zip code of southwest Memphis, sits a one-story ranch built in 1964. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 1,923 square feet of space, which is a generous size for a ranch of its era. The layout is simple and practical, the kind that made ranches a favorite for families for generations. For decades, people came home to this house, cooked in its kitchen, and slept under its roof.
But a house doesn’t stay in good shape on its own. When we walked through, it was obvious that this one had been waiting a long time for attention.
What We Saw Walking Through the Front Door
Some homes look rough on the outside but are sound underneath. This was the opposite kind of walkthrough, where the problems show up one room at a time.
The floors felt wrong. Parts of the flooring were loose and shifted underfoot. Loose flooring is rarely just a flooring problem. It often means something underneath needs a closer look, such as the subfloor, moisture, or old repairs that didn’t hold.
The ceilings were cracked. Ceiling cracks can come from age, settling, or water. A little paint won’t tell you which one you’re dealing with, and it won’t stop the crack from coming back.
The roof told the real story. At the roof valley, where two roof slopes meet and rainwater runs down, there was heavy rot. The fascia, the board that runs along the edge of the roof, had rotted too. Rot like that usually builds up slowly, over many rain seasons.
Why Houses End Up Like This
It’s easy to look at a house in this condition and assume someone just didn’t care. In our experience, that’s rarely the story.
More often, it’s a roof repair that kept getting pushed back because money was tight. Or an owner who aged and couldn’t keep up with the work. Or a family who inherited a house from a loved one and didn’t know where to begin. Or a landlord who stopped investing in the property. Small problems get ignored, then they grow, and eventually the repair list is bigger than anyone can handle.
We don’t judge that. Spencer Buys Houses exists for exactly these situations, where a house needs more than its owner can take on.
Why This Isn’t a Paint-and-Carpet Job
Fresh paint can make a house look better for a weekend. It can’t fix a rotted roof valley, and it can’t make a loose floor solid. With 1,923 square feet to work through, cosmetic fixes would also cover a lot of ground without solving any of the real problems.
A house with this much wrong needs a real rehab, done in the right order:
- Water first. The roof valley and fascia come before anything else, because everything inside depends on keeping water out.
- Structure next. Rotted wood gets replaced, and the floors get checked from underneath.
- Interior repairs. Cracked ceilings are repaired properly rather than covered up.
- Finishes last. Paint, flooring, and the final touches come once the house is sound.
We documented every issue during the walkthrough and mapped out the repair plan before starting. That order keeps the work from being redone and keeps surprises to a minimum.
What a Memphis Renovation Really Looks Like
Most people only see the finished photos: the bright kitchen, the clean floors, the perfect front yard. They don’t see the rot, the demolition, or the days when the house looks worse before it looks better.
We want to show the whole process. As work moves forward at this Auburn Road home, we’ll share the progress step by step, so you can see what it takes to bring a worn-out house back to life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of house is this?
It’s a 1964 ranch-style home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 1,923 square feet, located on Auburn Road in Memphis, TN 38116.
How big is the house?
The home has 1,923 square feet of living space across one level.
What problems did the walkthrough find?
We found loose flooring, cracked ceilings, and heavy rot at the roof valley and fascia.
Why does rot at the roof valley matter?
The valley is where water from two roof planes collects and drains. If it fails, water can get into the roof structure, the walls, and the ceilings below. That’s why the roof is the first thing we fix.
Can a house like this just be painted and sold?
Not responsibly. Cosmetic work doesn’t address rot, loose floors, or ceiling damage, and inspectors and lenders will find those problems. A full rehab is the better path.
Can I sell a house in this condition in Memphis?
Yes. Spencer Buys Houses buys homes as-is, so you don’t have to pay for repairs or clean up before selling.
Will Spencer Buys Houses buy a home with roof damage?
Yes. Roof damage, rot, foundation concerns, and other major repairs are all situations we work with.
Own a House That Needs More Than You Can Take On?
If you own a property with a failing roof, damaged floors, or a repair list that keeps growing, you don’t have to fix it before you sell. Spencer Buys Houses has bought homes in every condition across Memphis and Shelby County for over 10 years, with 400+ purchases, a BBB A+ rating, and 4.9★ across 113 reviews.
Call Spencer Buys Houses at 901-621-8799 for a no-pressure conversation about your options.
Follow Spencer Buys Houses for progress updates on the Auburn Road project.