The Renovator
Shannon Brunner’s house-flipping business is raising local real estate to a higher level.
Words by Justin Hunter | Images by Blakeney Clouse and courtesy Shannon
Shannon Brunner is beautifying Jasper one home renovation project at a time. He is exhuming the gold from the bones of broken-down houses. Homes stamped with Brunner’s unique approach to the farm-style motif are causing a stir in the local housing market and on social media.
“I have lots of people who are following my journey on Facebook and reaching out to me about the location of my next home project,” says Brunner, owner of Homeplace Restoration & Rentals LLC. “I had a couple purchase a remodel because they saw my work on Facebook.”
When compared to Chip and Joanna Gaines, superstars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper, Brunner lets out a modest laugh. “I don’t know if I would go that far,” he says with a slight grin, shaking off the compliment. “I do wish flipping houses was as easy as Chip and Joanna make it look on television. It is a little more difficult than that. They manage to keep their projects on budget.”
Born and raised in Parrish, Brunner graduated from Parrish High School in 1996. He is now married to his high school sweetheart and best friend, Dr. Bridget Brunner, an OB-GYN at Walker Women’s Specialists. The two began dating when Shannon was 15 years old and have been inseparable for the last 29 years.
“Probably the greatest accomplishment to date is convincing her to say yes,” says Brunner.
Shannon’s passion for home design was sparked four years ago. He and his wife had purchased property on Blackwater Creek and were in the process of building their own home. He became smitten with the home-building process and found himself at the construction site as much as his schedule would allow between work, family, and attending Bevill State Community College.
“I was looking for something to fill my time when I was back in school,” Brunner recalls. “I was like, you know, what? If I could find me a nice little house that I could just kind of work on in my free time, I’d like to see where that takes me.”
Soon, Brunner found a $25,000 fixer-upper—a dilapidated, one-bedroom shotgun house on Seventh Avenue. Built back in the forties, the 991-square-foot home was in utter disrepair. Fortunately, Brunner had learned a few things about building homes working a construction job after high school.
“My wife has always been super-encouraging and extremely supportive,” he says. “When I had the conversation with her that I thought I might want to pursue this path, she was on board one hundred percent.”
Emboldened by his wife’s support, Brunner rolled up his sleeves and dug in, pouring blood, sweat, and tears into his new project. Weeks later, the flaking, white-painted shanty had been transformed into a gorgeous, royal blue, single-family home that stands out to anyone driving past it.
“The first house was pretty rough,” Brunner admits. “When I purchased it, I knew I had a long way to go, and that house was such a learning experience. I really had to focus on budget, not wanting to sink too much money into the house to get a return on investment. But I enjoyed it start to finish.”
Home renovations are now becoming a family affair. Shannon and Dr. Brunner’s two beautiful children, Olivia and Isaac, love hanging out with their dad on job sites when they aren’t in school. “When you’re eight and six years old, it’s a big deal to go to a job with dad,” Brunner says. “I don’t know if this will be something they will do in the future. I really just want them to be happy in whatever they pursue.”
When an individual or family purchases a Brunner home, they can rest easy knowing he has poured his heart, mind, and strength into the space. Brunner is passionate about each project and draws the gold from the old bones of the house.
“The few homes that I have put my stamp on are benefitting the community,” he says. “I believe my homes are raising the property values of neighboring houses on the streets they are on.” 78