Michigan Man Restoring Aretha Franklin’s Iconic Detroit Home

A Michigan man says he's hoping to preserve a little bit of Motown history by restoring Aretha Franklin's home located on the 7th hole of the Detroit Golf Club.

Trevor Thomas said he expressed interest in acquiring the home shortly after Franklin passed away in 2018. It was earlier this year when he was contacted about purchasing the 7,000-square-foot home.

Aretha Franklin Owned Multiple Properties at the Time of Her Death

We shared pictures of the iconic home last year when it hit the market for a little less than $1 million.

Although Franklin still owned the home at the time of her death, she had not been living in the residence. Aretha's beautiful $1.3 million home in Bloomfield Hills - where she spent the last several years of her life - was sold early last year. We've included several pictures of that stunning home here. 

Aretha's Detroit Golf Club Home is a Real Fixer-Upper

Because Franklin's home was unoccupied for several years, it had come under significant disrepair. Thomas says restoring the home will take a lot of time and hard work.

“I think a lot of people took a pass. There was certainly plenty of interest but it’s complex not just to do the deal itself but then also the restoration,” Thomas tells WOOD-TV.

He says that while there are currently seven bedrooms in the home, he and his partner plan to reconfigure the floorplan for six bedrooms. He notes that one of the biggest projects is resoring the home's roof.

“To restore a slate roof is in the hundreds of thousands and so it will be at least a five-year project,” Thomas said.

 

Tours of Aretha Franklin's Home Are Available During Restoration

While the home has become Thomas' full-time residence, he's allowing the public to take scheduled tours during the restoration process.

“It’s a full-time residence but we have opened it up to anyone that may have interest because it is our passion and our heart,” Thomas said.

Take a look at the home below and keep reading to see pictures of Aretha Franklin's stunning $1.3 million Bloomfield Hills home which was sold last year.