The grass is always greener when it’s part of an overhaul. A redo (above) of this 1968 home in Forest West (at right) lawned-up the yard, boosted the landscaping, and thinned out the tree limbs. Then, the makeover moved inside, adding fresh paint, a new HVAC system, carpet, and 2012-ier finishes in the kitchen and bathrooms. The home is just a couple lots away from the crosswalks of HISD’s Clifton Middle School and adjacent Forest West Park.

The revamped property was listed earlier this week at $159,900, but in February 2012 it changed hands for $85,000. That previous listing’s initial asking price was $139,900 — in September 2011. But it tumbled every few weeks thereafter: from $132,500 in early October to November’s double-dips of $124,900 and $114,900 to holiday pricing of $109,900 . . . and a new year-new price of $99,900.

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As part of the new look, a snazzy pair of folding doors with etched-glass panels separates the living and dining rooms, positioned across the front of the 2,065-sq.-ft. home. The dining room, which previously sported patterned wallpaper, now plays up its neutral walls with tone-on-tone wainscoting.

Before the kitchen transformation brought in new hardware, tilework, stainless steel, and granite, the room’s finishes included paneling — scorched a bit by the old stove top — plus scalloped wooden trim above the sink and below several of the cabinets. A few jigsawed examples remain, however, such as the brackets (above) supporting the countertop where it cantilevers into the family room. Meanwhile, here’s the cleaned-up version of the kitchen and breakfast nook:

The makeover retained a bar-height cutout between the kitchen and family room, but ditched the built-in shelving and tawny paneling, as this photo from the home’s previous listing shows at right:

The first floor also has the master bedroom, with its unusual floating closet above an access panel to the the adjacent bathroom’s tub plumbing:

Upstairs, a notched ceiling in a doorway (below) shows where one end of the front dormer hits after bumping out a windowed-and-wide passageway between mirror-image bedrooms. The dormer’s twin at the back of the house contains a full bathroom and 1 more bedroom:

HCAD calls the home a 1-story with a 2-car garage, as most of the properties on the street are. But this home’s shed dormers in front (at left) and back (below) pre-date the 2012 renovations. The back of the home also has a small, covered patio with a roof that covers 1 of 2 windows flanking the chimney. The lot, meanwhile, is just shy of 7,500 sq. ft.

• 5030 Golden Forest Dr. [HAR]