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It had been vacant for 3 years (bank owned). Previous owner thought it would be a good idea to install a metal roof over asbestos shingles, and cut 6" holes for 3" vent stacks and no flashing....whoops. Boots installed all damage repaired.
Wood siding had not seen paint in 30 years...paint ground off to bare wood,.... caulked and re-painted.
Attic was so full of cracks from the poor siding condition, it was home to hundreds of wasps and thousands of ladybug type beetles....closed cell spray foam insulation fixed that.
Cave crickets had taken over all rooms, and left their deposits all over the hardwood floors....scrubbed and waxed by hand....2000 sqft.
Chimneys had not been cleaned of creosote, resulting chimney fires broke the tile liners... relined for woodburning inserts.
Basement constantly flooded due to improper grading, no roof gutters, and blocked floor drains....installed gutters/downspouts/drainpipe, cleaned the floor drains and regraded the yard.
Kitchen was original (1949), had cabinets all the way to the ceiling (9.5'). Custom cherry cabs, granite counters, tile backsplash and new flooring installed.
Backyard was a jungle of pine saplings so thick you couldn't walk through, and had been overtaken by wisteria and ivy. Cleared by hand.
Small front porch has seen better days...now adding 3000 sqft wraparound covered veranda.
The upside of this Federal style home is that it was built with top of the line materials in 1949, including steel beams, full 2.5"x10" floor joists and full 2.5"/4" studs in the walls.
This adventure is the epitome of sweat equity....think I'm done with fixer uppers.
Last edited by gemstone1; 02-19-2023 at 07:07 AM..
My apartment was spotlessly clean, as I knew the owners and she really cleaned it good.
I had lived in the apartment on the first floor, they were the 4th and getting a divorce, that's how I was able to buy them out. A very nice young couple, I will add.
However, there was ugly brown carpeting throughout the apartment, the kitchen had linoleum and some parts of it looked like the color had come off. Really ugly, luckily it was only laid down on top of a nice plywood sub floor so it was easy to replace for a new floor.
The window ledges he had made out of formica, and they weren't level, they all had to be replaced. He didn't do a good job, or I am just really anal over these things.
The bathroom had this gorky tri-mirror medicine cabinet. All the vinyl blinds on the windows were broken in one way or another. There were child guards with one way screws on all the windows except the fire escape window. I was able to get them off with a lot of skill and manpower, please, don't ask...
The kitchen cabinets were oak from the 80's, luckily they were the dark oak, so I was able to live with them for another 2 years until I deceided what type of cabinets I'd like, they were in good condition, so at least that was good.
Once the carpeting came up and the original parquet floors were exposed I was somewhat hopeful, until all the carpet came up and near all the radiators the floor was patched up with plywood, and the absence of the saddles between the doors was ply wood as well. The floors were in deplorable condition, and it was a shame, as the parquet in the living room had a great border around it as well and I do like parquet floors to begin with, but they had to be replaced, and they were.
Of course now the apartment has been re done several times over, as I'm living there for the last 28 years, and had lived in the apartment on the first floor for 4 years, so, all together I'm in my building for 34 years. Out of the 32 apartments, I am the second one living here the longest. Boy, do I need to get out and see the world.
New and fresh looking. It was only a couple of years old. But bare. It had blinds but no curtains, so things echoed. That's the first thing we worked on - adding fabric.
white and beige. all the walls were white, all the floors beige.
Four years later, they still are, except for one room where I replaced the beige carpet with cream vinyl.
But we have colorful furniture and accessories, including lots of blue/turquoise, so it works.
white and beige. all the walls were white, all the floors beige.
Four years later, they still are, except for one room where I replaced the beige carpet with cream vinyl.
But we have colorful furniture and accessories, including lots of blue/turquoise, so it works.
Most of mine was dirty white walls and ceilings except for the living room, which was the only room with color. I actually liked it and will probably go back to it after a decade with grey. Every room has color in it now other than the living room which is grey and white.
Most of mine was dirty white walls and ceilings except for the living room, which was the only room with color. I actually liked it and will probably go back to it after a decade with grey. Every room has color in it now other than the living room which is grey and white.
Looks nice!
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