Congratulations, AlleghenyAngel! (Pittsburgh: big house, pierogies, live)

[PittsburghLlama]

Congratulations!
I recall taking a look at some houses in Spring Hill and the view made me shed a few tears. Color me jealous.

[escilade18]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Here are a couple pictures. Couldn't resist! Still nervous about the inspection. I did some research the other night and found the house listed on the city directory dating back to 1887.

That's a beautiful house and it could not be in better hands

[eschaton]

Good luck with the inspection. It it doesn't work out for you, there's a four-bedroom wrecked rowhouse two blocks down from me on the market for $66,000 now - I think.

[Tinare]

That looks like the perfect house for you! Can't wait to see the work you do on it. Hope you'll keep us updated with pictures.

[okaydorothy]

Love it. Reminds me of my grandfathers house in Dublin (the real one). Congrats again.

[Debbie1125]

Great looking house and I LOVE the green door.

[h_curtis]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Here are a couple pictures. Couldn't resist! Still nervous about the inspection. I did some research the other night and found the house listed on the city directory dating back to 1887.

Looks really cool. I wouldn't worry about the home inspection. How long has that home been standing?

On the front of that home here are a few things that can be done to help bring it out.

Cheap improvements:

1. Paint the downspout to match the brick.
2. Strip the paint off the doors, stain and clear coat. (labor, but cheap) If stripped and not in good condition, paint a cleaner color than that dark green. Green and red brick isn't very pleasing IMHO.
3. Paint or remove that wire run or whatever that white pipe is running up to the second floor. Paint it brick color and use a primer for plastic. They make great primers for that.

More involved improvements:
1. Strip that paint off the foundation and reintroduce natural. Take a look at that color of the foundation first and if it isn't too bright, then paint the foundation a dark natural looking color to set it back. It is taking away from the home.
2. The white windows don't go with that home. Also the divided lights are wrong. Replace the windows with no divided lights and the front interior blinds need to be wood to match the door. This would make the home come out and not drag your eyes to those windows. I have a feeling the dividers are inside the double pane, so they can't be taken out. If they can be taken out rid them. If you can't afford new windows in the front, paint that white and make sure the color your choose is dark to set the windows back and not promote them.
3. The third floor white is not good. Paint that the window choice color in different shades to settle that down. Also, the white box gutter is too pronounced. That also should be settled down.
4. Add a pair of period lights on each side of that cool front door.

What you are trying to accomplish is settling down the trim parts to bring the home out. That foundation could be painted charcoal and it would look way better than that bright gray. Making the windows and interior blinds darker would make them set back brining out the home.

If you need ideas, take a walk down Beech Ave or Lincoln Ave in Allegheny West. You won't see white windows on those streets. A calm tasteful look, both bright and white. There is a place for white windows, but your home isn't that place.

If what I wrote is overwhelming, don't think about it all at once. Make the project last years and in 10 years you have a gem! Congrats!

[wyoh]

I love those doors!

[stburr91]

Looks like a great place, I can't wait to see pics of the inside.

[alleghenyangel]

Thanks for the great advice, hcurtis. I definitely agree with all of your suggestions. I did find the green door kind of unique, though, but I'm red-green color blind, so I'm probably way off. I also dislike the white and gray trim and the white windows with divided lights. I would also like to put a front-facing stoop in with more elegant, period style railings, eventually. The double porch light idea is a great one. Overall, the exterior of the house is in good condition for now. I will be making the homes on Beech Avenue my house style role models. I loved the Allegheny West Christmas home tour.

I'm going to probably be focusing on plaster, paint, and flooring inside for my first projects. The main issue with the house is some light water damage in the plaster of the left wall corner and ceiling in two rooms on the second (of three) floors. I'm hoping this is just a little water seeping through masonry joints and not a bigger plumbing issue. It may also be a bad gutter issue, as seller reports. But the inspector I hired should be able to tell me where the water is coming from. The house is overall probably the most solid house I have ever seen. The masonry looks extremely good from what I can see, and the roof was replaced in 07. I'll keep you all updated.

Thanks everyone. Inspection coming up Monday! I think I'm going to listen to "The Green Door" now on youtube (the 60s pop song lol).

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Looks really cool. I wouldn't worry about the home inspection. How long has that home been standing?

On the front of that home here are a few things that can be done to help bring it out.

Cheap improvements:

1. Paint the downspout to match the brick.
2. Strip the paint off the doors, stain and clear coat. (labor, but cheap) If stripped and not in good condition, paint a cleaner color than that dark green. Green and red brick isn't very pleasing IMHO.
3. Paint or remove that wire run or whatever that white pipe is running up to the second floor. Paint it brick color and use a primer for plastic. They make great primers for that.

More involved improvements:
1. Strip that paint off the foundation and reintroduce natural. Take a look at that color of the foundation first and if it isn't too bright, then paint the foundation a dark natural looking color to set it back. It is taking away from the home.
2. The white windows don't go with that home. Also the divided lights are wrong. Replace the windows with no divided lights and the front interior blinds need to be wood to match the door. This would make the home come out and not drag your eyes to those windows. I have a feeling the dividers are inside the double pane, so they can't be taken out. If they can be taken out rid them. If you can't afford new windows in the front, paint that white and make sure the color your choose is dark to set the windows back and not promote them.
3. The third floor white is not good. Paint that the window choice color in different shades to settle that down. Also, the white box gutter is too pronounced. That also should be settled down.
4. Add a pair of period lights on each side of that cool front door.

What you are trying to accomplish is settling down the trim parts to bring the home out. That foundation could be painted charcoal and it would look way better than that bright gray. Making the windows and interior blinds darker would make them set back brining out the home.

If you need ideas, take a walk down Beech Ave or Lincoln Ave in Allegheny West. You won't see white windows on those streets. A calm tasteful look, both bright and white. There is a place for white windows, but your home isn't that place.

If what I wrote is overwhelming, don't think about it all at once. Make the project last years and in 10 years you have a gem! Congrats!