Rowhouse Renovation

Re-entry

Hello, hello.

Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Chelle and in June 2007 I bought a house. A lovely 1920 Queen Anne rowhouse in Philly. I love old houses and I grown quite fond of this house in particular. When I first purchased the house I was really gung ho and anxious to get started on the renovations and decorating. Then I got some excellent advice from friends and collegues who were homeowners. That advice was to sit tight. Take care of immediate concerns like changing the locks or fixing leaks but otherwise, chill. Live in your house for four seasons before you really do anything. So I've spent the past year and a half just settling in.

Now I'm ready to tackle the house. It's a great old house but it has suffered from neglect and remuddling. My theme for 2009 is Clear the Decks! In the financial arena, I'm eliminating my credit card debt. On the homefront, I'm getting rid of the clutter, getting rid of the remnants of the previous owners. This is the year I begin personalizing the house. Painting, exchanging fixtures, adding artwork, repurposing space...that sort of thing. I'll share the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of transforming this house into my home with you.

Neglect

If I neglected my house as shamefully as I've neglected this blog, it would be condemned. Despite the blog silence, I have been doing things around the house. I'm back and I'm committed to posting more frequently.

I can't take credit for this directly but I did set the ball in motion.  My tree was pruned this year. There is a large oak tree directly in front of my house. At approximately 40 feet tall, it's huge. It provides wonderful shade. People waiting for the bus often sat on my porch steps because it's so cool and shady. But, and you knew one was coming, the oak tree was ridiculously overgrown. Its branches choked my gutter and smacked my bedroom window.

        

In Philadelphia, if a tree lines the sidewalk or street, it falls under the care of the Faimount Park Commission. If a tree is in your backyard then it's your responsibility to maintain it. "My" tree is actually a Fairmount Park tree, so I called them. Mid-July they sent an inspector to determine what maintenence was required. The inspector agreed the tree required pruning, so they put my tree on their work schedule. The Fairmount Park Commission doesn't tell you when they're coming, only that they're coming. So the entire summer I kept an expactant eye out for the pruning crew to arrive. What I didn't know was, pruning is typically done in the fall. Bright and early Halloween morning the arborists arrived. As I left for work, I saw the guys begin their work.

   

I came home to this.

       

When I first saw it I felt the urge to wrap a blanket around its base and sing Christmastime is Here. My poor tree. He looked so bare, almost nekkid. Now that I've grown accustomed to the sight of my tree, I've realized the benefits of pruning. Besides being an eyesore, the large canopy held ALOT of moisture towards the house. After even a moderate rain, my porch roof would leak. There would be standing pools of water and the subsequent mosquitoes. A squirrel even tried to nest in my air conditioner. He would just hop from a branch on to the window sill. Now my porch is dry and no critters on my sills.

Good job, Fairmount Park Commission.

The Catchup Post

I've been in my house three months now and I suppose I've come down from the new owner high. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited but the giddiness is gone. Thing is, my place is half unpacked. My sister moved in a month after I did and there are boxes everywhere! A box of toiletries I haven't unpacked because there's more stuff than space. Boxes of cookware that's not unpacked because I haven't lined the base cabinets yet. Boxes of books I can't unpack yet because I have no bookshelves. Boxes of things that aren't even mine. Boxes of stuff, knicknacks, and tschokes...ugh I'm getting frustrated.

The first floor is a sea of cardboard. Most of the progress of cleaning up and settling in is invisible. Characterized more by the lack of dirt than the presence of a sofa. So it's easy for me to lose track of what I have accomplished the past three months. So, without further ado and for my own edification, a list of things I have done. YAY me!

General
cleaning/dusting
got functional phone jacks for each floor
removed motion old sensors, door bells
removed old locks, hasps, hooks, door hardware
killed bugs!
located laundramat, post office
sampled local takeout joints
discovered dyslexic light switches
replaced burned out bulb with CFL

Bath
removed sliding glass doors
removed tracks to hold sliding glass doors
scraped caulk/mold along tracks
snaked basin drain
swept and mopped
replaced shower head
hung pretty shower curtain
cleared a whole lot of PO detritus

Bedroom
swept/cleaned
cleaned bed frame
removed carpet padding/tacks
got mattress!
removed nonfunctional closet door
made discoveries about water intrusion
cleaned ceiling fan
tightened fan blades

Kitchen
purchased refrigerator
cleaned out cabinets
unpacked dishes
assembled IKEA shelving
purchased new gas stove
gas stove connected
determined color for kitchen
capped old gas dryer line

Stairs
removed rubber runners
removed tacking strips
removed carpet padding/tacks
removed iron railings

Front/Entry
replaced lockset
washed bay windows
installed doorbell
called fairmount park about oak tree
removed nameplate from house
got closer for screen door
made discoveries about leaks/water intrusions
brushed/swept flaky plaster walls, ceiling

Tacky

I have been in the house for a month and a half now and my sister moved in a week ago. There are still towers of boxes and bags everywhere, but I have made some improvements. For the past couple of weeks I have been making the house safe for bare feet. There was carpeting in every room except the kitchen and bath. Some of the carpet (in the living and dining rooms) had been removed prior to the house going on the market. I arranged to have the remaining carpet pulled up before I moved in. The man I hired was a subcontractor of the person who did the preclosing repairs. The sub removed the carpet and padding and bagged the waste. But that was all. I think he expected me to call him back to remove the tacks or refinish the floor. Um...no, I got that.

So I've been getting down and dirty, literally, with the tack puller and pliers. Not hard work, just tedious. Most of the tacks were still anchoring small pieces of padding. So while the floor looked like it had some sort of pox, it was fairly easy to get under the staple and lift it out. I soon developed the motion where I could lift/pop the tack without scraping or gouging the floor. The stubborn ones were those without padding, like on the riser portion of a stair. Those tacks were flush with or even a little set into the floor, meaning I really had to really pry and leverage those suckers out.

        

      

Now that the tacks have been removed, I can begin to address the needs of the floor. I say begin to address because my floors need a whole lotta work! The black cat seen in two of the four images is the Grande Dame of the household, Midnight. She's an eleven year old tortie that I rescued from the street. The floor is host to umpteen paint drips, trails, and splatters. As well as gum and various other unknown sticky substances. My next step is to gather the materials to determine the floor's finish.

Done Deal

It's official! I closed escrow. I made settlement. However you want to say it, as of June 27, 2007 the house is mine. There was a minor snag, but otherwise settlement went smoothly. The final walkthrough revealed that the house wasn't quite broom clean. The living areas were empty and free of debris but the basement still housed leftover junk. In addition, trash was left on the porch.

Closing was a bit stressful. Actually it was okay for me. After we negotiated the amount to be held in escrow for a basement cleanout, it was pretty much smooth sailing. But the seller's agent had trying experience. The seller lives out of state and was available only by phone. The agent spent a fair amount of time explaining last minute adjustments and soothing frayed nerves. I felt kinda bad. At one point I could hear the seller crying. Ultimately though, it was my day. All the I's got dotted and all the T's got crossed and I became a homeowner.

Check out the awesome present my agent, Janet Rossini, gave me! I'm all kitted out and well on my way to becoming a Weekend Warrior/Toolkit Diva. I'm going to take this opportunity to thank Janet as she is an awesome agent. She walked me through the daunting process of buying my first home. I am so grateful for her experience, compassion, and most importantly, patience. I know I was more than a little anxious as we approached closing. Especially since some repairs were down to the wire in their completion. But I never felt as though I was a bother or a pest. For that, I am truly grateful. Janet, thank you so much.

So good people, if you're considering buying or selling a house in Philadelphia, I can HIGHLY recommend Janet Rossini. 

Escrow is excruciating.

Time goes by so slowly. But there are developments. My lender issued the commitment. I've retained a real estate attorney. Picked the homeowner's insurance policy. Given my landlord notice. Rented the truck. Driven myself insane with second guessing and what-ifs. Oh the angst. Angst is the killer.

I'm trying to keep things in perspective and stay calm. But as obstacles snags appear, well, some days it's hard. The seller lives several states away. The contractor she hired to make repairs fell through. Actually he turned out to be a shady dude, taking the money without actually doing the work. Now the seller's agent has to find a replacement contractor to do the work and do it quickly. I have been assured that the work will be completed.

Fifteen days until closing. I worry.

Drama

Things are moving along. There's been a small bump in the road. A replacement check has gone missing. A replacement check? Yes, allow me to explain. When I decided to pursue this house my agent suggested that I break up the earnest money depost, submitting half with the bid and half after the inspection. Seemed reasonable to me, so I followed her suggestion.

Time passes. The house gets inspected. A couple of days after the inspection, I get a phone call from my agent. My check was accidentally voided, could I please write a replacement check? Accidentally voided? WTF! Somehow my check was mistakenly attributed to another property, a HUD property. Further "HUD" was written on my check, even though the house I'm buying is not a HUD house. Hmmm... Alrighty then. I write a replacement check.

More time passes. We move forward with the purchase. After negotiating repairs, I submitted the second part of the deposit. I noticed in due course that this third check was cashed. I get a call from my agent. You did get the second half of the deposit in, didn't you? Yes I did, in fact I hand delivered it the seller's RE office. What's the problem? They can't find the second check. What? They can't find the check. Could you please write another replacement check?

So lemme get this straight. They fucked up the first check and lost its replacement? Yes. Now I'm writing a SECOND replacement check to these idiots. <very big sigh> The seller's agency does not inspire confidence.

On a more positive note, my loan package has gone to the underwriters. My lender seems to think the commitment should be coming soon.

Superstitious

I've been quiet because I'm a little afraid that talking about the house will make the deal fall through. The process has gone smoothly so far and I don't want to jinx it. I've been assured this feeling is common so I won't dwell on it. Just this afternoon, I got the green light from my agent to formally apply for a mortgage from my bank. So a recap is in order.

Two Fridays ago the house was inspected. It had rained steadily the night before, so it was an excellent opportunity to find leaks and/or water damage. Prospective homebuyers take note, if possible, schedule your home inspection immediately after a good rain.  The inspection was thorough and informative. We started in the basement and worked our way up. Even after regarding it with a critical eye, I'm still feelin' this house.

The home inspection report revealed a number of issues. When I did a tally of every item noted, the total came to a whopping $30K in repairs. GOOD GRACIOUS! But once I thoroughly reviewed the document and prioritized the repairs, the amount associated with repairs lowered to a more reasonable amount. I knocked $10K off just by realizing I wouldn't restore the bathroom in the basement. The basement was poorly and partially finished in the 70's with dark paneling and drop ceilings. No point in restoring that monstrosity.

I identified the critical repairs and listed them on the Addendum To Agreement of Sale. Then I ran that up the flagpole and waited. And waited. And waited. Good news! The seller agreed to make repairs by settlement. Much of the past week was spent waiting reviewing the addendum and getting it signed by both parties. Finally, there is an executed agreement of sale. Yay! Now it's time to get the bank involved and to shop for homeowner's insurance. One step closer to the goal. Whew.

Hurry up and wait

The house inspection was supposed to take place Tuesday, but it's been postponed. Some problems with turning on the utilities. Hopefully it will be rectified quickly and I'll be able to get it inspected next week. In the interim I've been doing research on old houses in general and my house in particular.

It started with me trying find some pictures of Brewerytown in its heyday. I thought a small collection of sepia toned photos would be a nice decorative touch. Then I tried to determine the age of the house. The real estate listing gave an approximate age of 75 years. That would mean it was built in the 1930s. But Brewerytown boomed in the late 1800s so it could be as much as 60 years older. Yes, I know I can get that information from the title search but I'm impatient.  So I start searching and low and behold...

                          

The pictures, dated 1949, are from the Philadelphia Department of Records. My house is to the immediate right of the 3-story house. My. Actual. House. How cool is that? So now I'm on a mission to learn all I can about the house and the neighborhood. Here are two helpful tools for researching people and places in Phila.

Phila Information Locator Service
Philly History

You Had Me At Hello

I hope I'm not jinxing myself but I got a house! I just found out my offer was accepted. I'm thrilled and frightened at the same time. Is it too early to blog about renovation? I named this blog Rowhouse Renovation because I'm a Philadelphian and most of the city's housing stock is rowhouses. So even if I don't get this particular house, I'll most likely renovate and personalize a rowhouse.

The house I bid on is a 2-story Victorian row in the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philly. Brewerytown is currently experiencing regentrification a renaissance. I actually grew up in these parts, in fact, the very first house I remember living in is one block north of me.

The house has good bones and character out the wazoo.  I don't have a good shot of the exterior yet but it has inner beauty. It's quite the gem and I'm looking forward to polishing it.

Paneled wood wainscot in vestibule.

Impressive mantel with coal burning fireplace.

Stately stairs.

Several unpainted five paneled doors.

Lots of old hardware.

Hardwood floors in decent shape.

Beautiful hardwood all over the place. Okay so first question. What kind of wood is it?