The only time we’ve ever finished our renovations have been when we put a house on the market. Well, this time we’re not going anywhere but it’s probably a good idea to finish our own house before taking on the next project.

The thing is that we’ve lived in a construction zone in one house or another for the last 18 years so we are quite used to it. Plus, this place is so close to being done that we tend to forget there’s still work to do.

Nobody ever realllly finishes their renovations anyway, do they?

Here’s the punch list. I don’t have too much faith that we’ll get it done any time soon, but perhaps we can check off a few items.

1. Light fixtures. I keep buying them, but I don’t install them.

2. Paint basement steps.

3. Convert work room into dining room. Ugh. Now that I’m embarking on my first flip, the Reclaimed Home store is going out of business. I now have the task of liquidating my merchandise and crafts. Years of crap to sift through. Then I just move the table and chairs in, right? Nah, we want to take down a wall. Demo in an already finished room.

4. Get rid of pissy cabinet. It was nice while it lasted but we no longer need a sink downstairs. Plus, the cats are peeing on it.

5. Get rid of cats. Only kidding!

6. Molding for window sills. We did the marble and never finished it off.

7. Fireplace screen. It’s not fixed to the mantel and it needs painting. Currently being held up by a table I pulled out of someone’s trash. Classy.

8. Molding in bathroom. We finished that bathroom 5 years ago and still, no molding.

9. Redo stairs from garden to parlor level. Yeah, that’s a job for the stair guy.

10. That damn deck! Ha, it’s going to go another summer before we get to it.

  posted @ 6:48 am Comments (0)

I didn’t want to jinx it by mentioning it, but now that my offer has been accepted, inspection is done and I’m about to go into contract, I think it’s safe to tell you about the new house!

After looking in The Rockaways in bad weather then deciding to search upstate for a few months, I got discouraged with “the country”. Yes, there were houses in my price range. Loads of them. And I looked at them all. Only, none of them made too much sense. After travel time and/or living away from home most of the week, high taxes and the amount of work these places needed, I decided to give it one last shot locally.

I caught this house on Craigs and the agent actually did her job (unheard of in NYC in my price range) by returning my call and showing me the house. Not only that, but she has followed through on everything with this deal.

Location is pretty darn good even if it’s not on the beach. It’s actually located on the bay side of the peninsula with a view of the water. The parks department bought the property across the street on the bay and it will be a park with an area to put in kayaks and such. At the rate they’re going, I’ll be finished before them. This is in the high Beach 80′s, close to Thai Rock and within walking distance to the hip beach area. Like 4 blocks walk to beach.

The house is not much to look at. New vinyl siding. Hate it! But since I gotta keep costs down and I don’t want to put all that vinyl in the dumpster, I’ll try to purdy it up best I can with some molding to take away from the fugliness.

The 1920′s house probably never had any detail to begin with and it surely doesn’t now. There is actually wood flooring under that carpet, but who knows what I’ll find behind that drop ceiling and wall paneling? I’m thinking of going with Hollywood Regency style to spice it up.

It’s a legal 2 family of about 1000 square feet and I’ll keep as two units. I figure that rental income is never a bad thing. When all is said and done, the house should be fairly affordable to moderate income buyers. Even if someone just purchases it as a second home or two parties want to split it, the two apartments, although small, make sense.

The kitchens will get face lifts as will the entire house. What is NOT getting ripped out? Hello….

So, here’s where this blog will take another turn. Look for info on The Rocks (Yeah, gross term, I know. I said it to make you puke in your mouth alittle.) in the upcoming months. I’ll be posting design tips and DIY videos once the renovation starts.

If you follow me on Pinterest and you’ve noticed me creating boards like “Siding options”, “Tiny Back Yards” and “Hollywood Regency” now you know why. Let the fun begin! (In about a month when I close.)

  posted @ 6:34 am Comments (6)

Howzabout some ideas to spice up those steps? These can be done without rebuilding your whole staircase.

Lovin’ the vintage linoleum stairs but it’s hard to come by real vintage lino these days.

Soda crates! Or choose any kind of crate you can get your hands on. Notice how they just inserted the reclaimed treads in the middle without messing with the bannister?

These are actually porcelain tile. They fooled me. I thought it was stained or faux painted wood. The Italian tiles are awesome but they may be pricey and hard to come by. Nothing wrong with using the real thing. Just sand and stain.

Oy. That seems like a ton of work. Not to worry. Cut the risers and stencil them on a table BEFORE installation. Still a ton of work but at least you won’t break you’re neck.

  posted @ 7:09 am Comments (0)

The $200k house challenge is proving to be quite difficult. And you know what else? Buying a property strictly for investment is way harder than finding a place to live. Never in my life did I care so much about what others thought until this property search, because I’ve gotta think about who’s going to buy it versus what I like.

So what do I like? Ok, as usual, I’m posting pictures without links so I’m not advertising homes I might want for myself.

I fell love with the Accord farm house above. In love! Three acres on a corner lot for $125k. The catch? The work it needs is not merely cosmetic. That is fine, but this city girl gets intimidated by wells and septic. Don’t know the first thing about them. In this case, there’s a well located INSIDE the house. Anyone know if that’s a big deal? I called the listing agent to tell her that I may be interested but wanted to know what she knew about that well. She didn’t return my call which bought me some more time to look at homes that needed less work.

This farm house is a case of “If it was for me, I’d grab it.” but a flip? It would probably take the better part of a year for a proper restoration and before I even get in there to do my stuff, the mechanics would need to be worked out.

I’m keeping it in the back of my mind but continuing to look.

Jon, my broker, has done a million successful flips. He keeps telling me that I should be looking for a quick and easy “FLIP” that only needs cosmetics, not a restoration project. I see his point. I do! And I’m trying, but it’s tough to wrap my head around a vinyl sided house….

This vinyl ranch is actually a possibility according the Flip Gospel of Jon. There’s not much to do on it. I can bring back the 1950′s look from the decade it was built. If I get it for the right price, I can make a profit, but not really if I have to pay the $199k asking price.

The location is what I love most. Right between High Falls and Rosendale where some of my favorite restaurants are located. Nuts, right? I’m thinking about what I can eat while working on the house! But in my defense, those areas are desirable for folks who would appreciate my kooky style of renovation. In other words, I don’t have to go conservative.

Just when I thought I had narrowed it down, I ran into a friend on the subway. He mentioned that some of his gay friends have homes in Sullivan County. I’m like “Invest in a gay area? I’m there!” Sooo, I’ll finally be looking at Sullivan County next week after putting it off because I’m just not familiar with the area.

Then this morning another friend forwarded a listing in Brooklyn that might be doable. Brooklyn? That’s where I wanted to do this in the first place. The only reason I’m looking upstate is because I thought I couldn’t afford down here. Yeah, I got into the idea of having a place to go for the summer, but work is work. I can do the 9-5 in Brooklyn and rent a place upstate. Sheeeeet.

I need professional help. Not from a broker and not from a therapist (ok, maybe a therapist). If anyone knows a good psychic, post it in the comments.

  posted @ 7:59 am Comments (4)

I’ll be looking at a few outdated ranches this week. I suppose you can say that’s more of a challenge than restoring an old farmhouse. In anticipation of this possible project, I’m trying to come up with some fun ideas for the exterior.

Now since money is the main factor, as long as the -ugh- vinyl or aluminum siding is in good shape, the least expensive thing to do would be paint it some funky color. Yes, these surfaces can be painted as long as they are properly prepped. The cute yellow house above has painted aluminum clapboard.

Remember that awesome bungalow in The Rockaways? Corrugated metal seems like a more modern and tasteful approach than your run of the mill siding.

Board and batt can work with any style home, from a church to a barn. If it’s a straight siding job, you can assemble and paint before installation. Sure, there will be touch up, but it should be much easier than painting once it’s attached to the house. You can and should also pre-paint wood clapboard.

This is 4′x10′ sheets of hardipanel ripped down to 24″ and painted. As long as it keeps the water out and isn’t crazy to maintain, there are plenty of materials out there that can be used as alternatives to plain ole’ siding.

Here’s what they call “Redneck Siding”. What does it say about me that I love it? And it can be made from 100% recycled materials!

Can’t decide? Why not mix it up? Here’s a variety of reclaimed materials that would probably work well on a raised ranch as there varying depths on the exterior.

  posted @ 6:34 am Comments (0)

Before

When we moved back to Brooklyn and took over an extra floor of the house, our tenant lost his access to the shared laundry room, so we told him we would give him a washer/dryer upstairs. Somehow he got a whole new bathroom out of us since we were doing the installation in that room (w/d not seen in photo). We paid for materials and he did the work. We collaborated on the design, but it was mostly him. You know I’m not a modern kind of gal. I like it though!

After

Ok, so these aren’t really the “after” shots of the the bathroom. They are the “almost finished” photos I took back in June. The blue tape is now gone, the vanity has been painted black and there’s a window instead of plastic. The washer/dryer is hidden behind dark glass that matches the shower door.

Oh, here’s a way before shot below, from when we first bought the house. We just kind of updated it for awhile without gutting it. BTW, of course we found wood rot and other damage when we ripped it apart. We also gained about 3 inches of height since there were layers of tile and concrete that needed to come up. Gotta love these homeowners who just put band aids on stuff and leave it for the next guy or gal.

Way Before

  posted @ 6:14 am Comments (0)

Deb has been looking for a house for awhile now. Anything that has a decent renovation goes into a bidding war and as a first time home buyer, she’s reluctant to take on a huge renovation. She tries to wrap her head around fixer uppers and homes that are not her style, but lacks confidence in her “vision”. So, I nudge her along.

I sent Deb before and after shots of the second home we renovated, a weekend place we had up near Stone Ridge from about 2000-2004. I’m posting the conversation along with the photos because it’s Passover/Easter weekend, so you want I should actually write a real post?

Happy Holidays, y’all!

Ok, so D=Deb and M=me

D: Very cool.  So did you buy all the furnishings? How long did all of that take? Was that a flip or that was your house?

M: No, we never did an actual flip before! That was our Kingston house. We put too much money into it thinking that we would keep it forever (which we’ve done on all 4 houses). We owned it for about 4 years and renovated slowly the entire time. When we decided to sell, we finished the reno. I don’t know how long that was in actual reno time because we stopped and started so many times. It was our weekend project for many years. We went up there to get away from our Park Slope renovation.

D: Considering that you like wild colors and all it seems rather tame for you, no? But in line with what it is.  I likey.

M: I think I did that because everything was so dark when we bought it that I just wanted LIGHT.

D: The dining area, you covered the beams, is that what I’m seeing?

Before. Obviously.

M: Not really. Those “beams” were faux, made out of foam. We ripped them down. The house was modular and came in 2 sections. That beam running down the middle is the joint. It was never bolted together until we did it. Or maybe it had a couple of bolts, but not to Luke’s liking.

D: Gawgeous. Did you and Luke do everything, like you lay the floors yourself etc?

M: Did not do everything. Hmm, I remember laying out the floor but I don’t remember nailing it down. We had a contractor working beside us. Not sure if he installed or we did. I know that he sanded and polyed.

D: Please tell me that wood floor was under the carpet? har har

M: Oh please, girl. That house was carpeted throughout. It had plywood under all the carpets. The day I was up there alone ripping up carpeting, my dogs were running around outside (we had 7 acres) and one of them came back with a deer leg and dropped it right in front of me. They didn’t kill the deer. People were hunting illegally on the property. I chased one of them down one day.

D: Did you add wainscoting or was that there?

M: The wainscoting in the bathroom was just Home Depot stuff we put up. The living room walls were originally brown wall paneling. We wanted to do that “bat and board” look, so we had a contractor install actual boards piece by piece. Then the previous owner asked why we didn’t just put up plywood and use 1×2′s to create the same look. We were like “Oh yeah. We could have done that.”

D: So, can you do this to the 6th avenue house I like?

M: No I’ll be busy working on my own.

D: This is why I do wish you could sit with me look at a house I like and advise me on how I can make it look a certain way. Darn you!

M: So find a house you’re going to put a serious offer on and I’ll go with you to second showing. But it’s really not as exciting as creating my own mess.

D: Sweet, thanks for sending

  posted @ 7:37 am Comments (0)

First a disclosure. Kitchen Cabinet Kings is a paid advertiser.

Ok, now we can talk.

Kitchen Cabinet Kings is based in NYC although they are strictly online. No showroom means low overhead which mean lower prices.

The website is easy to navigate, but what I like best about it is that the pricing AND estimated shipping charges are right there for all to see. Ah, how I remember buying my first new kitchen cabinets years ago. I thought it would be a few hundred bucks. How naive. After sitting down with the designer at the first of many showrooms I visited, I nearly had a heart attack. The cabinets I wanted would cost $20k! Needless to say, I didnít go with those. But the point of my story is that this sticker shock is probably something that happens to every first time kitchen renovator. Cabinets or your kidís college fund?

So, Kitchen Cabinet Kings is affordable. Nice. Now, how about their designs? All of their cabinets are plywood construction, no nasty MDF or particle board. Iím kind of fond of ìThe Tribecaî style pictured above with ìMocha Shakerî coming in a close second. The door styles are listed on the site with prices. The company also partners with Kraftmade which cannot be bought online. Oddly enough, Kraftmade was my affordable cabinet of choice all those years ago for that less than $20k kitchen I mentioned. It came in at under $3000.

So, peruse the website my friends. Support someone who supports this blog! Check out the design center and the Kitchen Cabinet Kings Blog that gives tips right on down to choosing your dinnerware.

Oh, PS: They do bathrooms too.

  posted @ 6:54 am Comments (0)

If you’ve been reading this blog everyday since it’s inception, you know all this like the back of your hand. It’s “Reclaimed Renovation 101″. But here’s a list of tips again just in case you’ve missed a few.

1. GC your own job. If you have the time and organizational skills, you can hire sub-contractors and oversee the project yourself.

2. Sweat Equity. Even if you don’t have mad skills, there’s gotta be something you can do to save some bucks. Demolition? Painting? Stripping paint? It’s called “grunt work”.

3. Re-used Materials. Buy second hand cabinets, appliances and building materials at places like Build it Green and Green Demolitions.

4. Architectural Salvage. Need doors? A fireplace mantel? Medallions? Light fixtures? Forget Home Depot! Yuck! Check out the salvage yards in Brooklyn, upstate and Pennsylvania.

5. Recycle your own Materials. Maybe you can re-use that wide plank sub floor. Those kitchen cabinets might not be so bad if you painted them. Many materials in your home may not need to trashed, only re-worked.

6. Craigs List! Check out the “free” and “materials” categories. You may find some company liquidations or overages on other renovations. Tile, flooring, maybe even sheetrock.

7. “Oops” Paint. If you only have a small room to do, look at the opened paint shelves at Home Depot or other paint stores. You can pick up a gallon for five bucks or so. Colors are already mixed though.

8. Day Laborers. Yeah, I know…illegal and risky. I shouldn’t recommend this, but…

9. Liquidation Stores. There’s one on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn that sells everything from flooring to toilets. There’s also Lumber Liquidators.

10. Friends. Cheaper and more legal than day laborers. Just get them pizza and beer.

  posted @ 7:30 am Comments (1)

New advertiser alert! Show Cliq Studios some love and visit their awesome page for tips and how-to’s. Then buy some kitchen cabinets from them.

Seriously, it’s not a simple task to plan out an entire kitchen. As much as I love to use recycled materials, if you want a specific layout and design consistency, it’s best to go with brand new cabinetry.

The Cliq website has a remodeling guide for first timers. It starts out with design principles and covers layout, budget and everything up to installation. There are designers available to chat if you get confused.

Personally, I’m liking the painted cabinets. In particular, that black and the sage are pleasing to my eye.

A black kitchen. Dude, that’s so goth.

  posted @ 7:36 am Comments (2)

Next Page »