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Renovating on a Tight Budget

June 23, 2011 RH 1 Comment

If your renovation is costing more than you paid for your house, something is wrong. You shouldn’t have to sell your first born to update a home. Sure, there are certain large ticket items you wouldn’t want to skimp on….roof, windows, facade, boiler, structural. But semi-skilled work? Come on.

As you know, I’m a big advocate for DIY. If you put in the sweat equity, you can be save yourself in the vicinity of $40k. I came up with that estimate by comparing DIY input to that of an unskilled day laborer at $125 per day over the course of a year. My own skills are superior to a guy you pick up at Home Depot, so my own estimate is probably double that. Obviously you wouldn’t quit your $200k per year job to do it, but as a freelancer earning bupkas, I was able to put in the time. My husband who put in a lot less time because he actually has a full time job and does earn something, probably saved us even more while only working on the house on weekends. That’s because he has mad skills.

Before I go into materials, just a few thoughts on other ways to save on labor. Painting and demolition parties, barters, hiring apprentices to high end contractors and of course picking up day laborers.

Materials range from free to high end. Since this has the words “tight budget” in the post title, guess where I’m going with this?

FREE

It would be a fun experiment to try to do an entire renovation free of cost. But nothing is ever free. It would take tons of time and probably cost more in fuel than trying to buy locally. But here goes…..

1. Craigs List. Go directly to the “free” section. You may find anything from sheetrock scraps to clawfoot tubs. People measure wrong, decide to use something else or may want to recycle what they are ripping out.

2. Freecyle.org Sign up for the group to gain access to a nationwide network of recycled goodies. IMO, it sounds a whole lot better than it is. When I signed up, I couldn’t believe the audacity of some people. One of the requests I saw was for a minivan for someone with 8 kids. Hello, maybe you should stop having kids if you can’t afford a van! But I digress. You can post your own needs, search for what’s out there and offer up what you no longer want.

3. Dumpster Diving. Oh yeah! I’m talking dumpsters parked outside of a renovation, obviously. Better still, find the fixer uppers that have just closed, contact contractors and demolition guys to see if they’ll give you the head’s up. No, they won’t be happy, but one or two of them might not think it’s great to stick everything in the landfill. You know, those sensitive contractors.

Almost Free

1. Craigslist. This time search “materials”.

2. ReStores. Located throughout the US and Canada. Run by Habitat for Humanity, these shops take donations from the public and sell the items at a fraction of the cost. They have everything including the kitchen sink. Paints, cabinets, light fixtures, furniture….

3. Build it Green. I saw a coffin in here once. If you live in NYC, this place is just as good as any Restore since the closest ReStore is in Mt. Vernon. BIG is a huuuuge warehouse in Queens. They have new and used studs, wiring, cabinets, doors, windows, appliances and more. Do keep in mind that items like plywood, sheetrock and studs go quickly as these are basic to any renovation.

4. Salvage! There are antique architectural salvage yards all over the planet. Although you might sometimes find a bargain at Olde Good Things or Demolition Depot, they are not for the shallow pocketed. My two local faves: Eddie Hibbert in Clinton Hill and Vaccaro’s in Gowanus. I’m talking antique french doors for 20 bucks and marble mantels for less than $400. *They may need work.

5. Overstock and Closeouts. Every now and then, manufacturers need to get rid of some clutter. There are samples, irregulars and dead stock taking up space. They don’t always post it online, but I’ll give you a for instance. I once found the mother load of concrete tiles, countertops and sinks on Craigslist. Get Real Surfaces in Poughkeepsie was having a sale to get rid of dead inventory. I made out with enormous boxes of tile for $10 per box. They were probably worth about $20 per square foot.

6. Ebay. Did you know that you can buy faucets, toilets and tools on Ebay? Yep, it’s all there!

7. Overstock.com. Sometimes good for faucets, shower and light fixtures, tiles…it kind of depends on what they have that week. Hit or miss.

Upscale. Low Budget

Green Demolitions. Buy what the millionaires got tired of looking at. Top shelf appliances (think Viking, Sub Zero) and cabinets for a ton less than what you would pay new. These aren’t completely inexpensive, but it’s a good deal for what it is!

PS: Side effects may include saving the planet while saving your pocketbook.

Sullivan County Homes Under $30k

June 22, 2011 RH

Think you can’t afford a second home? What if I told you you can grab one for as low as $15k? Yup. I’m not saying it’s the most desirable house in the most desirable area, but you can make it a sweet getaway.

Don’t even THINK of grabbing that house above for $15,000. I want that one. Looks like an old farm house but it was actually built in 1970. This could be a plus, as it sits on 2.31 acres and old farm houses are almost always right on the road. So it’s possible this house is set back a bit. It’s located in Monticello. Last time I was in Monticello, I was about 12. No kidding. It was kind of crappy back then, although it’s a beautiful landscape. Anyway, who cares about any of this? The. house. is. $15k.

This listing doesn’t give much detail. I guess the agent couldn’t be bothered to even take a picture for her commission on the $29,900 list price. Looks good from that angle. It’s a 2594 square foot four bedroom in Hurleyville, NY. I think I have an idea of where that is. Nice hikes and all, but not much going on culturally. In fact, I do believe that if you’re not an orthodox Jew, you may feel a bit out of place. On the other hand, if this is a flip, a 4BR would be a selling point.

Yeah, I know. It looks like a trailer. But hear me out. It’s actually a 1950 ranch on 4.9 acres. divided into 2 parcels. Still with me? Good. Take a look at the interior shots. There’s something to work with here. Can you see your mid century fab getaway? Are you seeing the fifties kitchen? Oh, I didn’t mention that it’s in Neversink and includes lake rights and three outdoor sheds.

**When you’re looking at distressed properties, please keep in mind that you may encounter wildlife living INSIDE of the house. Try not to freak out. Where boots and bring a flashlight (although, if the realtor doesn’t have a flashlight for abandoned homes, they should be fed to the wildlife).

The House as Art

June 21, 2011 RH

A psychic once told me that I was going to become an interior designer. She said I see the way the fabric in a curtain hangs and I look at that as art. I was like “No, you’re nuts. I’m a photographer.” Well, about 25 years later, I realized that she wasn’t so far off.

There are two kinds of people in life. Those who want a completely finished home that just needs furnishing and those who see a fixer upper and get excited over the possibilities.

Up until a few years ago, I thought everyone wanted to have control over their own renovations. Sure, it takes up your entire life for a few years, but you forget all about it once it’s over. I wouldn’t want a nanny raising my (non-existent) baby. Why would I hand my house over to someone else?

Someone recently asked me “Why”? What is it that makes me walk into a chippy paint, crumbling, derelict home and fall in love?

Hmm.

Each home is a history lesson. Much like the Tenement Museum is one of the most fascinating places to me, a home forgotten in time takes me back to that era. These home are over 100 years old. Perhaps it’s my mission in life to preserve the past before some eejit rips everything out and installs sheetrock, engineered flooring and Home Depot molding. (I just puked in my mouth thinking about that.)

It’s a blank canvas. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a “creative”. I always see things and want to change them. I still have difficulty comprehending that not everyone is right brained. Is it like being psychic, where you have to develop that skill? If so, I should be working on my left brain capabilities because I’m sorely lacking in those areas.

Anyway, blank canvas. So, I walk into a house and I see the finished product. It’s kind of like being a photographer. I envision the end result and work backwards from there on how to make it happen.

“But HOW? HOW do you just walk in and envision everything finished?”

I don’t think I’m creative genius who comes up with completely original ideas. My memory sucks, but I must retain visuals from homes, museums and magazines that my brain recycles for each potential project. Well, there ya go! That’s something everyone could do. Start visiting house museums, go on house tours, travel, save images (the 2011 version of magazine clippings).

Adding, not taking away. Lookit. Say you buy a place that has been renovated, but it’s not your taste. You choose this place because the house that needs too much work scares you. But now you’re stuck ripping out that pink granite countertop and those hollow Home Depot composite doors. And what are you going to find underneath it all? How do you know the previous owner didn’t cover up rotting wood or leaky pipes? You don’t. And you’re adding NEW materials to the landfills.

With a fixer upper, you can look at the bones of the place. The original lines of the building. The intricate details and plaster curves that are no longer produced. Try to salvage that stuff! Something can’t be saved? Yeah, it goes in the landfill, but it was made 100 years ago, not 10.

Any questions??

The Black Cowboys of Queens

June 20, 2011 RH 2 Comments

Over the weekend we ventured out to Howard Beach, Queens to hang with a buddy who’s a member of the Federation of Black Cowboys. Those are the guys you see riding their horses on South Conduit out near JFK.

Black cowboys have been part of American culture since the 1860’s, but the current incarnation of the Federation was born in 1994. The website is not currently being kept up. They do often welcome visitors, but check first to make sure it’s cool. When we showed up, most of the cowboys and cowgirls were at a Juneteenth rodeo in NJ, so it was a quite day back at the ranch.

This is our buddy Ralph. By day, he’s a heavy construction laborer, but much to his wife’s dismay, he spends evenings and weekends tending to his garden on the Federation’s 25 acre property.

“Mountain Man” was proud to show us the museum he’s been working on. Housed in one of the trailers, it has some very cool old western gear, but I winced at the animal skins, body parts and traps. He uses all parts of the animal, so kudos to him for that.

This “kid” is only 17 years old. He has his own horse and attends an agriculture high school right there in Queens.

The garden, barbeque pit and picnic area are just off the main road. Making the most out of the urban/rural experience!

Black Cowboys Flickr set

Foie Gras for the Homeless

June 17, 2011 RH

The Prospect Park goose serial killers are at it again. Last year, hundreds of geese were rounded up and gassed. There were plenty of protests, not because the geese ended up in a landfill, but because they were killed in the first place.

The DEP has a solution this year. The captured geese (who, BTW, have reproduced since the mass slaughter didn’t quite do the trick) will be shipped to Pennsylvania to feed the poor and hungry. All on the NY taxpayer’s dime.

Goose killing became a favorite pastime since that one goose took down US Airways flight 1549 from LaGuardia. That’s the plane that ended up floating in The Hudson.

What can be done in lieu of murder?

A few suggestions…

Habitat Management. “Birds shot dead can neither learn nor pass on information.”

Friends of Animals. Habitat Modification.

Via City Room

Salvage Feast in Short Hills

June 16, 2011 RH

I was contacted by a gentleman in Short Hills, NJ who wants to recycle all building material from a 12,000 sq ft house that’s being torn down. The major players are coming to have a look: Olde Good Things, Green Demolitions and Build it Green. There may be items they won’t take or you may be able to get there first. In any case, here are some photos of what’s on offer. Email lgsfecuaAThotmailDOTcom if interested.

Fixing the Planet, One Step at a Time

June 15, 2011 RH 1 Comment

Guest author: The Hubby

By choosing to live in a city, you have already reduced your carbon footprint by 2/3rds. This may seem counter intuitive but there are some major advantages including public transportation and sharing of resources.

More people cram into high rise apartment buildings and share park space. Garbage collectors use less fuel to get around because people in urban areas live closer together. How does NYC rate on the recycling front? Well, due to a lack of vision and budget constraints, NYC only recycles 30% of it’s waste while San Fransisco is at 70%. We still beat Houston, TX which is in the single digits.

Some things aren’t that clear cut though.

Do reusable bags actually save energy and resources? They take more energy to produce and now since the green movement is in full swing, they are incredibly easy to come by because everyone wants their logo on a tote. The cheaper ones tear easily and get trashed in less than a year. Then there’s the bacteria scare. Unless you wash them regularly, they can get pretty nasty. It takes water, soap and energy to clean them, so how environmental is this?

Probably a hell of a lot better than plastic bags. The heavy canvas ones beat the lightweight semi-disposables any day.

What about the bottle debate? Glass, plastic or aluminum? Glass is heavier and is thus costlier to transport to the store and recycling plant. Aluminum takes a lot of energy to produce from bauxite but it’s easily recyclable. Cans are made from 40% recycled material. Glass bottles are 20%. Plastic bottles are reusable but not recycled as bottles. The advantage of plastic is that it can be made into fleece or packing material.

In an ideal world, we would all refill our glass containers locally. Kind of like our seltzer delivery by Ronnie the Seltzer Guy.

There’s always common sense solutions to saving the planet that do not need to be debated.

Turn off the tap when not rinsing body, teeth or dishes.

Don’t run half empty dishes or laundry.

Unplug energy sucking vampire electronics and appliances when not in use.

Replace standard bulbs with CFL. For God’s sake, turn off the light when you leave the room!

Walk, cycle, take the train. Car pool.

Get a little uncomfortable. Do you really need all that heat and air conditioning? You better not be walking around the house in your skivvies in the middle of winter complaining you’re cold.

Consume less meat. The closer you get to a vegan diet, the more resources you save. Land, water. Co2 emissions. Not to mention the animals.

Buy local. This not only saves on fuel, but hello….let’s build up our own economy!

One person can’t fix the planet on their own, but if each of us took baby steps towards righting Ms. Earth, perhaps one day she will be grateful enough to thank us. (Because she’s pretty pissed right now).

Leaky Roof Quick Fix

June 14, 2011 RH

The Delta building at JFK had an interesting temporary solution for a leaky roof. Check out the photo above. It’s Delta’s main check in and security area. At first I thought it was decorative until my husband started mumbling something about a major airport in a major city looking like a third world country.

Those waterproof sheets are catching the leaks where the water is directed towards the middle. The tubes allow the water to flow into one area on the ground where there is probably some kind of drain. I didn’t see it as it was behind the desk.

Although it’s an ingenious temporary plan, it’s not wise to let a roof go for too long. Delta could have a major disaster on their hands if the ceiling collapses due to water damage. Let’s not even think about the mold problem this is causing.

WTF, Delta?

Reclaiming Reclaimed Home

June 10, 2011 RH

We’re undertaking another big restoration project here. Only this time it’s not a house. It’s this site.

Back when Reclaimed Home launched in 2007, the idea was to cover local housing options and renovation ideas with a touch of eco-green salvaged bits and bobbles. Twas one person doing 5 posts per day, 5 days per week. Well, couldn’t keep up that pace.

RH is sort of going back to it’s roots. The intention is to make the site more user friendly and interactive. We’ll sort out categories and resources better, add some DIY videos and sprinkle it with a bit of real estate chat.

This won’t be done overnight and if it’s anything like my renovations, it can take years (but it won’t). In the meantime, you may see some recycling of old posts as I go through the archives. You may also see some funky stuff happening with the design or even a day or two without a post. DO NOT PANIC! Everything and everyone has to go through changes.

Please follow on Twitter and Facebook and do share any suggestions in the comments here. Thankyouverymuch.

Cool for Cats in Crown Heights

June 9, 2011 RH 6 Comments

If you live in Crown Heights or Bed Stuy, you know that the feral cat situation is out of control. It’s really sad, but I just have to look away or I’d have 200 cats in my house. I’ve not yet tried TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) because I know that I wouldn’t release them, no matter how wild they are.

That doesn’t mean YOU shouldn’t help the kitties in the community! There’s a TNR workshop being offered this Saturday (June 11th) at the Crown Heights Branch Library. It’s a free workshop, but you must register here.

Many cats are terrified of human interaction. Look at us. Can you blame them? The practice of trapping them, fixing them up and letting them go may not save every cat from a starvation or getting hit by a car, but it will lower the population of strays.

Go on. Take the course. For every stray you have neutered this summer, Reclaimed Home will donate $20 to Neighborhood Cats. Um, this is assuming you’re not each rescuing hundreds.

**Ok, my limit is $400 total. That’s 20 cats. Care to match that or chip in???

1920’s NYC

June 8, 2011 RH

Via Sleep NY

1970’s Brooklyn

June 8, 2011 RH 3 Comments

Dumbo. You wouldn’t really want to walk around there alone back then.

Photographer Danny Lyon is one of the all time great NYC street shooters. Business Insider came across these public domain images from 1974. What I miss most about old New York is everyone being out in the streets interacting with one another. Is it that New York has changed or is it just a sign of times that we no longer “play” outside because of technology? How old do I sound??

Bond Street, Boerum Hill. Burnt out cars and open fire hydrants: the playground of my youth!

Koskiusko Swimming Pool in Bed Stuy. Still there, right near Home Depot. People still line up on hot days.

It doesn’t say where this is, but do ya think that deck is legal??

Weiner’s Textual Healing

June 7, 2011 RH 1 Comment

I have to admit that I am shocked that Anthony Weiner actually pulled this junk. I mean, he seems like an intelligent guy, he should be able to contain himself. Is it so hard? Who thought he could be such a schmuck? That being said, I hope he doesn’t get the shaft.

Seriously, although I’m totally bummed about finding out my hero is only human, I would still vote for him. Unless we do find out that there was something illegal or treif going on, what is it our business? Was he doing his job? Damn well, I’d say! Weiner’s wife (who BTW, works for Hillary Clinton) is the only one who should care where his pecker has been. And according to him, it’s only been in front of a camera. And everywhere online. The only guilt the public should be concerned about is his stupidity.

The media is saying Weiner has reached the climax of his career, but I think New Yorkers are willing to overlook this screw-up. We’re not the family values crowd. I still say he’s gonna be mayor. I hope he at least gives it a shot. If he hasn’t done anything illegal, let the voters make the decision.

If you agree, there’s this Facebook page for starters.

Brooklyn Film Festival. Battle for Brooklyn

June 6, 2011 RH 1 Comment

The Brooklyn Film Festival commenced this year with a documentary called Battle for Brooklyn. No, that’s not Sarah Palin’s take on the Revolutionary War. It’s the story of love, power, greed, deceit and dedication in the shadow of the Atlantic Yards project.

Power. Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock for the past 8 years, you know the whole Atlantic Yards/Develop Don’t Destroy story. Personally, I WAS sleeping under a rock in Upstate, NY so although I was reading about the AY news, I wasn’t living it and therefore not following it closely. Basically, it’s the story of a big bad developer (Forest City Ratner) vs. residents of a neighborhood (Prospect Heights) where he wants to build his Nets basketball arena. He used the power of eminent domain to get them out even though this was a private venture.

Greed. Bruce Ratner seemingly had just about every New York City politician in his pocket with the exception of Letitia James. Mayor Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz went far and beyond their obligations to ensure the stadium gets built. To be clear, the film didn’t say they were getting a kickback from Ratner. I did.

Which brings me to

Deceit. Wow. Okay, here’s what I didn’t know until I saw the movie. B.U.I.L.D. (Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development) is an organization that backs the stadium project as it will create jobs for the community. Fair enough. As I watched the film, I was sympathetic towards them. At first. Here’s the deal….B.U.I.L.D. received money to the tune of $5million to promote Ratner’s cause. They organized church groups and minorities to fight for their right to bring jobs to this part of Brooklyn. I’m not sure how the volunteers feel about it now knowing they’ve been duped. Now that Ratner’s plan has been severely scaled back, the 15,000 construction jobs that were promised is in reality, about 115.

Dedication. The hero of the film is Daniel Goldstein, the one guy who held out until the end. For seven years, he fought the project while staying in his empty apartment building where all of his neighbors had been bought out. He went to protests, court proceedings and had to have lived every single day of his life under severe stress not knowing where he was going to end up. He got a decent settlement in the end once there was nothing left to fight over. Funny that some people say he did it for the money. I don’t think any amount of money in the world would make me want to live like that. Someone has to fight for people’s rights and he had the chutzpah. Seven years.

So, where’s the Love? At the start of the documentary we see Daniel with a fiancee who shies away from the camera. It’s clear from the start that this woman has no interest in fighting this thing and Daniel makes it known that it’s causing friction in their relationship. By mid movie, we see that activist Shabnam Merchant has moved in with him. They get married (yeah, I cried during that scene) and have a baby all while living alone in the big apartment building that will eventually be torn down.

So, it’s happily ever after, really, because the couple never would have met had it not been for Bruce Ratner. The matchmaker. As momma always told me…there’s a reason for everything.

Rooftop Films will be showing Battle for Brooklyn on June 9th in Ft Greene Park.

Indie Screen in Williamsburg will be showing it on June 11th.

Opens June 17th at Cinema Village.

Adoptapalooza!

June 3, 2011 RH

Are you thinking of adopting a pet but don’t know where to start? Well, come on down to Adoptapalooza! The event takes place in Washington Square Park tomorrow. The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals is holding the shindig and a number of rescue shelters will be on hand with their cats and dogs. Among them, Sean Casey, where I got my bratty Shayna.

If you can’t bring a pet home with you, you can always volunteer or donate, ya know.

Adopt-a-pal (ooza)!

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