Start Here: "Before" Pictures. The Old House Renovation Saga Begins
And we're off...
With three weeks until we get possession of our new (old) home, planning is madly under way. More on that later, and more posts about how we envision our home turning out.
For now, a quick background and some 'before' photos so you can see where we're starting.
Background
This brick center-hall colonial home was built in 1937. The prior (very elderly) owner had clearly lived there for decades and mostly done no significant updating for much of that time. The house does have an addition on the back, which is where the kitchen/family room area is located.
We're currently living in a short-term rental. We get possession of the house in 3 weeks, then have about 3 months to get as much done as possible before we have to leave the rental. The focus will be on tasks best done without us living there, particularly basic walls & flooring work.
We both grew up in older homes, one of them (hers) a 1930's Tudor-style lovingly restored over time, the other (his) a ramshackle old Georgian mansion that had seen better days and, with two non-handy parents, was getting shabbier by the year. But we both came to love older homes, everything from the gentleness (and quietness) of radiator heat, to traditional room layouts, to 'built for the ages' solidity not often found in today's 'stick-built' houses.
So for better or worse (and after twenty years of marriage, we know 'worse' does happen at times!) this is what we got ourselves into:
"Before" Pictures
In the front hall, you can start to see the wallpaper-stripping chore we face...
At least there is hardwood under all those... uh... lovely carpets.
The spacious kitchen / family room area is a -little- more up-to-date, and the kitchen cabinets are of excellent quality, at least. That "slate" vinyl floor... Yrch! And the formica-marble backsplash is, uh, different.
The enclosed side-porch is a nice feature, but narrow. Furnishing / using this space will be a challenge.
Upstairs the bedrooms are nicely-sized. In fact generally-sizeable rooms are one feature we like about the home. Hardwood floors up there too, but also... WALLPAPER! Blech.
With three weeks until we get possession of our new (old) home, planning is madly under way. More on that later, and more posts about how we envision our home turning out.
For now, a quick background and some 'before' photos so you can see where we're starting.
Background
This brick center-hall colonial home was built in 1937. The prior (very elderly) owner had clearly lived there for decades and mostly done no significant updating for much of that time. The house does have an addition on the back, which is where the kitchen/family room area is located.
We're currently living in a short-term rental. We get possession of the house in 3 weeks, then have about 3 months to get as much done as possible before we have to leave the rental. The focus will be on tasks best done without us living there, particularly basic walls & flooring work.
We both grew up in older homes, one of them (hers) a 1930's Tudor-style lovingly restored over time, the other (his) a ramshackle old Georgian mansion that had seen better days and, with two non-handy parents, was getting shabbier by the year. But we both came to love older homes, everything from the gentleness (and quietness) of radiator heat, to traditional room layouts, to 'built for the ages' solidity not often found in today's 'stick-built' houses.
So for better or worse (and after twenty years of marriage, we know 'worse' does happen at times!) this is what we got ourselves into:
In the front hall, you can start to see the wallpaper-stripping chore we face...
At least there is hardwood under all those... uh... lovely carpets.
The spacious kitchen / family room area is a -little- more up-to-date, and the kitchen cabinets are of excellent quality, at least. That "slate" vinyl floor... Yrch! And the formica-marble backsplash is, uh, different.
The enclosed side-porch is a nice feature, but narrow. Furnishing / using this space will be a challenge.
Upstairs the bedrooms are nicely-sized. In fact generally-sizeable rooms are one feature we like about the home. Hardwood floors up there too, but also... WALLPAPER! Blech.
So there you have it. The start...
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