Rehabbing, Renting, and Reality Checks

Today was a good day. Today was a bad day.

The interior painting of the house in Madisonville is looking good. However, we had to dismiss the painter as he is way behind schedule. Tomorrow, we believe (or fantasize), a new painter will continue. Progress to date:

 

 

 

PS: It didn’t help the painter’s case that I was at the house for 45 minutes this afternoon, and 45 minutes after I left (the exact amount of time it ook me to get home in rush hour traffic), he called to say he did not have any money for gas to get home. Steam rose from my head for about thirty seconds and then I said I would return after I made dinner for my husband. Return we did, dismiss we did, nicely of course, but in his haste to collect his supplies and leave, he forgot to replace a few screws in the trim holding the glass at the top of the entry way door. When I locked the door, the trim and the glass fell at my feet.

The roofer did not show up although he said it was urgent that I give him money for roofing supplies on Wednesday so he would be ready for Thursday. What else is new?

A woman came and wanted to see a one bedroom apartment in Elmwood Place where I am rehabbing three one bedroom units. It was for her and two dogs; one a pit bull that was brought up by her to have no knowledge that he is a pit pull and a puppy.

After seeing the apartment she asked about also taking the top floor apartment. I wondered if she wanted one for herself and one for her dogs. “Why,” I asked. Well, for her two daughters. After a few more questions I discovered that she wanted two one bedroom apartments for herself, two dogs, her boyfriend who doesn’t count because he is always working, one daughter with four children and another daughter with one child, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Tomorrow morning I go to court for an eviction of a man who is renting a house that he was going to purchase from a friend of mine. I am managing the house for the friend and the tenant has not gotten financing nor has he paid the rent in the last 3-4 months. Complicating matters, the tenant that I am to evict does work for me. We saw each other yesterday and spoke about the progress of the work. Not a word was said about eviciton court. This was beyond an elephant in the room – maybe the entire zoo.

Well, the zoo and I will appear before the judge tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for the next installment of how the brush turns.

 

Just Peachy Dining Room and Living Room

I have chosen two shades of peach for the DR, LR and entry way. The DR and LR are almost peach and the trim is darker. The reception hall will be the darker color with the lighter color as trim.

Upstairs will be a cream and very light green – Two rooms cream with green trim and two the opposite.

We plan to bring back to life the luster of the wood around the fireplace.

The peacHy color brings out the lovely gold in the stained glass window of the LR

I can envision spending lots of hours meditating on this window seat.

Keeping Nature Out of the House

On a rehab that I am working on, not the Madisonville one, I found the reason we had a hole in the floor of the second floor porch.

This little guy peeked out, saw me, and scrambled out of there but soon came back and hoisted himself through the hole.

Two more color ideas for the Madisonville house:

or

Moving Along

Today the window replacement company measured for installing the new windows and I received a quote on painting the interior and exterior of the house.

The railings on the front porch are oak and we will save them but the back porch will have to go. There are actually two small porches (on either side of the cupboard) and they will both be stripped down and be rebuilt.

Looking at lots of lucious colors for the inside. I have until Wednesday morning to decide. The painter will begin with the interior but as soon as the weather gets better he will do the exterior.

Thinking of Palish Peach for the walls and Gardenia for the baseboard and windows (Sherman Williams).

Ideas for outside:

Let’s hear your opinion.

Anatomy of a Renovation or: Old Bones, New Face

For those of you who love to watch the transformation of old houses morphing into livable homes, I thought you might enjoy watching the progress of this endeavor. The house is in Madisonville, a picturesque section of Cincinnati where people paint their houses similar to the ones in Cape May. Any suggestions on what bright colors we should paint the non-brick section of this house?

I am thinking of dark green and lavender.

The roof over the porch must be shot because water pours through the rotted ceiling of the porch.

The house at one time had a large back porch. Half of it was used to create a pantry and the other part was boarded up. It was being used to store junk. Below is the Dining room and the view from the window in the door leading to that porch is of the plywood covering the porch wall instead of a window or screen.

Notice the fireplace. I believe that the tile is from Rookwood, a famous pottery and tile company whose work is featured in the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Some windows were replaced but many were not. The original wooden windows are pretty but you can feel the air coming in as though there was no window. Whatever windows were not replaced will be, except for two stained glass windows, one is in the front of the house and can be seen from the inside towards the right.

The refrigerator, which takes up way too much space in the kitchen, will be moved into the pantry. The stove may have to be replaced as we heard a loud pop when we turned it on and the circuit breaker went. To keep the wallpaper or to not keep the wallpaper – that is a mystery. Who knows what lurks behind its cheerful countenance.

The cabinets were once good but doors are missing on all the cabinets beneath the sink and some of the cabinets are on the floor. A tile floor will sure perk up this kitchen as will light colored cabinets.

Some of the tiles are missing from the entry way. The bright green clothing belongs to Gary, who is heading up this project. I closed on the house on Monday. On Tuesday Gary changed the lock (there was no deadbolt lock on the front door), and fixed the front screen door. The back door is nailed shut but will soon also have a deadbolt lock. The screen door, was slamming open and closed as though it was part of a haunted house. I am sure the neighbors will not miss ghostly clamor.

I measured for blinds which I will have installed fairly quickly so no one will be able to look inside.

There is a distinct smell of cat odor. Lots of work will be needed to get those rugs clean and the carpet in the reception area will have to be changed as it has a weird spot on it that will most likely not come out. Tiles are missing. We found the right color match in Restore but they were the wrong size!!

Second day I had a window replacement man come out and new windows will go in April 8th.

This large (almost 2500 square foot house) has ONLY one bathroom. And it is UGLY.

The bathroom will be a top to bottom job.

The bedrooms are nothing special so I won’t post them. They are square rooms, each with a small closet and two large windows. Two are painted bright, bright blue; one light blue; and the last pink. They will definitely have a face lift. There is also a large attic which would be a great office or playroom.

In the basement is a laundry room with a toilet. Someone can actually go into the bathroom and close the door. The last house I did has a stand alone toilet against the wall in the center of the basement between the stairs and the garage. In an emergency one can use the toilet and pray that no one comes down the steps or through the garage. Fun, fun, fun.

Gary will put in a shower stall. The standard plastic laundry room sink will be replaced the sink below:

and Gary will put in a vinyl floor.

Sunday is roof day! Can’t wait to hear what the roofer finds.