We Got The WORST House

This house was sad, beyond a fixer upper. The layout was terrible, a colony of squirrels used it as a nut warehouse, and the roof was better for letting in light than keeping out the rain. So naturally I just knew it would be our ideal family home.

If you are sitting there thinking it doesn’t look that bad I can assure you it really was horrific.

The house was a bank owned (REO) foreclosure, vacant for over 10 years, and the pictures do not do justice to the absolute abysmal state of the house. It was on the market for a month or so before we went to look at it and it then took 8 months to convince the bank to sell us the house. After two other offers were accepted and fell through, loads of angst, and a list of houses that still didn’t fit our needs they finally accepted our offer.

A neglected 1934 Cape Cod, it stirred all the right emotions; old, decrepit, and classic. Capes are one of my great loves in the architecture world so we will definitely discuss that in a later post. Unfortunately there is no time for that here today. Let me give you a tour of this beast.

 

There was, at some point in this house’s history, a 1 car attached garage. A previous owner converted it to very inadequate and illegal living space that made the house look ugly, unbalanced, and uninspired. The front gutters were no longer attached so all the rain water was pouring off the front roof causing the porch foundation to crack and separate from the structure and main house foundation to bow from the water pressure.

Once I decided this house was mine I started to address the rainwater issue in hopes to salvage the foundation.

Now let’s go inside…

When you enter through the old garage you come into this cozy room. The ceilings are oddly low and the plywood floor feels almost like a trampoline. Charming, really.

 

Up a small set of stairs you enter this custom kitchen.

 

You many not be able to tell from the picture but that refrigerator is tiled. Yes, tiled. With ceramic tile. That folks, is a first for me. The sink is also custom made from that same lovely green tile.

 

 

Not sold yet? Onto the next room; the dining room where you can enjoy intimate family meals.

 

 

What’s wrong? Not very welcoming? Don’t worry, it looked totally different 8 months later when the bank finally relinquished the property to us.

 

Onward to the living room, or bedroom? This is where things start to get strange.

 

 

Moving on…because who wouldn’t be eager to see more?

 

Oh good, it get’s narrower… and darker…but look! The front door!! We found it!

We should probably just back up now so we don’t accidentally brush the wall if we try to turn around.

 

Wait! Now I’m getting really excited! This would make a great playroom next to the living room and where are those doors leading?

 

….my new office! Hang on…fireplace in the kitchen, fireplace in the living room/bedroom, and a THIRD fireplace in here?!

 

 

 

What else does this little diamond in the rough have to offer? Let’s check out the rest of the first floor.

Oh look, a bathroom.

 

…behind door #3 is kitchen #2.

 

I guess we should check out upstairs.

Oh, isn’t this lovely.

 

…and another kitchen.

 

I am honestly astonished they managed to fit 3 kitchens in this house.

Look, how cute! I love built-ins.

 

I thought the rest of the house smelled, but this really stinks like squirrel up here.

 

And since we always go to the basement last we can head there now.

Don’t worry,  I won’t show you boring, gross basement pictures. Instead you get to see the 3rd surprise bathroom in the basement stairwell.

 

I’ve been through loads of distressed properties, even purchased some in similar condition to this house but I was honestly surprised at how this house was marketed. The listing agent had multiple open houses. Open houses. People were walking around asking if there was lead paint as if the entire house wasn’t a toxic wasteland. I. can’t. even.

Fortunately for everyone else I was already super possessive of my dream home and set them straight.

Now, you may ask what on earth would make you want to buy this house for your family.

The Neighborhood.

We (meaning me) were looking for the right house in this neighborhood for 5 years! Location, location, location. We are just a few houses away from walking trails, can travel to the village by foot or bike, convenient to our jobs, and right around the corner from every store you could need except a hardware store. (?? Why??). The house is also in one of the best school districts in the state so that is pretty awesome.

I dragged my husband to handful of open houses in this neighborhood but they were always too much work for too much money. The lot wasn’t right, they needed an addition, layout changes, new kitchens, or a garage. We knew we would be over-invested and still not quite have what we want. So frustrating.

…and here enters the worst house 

The House Had Some Postivies.

Three fireplaces! No average joe would build a house with 3 masonry fireplaces in today’s construction dollars. It doesn’t make sense and I love the impractical.

The house also had a horrible layout from it’s sordid history (more on that in another post) and the condition necessitated a gut and partial rebuild. Fortunately the footprint provided us exactly what we wanted. There was ample living space on the first floor to house a large kitchen, mudroom, playroom, office, guest room with bathroom. The second floor is for sleeping. Perfect.

The backyard.

We have over 3/4 of an acre and the lot doesn’t overlook the house behind us which gives the impression of a country estate. Head out the front door and all the amenities within walking distance. The wildlife in this historic neighborhood feels like a storybook…the spiders like a nightmare. The lot was also large enough that we had the setback and space to add an attached garage.

 

All in all, the worst house turned out to be the best house. Check out more posts to see how we turned this disgusting neglected house into our dream home.

Next up…Demo Day(s)!

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