Part Two.
We reached out to our buyers and asked a few questions about their motivation, what they were looking for in a home, anycompromises along the way. We also inquired about the design process, picking a contractor and pulling permits and of course the plan.
"We were looking for a place to expand our family, where our dogs could get a little bit of green space and where we could leave our mark. We wanted a bungalow style home with a big front porch, open concept floor plan, historic details, close to green space, and within 5 miles of downtown. Also wanted a detached garage to build an Au Pair apartment, and environmentally-friendly upgrades. Simply put, we wanted a LOT on a budget that could definitely not support the dream.
We're totally convinced that we got the last brick bungalow with a Denver address (AND a full basement) under $300,000 in an insane seller's market with historically low inventory, but that does not mean we didn't have to compromise. Even during the house hunting process we made peace with loosing shear square footage and the apartment over the garage. After seeing over 50 houses, the next to go were gorgeous historic details and a real masonry fireplace. By the time we signed on the dotted line, we were happy with a first floor that we thought we could work with and a basement that may or not be a nightmare. We got a great deal because we bought the property as a rental, which did not show well, and had a great real estate team who showed us the value of our up and coming neighborhood.
About the design, the contractor and the permitting process, let's start with a contractor. Over the course of almost a year, we contacted twenty-eight contractors. TWENTY-EIGHT! These were personal recommendations-no Craig's List, no Yellow Pages, all personal recommendations. Of those twenty-eight, only seven even called us back. SEVEN! Only three of them ended up giving us an estimate. THREE. What was going on?? First we were in a really tough place in the market. Construction was (and still is) at an all-time high, subs were (are) in short-supply and contractors have more work than they know what to do with. Second our project was at a slightly misfit price point. It's too big with too tight of a timeline for a small shop, but not quite big enough for a large design-build firm. Third, as a designer by profession, I wanted to draw all the plans myself and be hyper-involved in all the selections. We contacted quite a few companies who outrightly declined the project simply because the design was already decided. We did eventually select someone who we feel great about. However, if we've learned one thing throughout this process, its to proceed with cautious optimism, so keep your fingers crossed for us!
The overall plan for my lovely (very overwhelmed) wife is, "Get it done! And keep it under budget?" With that mantra as our guiding light, the first floor came together relatively easily. We're moving the kitchen, and adjusting the floor plan to be more similar to how the house was probably laid out when it was first built in 1931. The basement, presenteda whole new challenge. There is a fourteen-inch level change, a structural wall from Hell (can I say that on the Live Urban blog?) subdividing the space and a very long very skinny bathroom that will soon become part of the Master Suite. The brick wall and caps at the front porch are crumbling, the landscape is more akin to a junkyard, and any updates that have been made to the house in the last forty years were to increase rent, not toimprove functionality or aesthetics. We hope that the final project will be classic with elements no one can tell are not original. We hope the house after remodeling is comfortable, open, peaceful and filled with light. We hope we can build a home of which we can be proud and that can live on for another 100 years."
Next up Demolition.
For more information about properties and around the Denver area, contactthe Live Denver Team.
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