Any Old House Owners Here? - Page 3 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

CouversMom · 07-25-2010, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nana911

1920 craftsman, just stripped uncountable number of layers of paint and wallpaper from our bedroom walls. getting ready to strip the untold years of old varnish off the windows. our bedroom has been in the living room for months. the other bedroom is a walk-in closet because y'all know how much closet space there is in old houses....nada long, slow process..... but do love the front porch and all the little cubbies and storage suprises that are built in, just wish some were closets..LOL

I don't know why, but our house has walk in closets in all but one bedroom (there are 5). I know that there usually is no closet space, but I think we just scored with our house

We just painted one of the spare rooms today and begain stripping the woodwork. It is going to be beautiful. I can post pictures when we're completely done

CouversMom · 07-25-2010, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 107barney

We added additional features to go with the house too. Unfortunately my windows had to go - I practically cried in the replacement window stores. I still havent gotten over it.

Love my old house - even with its settled foundations, it's creeky noises, and its lack of central air conditioning.

Whey did you have to get rid of the windows?! I just could not part with mine... no matter how inefficient they are!

I just love our house too! Even though the floor is slanted and everything has settled.

However, a month ago... we did install a new central heat/air system. It is a desert around here and I couldn't live without AC

CouversMom · 07-25-2010, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DvlshAngel985

How do you know what style the house is?

I would say through research... Look into home styles during that era? Mine isn't the stereotypical bungalow because it's not a single story or small... but it is the closest style I could find.

Keno · 07-28-2010, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitzis Mom

Oh... and actually it's name is 'Villa Vanilla'. When we moved in I had a dream in the first night where the house talked to me, bid us a warm welcome and told me it's name is Villa Vanilla...LOL!
I renovated the whole house single handed (my dh is a scientist ..

LOL, your house "talked to you" aren't "scientists" smart enough (or rich enough) to help with the renovations? 5 years is a long time for renovations. You poor lady.

have to laugh, or else I'd have to cry. Good Luck with your "renovations".

Robin Lodal · 07-28-2010, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CouversMom

I LOVE your house Robin! What beautiful doors! Our house doesn't have the claw foot tubs but it is my goal to put a couple in

I would love to see more pictures

I was looking and I don't have any good pictures of it. When we bought the house the tub was just sitting in what we call the "tub room" but it wasn't hooked up to any plumbing... it had flowers in it and it was almost like a little museum, had a chair next to it... I don't know, it was really weird lol So we got it refinished, bought a new shower kit and wa-la. I need to get some pictures.

We were lucky, too. Our house had central air/gas heat when we bought it so we don't have to use window units.

CouversMom · 07-28-2010, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin Lodal

I was looking and I don't have any good pictures of it. When we bought the house the tub was just sitting in what we call the "tub room" but it wasn't hooked up to any plumbing... it had flowers in it and it was almost like a little museum, had a chair next to it... I don't know, it was really weird lol So we got it refinished, bought a new shower kit and wa-la. I need to get some pictures.

We were lucky, too. Our house had central air/gas heat when we bought it so we don't have to use window units.

You definitely should take pictures!

We just put in a brand new furnace and air conditioner, so we are set. I could not imagine using window units

It gets HOT here!

CouversMom · 07-28-2010, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keno

LOL, your house "talked to you" aren't "scientists" smart enough (or rich enough) to help with the renovations? 5 years is a long time for renovations. You poor lady.

have to laugh, or else I'd have to cry. Good Luck with your "renovations".

5 years is actually not a long time at all... I honestly plan on renovating my house for around 10

Cares4Dogs · 07-28-2010, 10:43 PM

Ya'll are making me jealous to the bone!!! I love love love old homes. I'd love to get one, but there arent that many in the neck of woods that I wanna move to. I wish i could find a builder who'd build me one, but make it look old.

celstu1 · 07-29-2010, 07:52 AM

The first house I bought was a 1905 Colonial! It was all refinished with love before we bought it. We had 1 original window left bc it was between 2 rooms. It had all the original hardwoods floors and a big hardwood grand staircase. It had arched doorways, high ceilings and beautiful woodwork everywhere, and only the master bedroom had a closet, the other bedrooms did not. It had horse hair plaster walls and we cut a hole in one of them to make a niche shelf wow.. those walls were HEAVY!!! You could see in the ceilings where they strung the electrical since the house was built before electricity! I loved this house, everything about it, it was gorgeous and unique! I miss it!
It was actually designed well to be efficient, but for some reason it was not that efficient at all. 3 heat zones, we only kept the middle one on, and at a temp of 68 and in Jan/Feb it was almost $500/month! Even with the new windows.

Then again, there were no doors on the main floor, except a bathroom door, which means that we couldn't shut off rooms that we didn't use much.

Mitzis Mom · 07-29-2010, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keno

LOL, your house "talked to you" aren't "scientists" smart enough (or rich enough) to help with the renovations? 5 years is a long time for renovations. You poor lady.

have to laugh, or else I'd have to cry. Good Luck with your "renovations".

My husband is one of the top plasma scientists but scientists are mostly 'thinkers' not 'do-ers' and rich? I wished... (((sigh)))... maybe one day if one of his 12 patents gets funded...

It took me about 4 months to make the house livable the first time around but my 'friend' left the house in such a condition that I had to start all over again... (((double sigh)))

chachi · 07-29-2010, 08:39 AM

Mine has closets in each bedroom but all except one are small closets so that is a downfall of my house too. We do have an unfinished basement though

TommiGirl · 07-29-2010, 10:32 AM

Closets are over rated, it always for junk to be collected LOL. It sounds as if you have done a great job and still have room for improvement.

nana911 · 07-29-2010, 01:09 PM

I think some of them relied on armoires instead of closets. My DH is custom building armoires to fit on each side of the bed, and due to his disabilities it is taking longer than it used to. Also, I have demanded a matching one for my 'girls' ....

, so that will add extra time.

yorkielady06 · 07-29-2010, 01:53 PM

My house is an 1901 Colonial. I have 5 bedrooms, one bath, dining room, living room, kitchen, front porch, and it used to have a wrap around back and side porch area that have been converted to my whelping room and a den. It also has a full unfinished basement. Parts of it had been redone prior to purchasing it and I have spent 10 years on the rest and am in the final stretches. I working on the hallway/stairwell area. Unfortunately the earlier rehab has been all modern and so that is what I have finished with. So new windows, plaster gone, new insulation, new wiring, new heating, floors, etc. Once the hall/stairs are done it will be approx. 30K put into it. It still needs a new roof at a 10k estimate made me choke

! So that will have to wait a year or so.
I have maintained one part of the original house and that is the steps and banisters.. Stripped the 6 layers or so of paint off them and then hours and hours of sanding to then repaint them all white. They are beautiful and I wish that the rest of the charm remained

.
I plan to sell this in 3 years and when I do I will be building new or buying new

.
I have enjoyed the project but do not want to do it again.

nana911 · 07-29-2010, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yorkielady06

My house is an 1901 Colonial. I have 5 bedrooms, one bath, dining room, living room, kitchen, front porch, and it used to have a wrap around back and side porch area that have been converted to my whelping room and a den. It also has a full unfinished basement. Parts of it had been redone prior to purchasing it and I have spent 10 years on the rest and am in the final stretches. I working on the hallway/stairwell area. Unfortunately the earlier rehab has been all modern and so that is what I have finished with. So new windows, plaster gone, new insulation, new wiring, new heating, floors, etc. Once the hall/stairs are done it will be approx. 30K put into it. It still needs a new roof at a 10k estimate made me choke

! So that will have to wait a year or so.
I have maintained one part of the original house and that is the steps and banisters.. Stripped the 6 layers or so of paint off them and then hours and hours of sanding to then repaint them all white. They are beautiful and I wish that the rest of the charm remained

.
I plan to sell this in 3 years and when I do I will be building new or buying new

.
I have enjoyed the project but do not want to do it again.

ahhh, to be that ambitious. This is our 'death house'. Last stop. We can take as long as we want, because we are not moving ever again. Too old. Sometimes, it's good to be old...

07-29-2010, 07:52 AM	#39
celstu1 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 10,534	The first house I bought was a 1905 Colonial! It was all refinished with love before we bought it. We had 1 original window left bc it was between 2 rooms. It had all the original hardwoods floors and a big hardwood grand staircase. It had arched doorways, high ceilings and beautiful woodwork everywhere, and only the master bedroom had a closet, the other bedrooms did not. It had horse hair plaster walls and we cut a hole in one of them to make a niche shelf wow.. those walls were HEAVY!!! You could see in the ceilings where they strung the electrical since the house was built before electricity! I loved this house, everything about it, it was gorgeous and unique! I miss it! It was actually designed well to be efficient, but for some reason it was not that efficient at all. 3 heat zones, we only kept the middle one on, and at a temp of 68 and in Jan/Feb it was almost $500/month! Even with the new windows. Then again, there were no doors on the main floor, except a bathroom door, which means that we couldn't shut off rooms that we didn't use much. __________________ “Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer.” ― Dean Koontz

07-29-2010, 08:39 AM	#41
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	Mine has closets in each bedroom but all except one are small closets so that is a downfall of my house too. We do have an unfinished basement though __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

07-29-2010, 10:32 AM	#42
TommiGirl YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Up North, further up north Posts: 771	Closets are over rated, it always for junk to be collected LOL. It sounds as if you have done a great job and still have room for improvement. __________________ When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras.

07-29-2010, 01:09 PM	#43
nana911 threadkillin' 6 pack Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,242	I think some of them relied on armoires instead of closets. My DH is custom building armoires to fit on each side of the bed, and due to his disabilities it is taking longer than it used to. Also, I have demanded a matching one for my 'girls' ...., so that will add extra time. __________________ lorelei, wife to gerry , momma to bear , baxter ,baby and bug

07-29-2010, 01:53 PM	#44
yorkielady06 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Up North Posts: 808	My house is an 1901 Colonial. I have 5 bedrooms, one bath, dining room, living room, kitchen, front porch, and it used to have a wrap around back and side porch area that have been converted to my whelping room and a den. It also has a full unfinished basement. Parts of it had been redone prior to purchasing it and I have spent 10 years on the rest and am in the final stretches. I working on the hallway/stairwell area. Unfortunately the earlier rehab has been all modern and so that is what I have finished with. So new windows, plaster gone, new insulation, new wiring, new heating, floors, etc. Once the hall/stairs are done it will be approx. 30K put into it. It still needs a new roof at a 10k estimate made me choke! So that will have to wait a year or so. I have maintained one part of the original house and that is the steps and banisters.. Stripped the 6 layers or so of paint off them and then hours and hours of sanding to then repaint them all white. They are beautiful and I wish that the rest of the charm remained. I plan to sell this in 3 years and when I do I will be building new or buying new. I have enjoyed the project but do not want to do it again.

07-28-2010, 10:43 PM	#38
Cares4Dogs Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 975	Ya'll are making me jealous to the bone!!! I love love love old homes. I'd love to get one, but there arent that many in the neck of woods that I wanna move to. I wish i could find a builder who'd build me one, but make it look old.