Should I Do It??

[BungalowMo]

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@demi wrote:

A couple more suggestions:

Is the addition historically compatible with the existing house?  Are you in a historical neighborhood?  I would imagine that that would (if it hasn't) eventually add value.  I don't mean inside features, claw foot bath tubs, etc...but compatible architecturally?

Do you have a breakdown of the estimate...that old I am wondering if there are some hazardous materials (which might be adding to the cost).  If there are not, could you do some of the demo to save on costs?

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I have to say...the things mentioned above was the first direction my thoughts went.  If your bungalow is still pretty much historically intact, think hard about the way any upgrades are made. 

I too, am in the process of doing some work on my 1916 Craftsman Bungalow.  I am doing everything I can to keep it all as original as possible.  This has meant learning the art of sash repair...removing, stripping, reglazing & rehanging all the sash weights.  I will be finding a master plaster worker when it comes to doing some work on the walls.  Those kinds of things keep your home unique...just as it was intended to be.

For me, I never plan on leaving, but even if I were planning on selling, just keeping the thought that "They just don't build 'em like they used to" alive is a must.  Far too many beautiful old homes have been muddled with ugly siding & vinyl windows. 

Ok...I'm off my soapbox now, but please just think about what I've mentioned.  You can do the work upstairs without turning this old place into another "HGTV" mess.

Just another Bungal-owner

[IOBA]

Nice house!

[BungalowMo]

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@IOBA wrote:

Nice house!

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Thanks!  It was the first one I saw when I started looking...I was hooked!  I compared everything else to this one & was ready to buy it that same day!  She's still got all the original unpainted woodwork, glass doorknobs, skeleton key locks, hardwood floors & light fixtures.  It was like time stopped in 1916.  (except for the horrid 80's sears bathroom re-do)

Not to get OT here, but I found all the PO's up in the old cemetery too!    I lovingly refer to them as my "Peeps"!

[Anonymous]

As someone who has owned a bit of property including historical

landmark.  I suggest always getting 3 estimates.  Never do business

with someone who wants money upfront.  The historical thing can drive

you crazy but they are usually ok. They are only interested in the outside

colors and structural changes that change the integrity of the house.

Check on line for complaints or liens on the contractor.  If you use different

ones for plumbing and electrical  check them also.  A finish date in

the contract is important (very).

PS: I had three brick bldgs. built in 1815.

[Anonymous]

You should definately get more estimates, 30 000$ sound a lot to me. You could even get an online estimate (I know they're not perfectly accurate but it might give you an overview)

[MattH]

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@BungalowMo wrote:

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@demi wrote:

A couple more suggestions:

Is the addition historically compatible with the existing house?  Are you in a historical neighborhood?  I would imagine that that would (if it hasn't) eventually add value.  I don't mean inside features, claw foot bath tubs, etc...but compatible architecturally?

Do you have a breakdown of the estimate...that old I am wondering if there are some hazardous materials (which might be adding to the cost).  If there are not, could you do some of the demo to save on costs?

---

I have to say...the things mentioned above was the first direction my thoughts went.  If your bungalow is still pretty much historically intact, think hard about the way any upgrades are made. 

I too, am in the process of doing some work on my 1916 Craftsman Bungalow.  I am doing everything I can to keep it all as original as possible.  This has meant learning the art of sash repair...removing, stripping, reglazing & rehanging all the sash weights.  I will be finding a master plaster worker when it comes to doing some work on the walls.  Those kinds of things keep your home unique...just as it was intended to be.

For me, I never plan on leaving, but even if I were planning on selling, just keeping the thought that "They just don't build 'em like they used to" alive is a must.  Far too many beautiful old homes have been muddled with ugly siding & vinyl windows. 

Ok...I'm off my soapbox now, but please just think about what I've mentioned.  You can do the work upstairs without turning this old place into another "HGTV" mess.

Just another Bungal-owner

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The picture of that house brings nostalgic thoughts to my mind, because the Wisconsin home of my childhood was a 1919 Craftsman bungalow.  My brother really liked our childhood home: he lives with his wife and kids in a very similar 1905 bungalow in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago.  My wife and I made a rather different housing decision for practical reasons: we own a 1980s condo in Connecticut: convenient, low maintenance, etc., but not a whole lot of character!  It is in an established residential neighborhood of the "streetcar suburban" variety so the area does have character and we can walk to shopping, restaurants, etc.

My brother and his wife are facing a major decision some time in the next few years: right now their two kids are small enough not to mind sharing a bedroom, but soon they will want bedrooms for both kids.  For this they have two basic options: dormer-out the roof to create more upstairs space (and a second full bath, right now they have a half bath upstairs but the only bathing option is the clawfoot tub downstairs), or sell the house and buy a place in the suburbs where they can get far more space per dollar.  They really like living in the city, but they realize if they remodel their current house they probably won't get back the full value of their investment in resale value.  So economics may push them out into the suburbs.

By the time my parents had bought our childhood home, previous owners already had done the sort of remodeling my brother and his wife are considering, so we had enough bedrooms.