1914 Bungalow

[opmal7 (WavyGlass)]

Hi everybody. I figured I'd introduce myself. I am a mid-twenties mechanical engineer by day and hopeful home restorer by night. 1 year ago my girlfriend and I were looking for a house. There was a bungalow in our neighborhood that she had her eye one for over a year but I never paid it much attention. After we finally saved enough for a down payment we got with a realtor and set up a list of homes we wanted to see.

The bungalow was first on our list and we fell in love. It had such a simple elegant style, and we could tell the previous owners took great care of the house. We put in an offer and our Realtor called back and we agreed on a price, but the sellers wanted to meet us which was unusual.

The couple that lived in the house lived there for many years, raised 2 children, started a successful local ice cream business, and eventually grew old, and passed away. Their daughter (who was now in her 60's) and her husband inherited the house and were caring for it while it sat on the market for over a year (and while her mother was in a nursing home for several years prior). They had received offers from "flippers" and people intending to buy the house to rent out. They said they were waiting for an offer from someone who would love the house as much as she did growing up.

We kept in contact throughout closing, and they offered to leave us any furniture we could use in the house. They left us a dining room set, buffet, bedroom set, end tables, a loveseat, all the appliances and most importantly the old rocker and porch swing. They gave us copies of a historical recognition for the original siding and windows, and a complete history and ownership details of the house (6 owners since it was built in 1914, 2 owners since 1921). We truly felt blessed to have such a special first home-buying experience.

We have been plenty busy this first year getting settled in. We put a lot of effort in cleaning up the landscaping and catching up on a lot of the maintenance. We've taken up the outdated carpet and found some beautiful hardwood floors. We gutted and refinished the outdated 2nd bedroom/office. Eventually we'd like to finish the attic and possibly basement, but for now the big project is windows.

The house has 17 windows on the main level, each of them original to the house. About half are either painted shut or have broken ropes, and are inoperable. We looked into replacements but would have to save up a good chunk of change for that, so we started looking into restoring them. We realized it was a much better idea, and also would probably be much cheaper. We checked out a copy of Working Windows (Terry Meany) from the library, and have been busy learning.

I'm planning to strip and repaint all the windows, replace all the strings and pulleys, add weatherstripping, and replace all the glass. I also need to build a few storm windows and screens to replace some that are missing.

I've heard these forums referenced several places, and I found some useful info on building a steam box. I'm in the process of building that now, and will post some pictures when I get a chance. I'll also upload some pictures of the house and work we've done so far.

[Fanner (WavyGlass)]

Welcome! Hooray for restoring your windows! It is busy work but so rewarding - and WAY less expensive than replacement windows. Can't wait to see the pictures - these forums are 100% responsible for my abilities to restore my double hung windows and spruce up my doors and woodwork. The folks here are more than generous with their expertise, ideas and praise. Did I mention that I can't wait to see the pictures.. ?

[opmal7 (WavyGlass)]

Ok so here's a few pictures.


Here is the front of the house.


2nd Bedroom before tearout


2nd Bedroom during tearout. I'm pretty sure this space used to be a back porch that they converted into a bedroom.


2nd Bedroom finished. This is the closest I have to a finished picture. We put in insulation all around, hung drywall on walls and ceiling, plastered to a smooth finish, painted, and put in carpet.


Here is a picture of the carpet we tore out. The previous owners said they had the floors finished then put a carpet with a nice pad on top. We took up the carpet and that was all we had to do. No sanding, buffing, or polishing necessary.


More of the hardwood floors.


View of the living room and dining room. The wood trim in the living room was a darker color but we painted it white to match the rest of the house.

That's about it for now. Enjoy!

[Gothichome]

Very nice home, finished the hardwood then immediately fitted carpets. That seems a bit odd, but you get the benefit, they were thinking of you. sure glad another nice home fell into the hands of caring owners.

[Neighmond]

Alooha from another 1914 bungaloo owner!

Cheers
Chaz

[mkeller234]

That is a beautiful bungalow you have there. Congratulations on your home and awesome buying experience. How strange is it that both the address and year it was built is 1914?? I'm jealous of your hardwood floors! I wish ours were so nicely finished when we took up the carpet.

[Powermuffin]

Very nice. What do the kitchen and baths look like? (Hinting at more pictures!)
Diane

[Foursquare]

I love the trim colors on the front of the house--really punches out! Your door is also quite beautiful with the glass panels.

[opmal7 (WavyGlass)]

Very nice. What do the kitchen and baths look like? (Hinting at more pictures!)
Diane

Thank you. Nothing special about the kitchen. The bathroom has a nice built-in linen closet and a stained glass window in the shower. I'll try to get a couple pictures up.