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Jun
28
The house offer was accepted, the inspection didn’t reveal anything horrifying, and everything is on track with us buying the house next door.
Now the hard part:
The sellers still need to clear out, ah, quite a bit of stuff, obviously, and we need to think about what updates we want to make before we move in. Painting for sure, and possibly the flooring in a couple rooms. Longer term projects include the sun room — keep it? Maybe get rid of it in favor of a deck? — and the gloomy paneled living room that could have a wonderfully vaulted ceiling if we ripped out the existing structure.
You probably think I’m nuts for sharing these not-so-flattering photos, but I’m so excited about the potential here. I can’t wait to share our plans and bug you for advice.
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98 Responses to “Diamond in the rough”
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some of its quite dated, but I don’t think you’re nuts for sharing it – how exciting to see the pics before you do it up. i like the idea of a sun room.
What?!! You mustn’t underestimate the timeless appeal of wood paneling. ;) Ick ick ick. Tear it out!!! What an adventure. Congrats!
A few months ago we moved into my dream home and I spent many an excited, sleepless night redecorating in my head. It’s still one of my favorite insomniac-induced activities. I’m so happy for you-all!
Good lord these people had a lot of pictures on the walls.
No, you’re not nuts for sharing. It’s fun to think of the possibilities. Congrats & good luck.
Love dead things on the wall. ;-)
Don’t forget sky lights if you are going to tear out the ceiling anyway.
I love seeing before pictures. you are NOT crazy to share them; this place is going to be amazing!
my one piece of advice: don’t tear out a sunroom. if you want a deck, add one (sounds like there’s plenty of yard). when it starts raining again, you will be glad you have a sunroom and place to appreciate your park-like yard without being cold and wet.
[also, give us a call if there's demo to be done. we're super good at it. ;)]
OH, MY! But I am with you. I see possibilities.
Also, I solemnly swear I will start throwing away stuff every single trash day so my sons do not have to deal with years’ acummulation of crap when I can’t.
I love that you’re sharing pictures, and I think we’ll all be glad to see the before/after, even if it’s years in the making. I have two words of praise for your new place: NATURAL LIGHT. Wow. Amazing.
Keep the doll collection, for sure.
Can’t wait to see how the reno goes! I love it. We just went thru it ourselves and it was painless, especially since we had another house we were living in while the work was being done. You are in the perfect situation. Congratulations!
I love it! I covet those built ins-I would give anything to have something like that in my house.
I agree with Dani-keep the sunroom. I hope you don’t pull the paneling off that, I really like the rustic feel. Also could you send me that little dinette table with the pink chairs, so cute!
It’s going to be fantastic!!
I’m definitely in favor of keeping the sunroom…add a deck outside, and maybe a set of French doors to the deck from the sunroom? And the paneling? No. Just no. It needs to go.
So many possibilities, and I love the natural light! So super-excited for you!
My concern about the sunroom is there’s no forced air to that area — how would you keep it warm during colder months, I wonder? (Like, a space heater?)
Paint and flooring will make all the difference in the world! And i looove the sun room!!
The sunroom could come in handy for those rainy days when you want to lock the kids outside but feel the slightest sense of guilt about doing it!! Tons of potential…can’t wait to see how you improve and make it your own. Maybe look into HGTV and getting them to come crash your house!!!
Keep the sunroom! Put in a fireplace! My mom has one and I love sitting in there amidst her plant jungle on a comfy poof watching the rain with her little faux fire thing going! It’s the best.
Also meant to say, I LOVE these pictures. Looking for potential is so fun! Great bones. And I totes think you could make that wood paneling work. It’s actually very warm. :)
The not so flattering photos make the improvements so much more fun though.
As for heating the sun room… I suggest you take a winter vacation out here to Cleveland. When you get home your Eugene sunroom will feel nice and toasty!
We have a piece of crap sunroom. Not nearly as nice as yours. With cold tiled floor. And we live in Pennsylvania. In the winter time when the sun shines I send my three year out there, maybe with a jacket, to play away to his heart’s content. It’s not too cold during the day. And a space heater or a faux fireplace would be perfect for it. We have a deck attached to ours – love it for deck parties. Definitely a keeper, I think, and add a deck.
Oh… And for the paneling… as a temporary fix… You CAN paint it. I mean, it’s not a great long term solution, but if you’re putting off replacing it because it’s a bigger project, slapping on a couple coats of paint is a 1-day job, and it will really make the room brighter. @Maureen Real wood paneling is “rustic” and, used well, can be very cosy. Judging by that photo, the wood paneling in Linda’s house is vinyl, screams 1970, rattles when you knock against it,and just makes a room feel crappy.
I think it looks pretty cool and minor things like painting the wood panelling could help tremendously. Also have you thought about asking if you could buy a few of their paintings as a tie to the previous owners? Or are they not to your taste at all?
Meagan — you’re right on the paneling, it’s not quality wood at all. It’s got to go. That room is my least favorite at the moment but if you look in the crawlspace there’s nothing above that low ceiling — just vaulted space going up to the roofline. Definitely could be improved quite a bit with lightening the walls and raising the ceiling (not sure about adding more windows, it’s a brick house so maybe that would be hard?).
Mika, yes! We have asked for one (there are a million lying around) to hang as an homage to the owner. They’re actually really nice.
I love the dinette set!
I think you should keep the sunroom. My parents had a screened-in porch that always flooded, so they enclosed it. That’s where my mom puts her Christmas tree. They do use a space heater. It’s nice and cozy in the rain.
Have you thought about landscaping? What’s outside sunroom. Do those bushes need to be pressed up against? Does it go to yard? Add slidind door?
If you don’t need space it looks like deck is tbe way to go.
I love before pictures and I’m so thrilled you guys got the house! Keep the sunroom, add a woodstove or space heater for the colder months. They are so lovely and a good spot when it’s too icky to be outside. As for the paneling, I second the temporary solution to just paint it. Our friends did that while they saved up for a bigger renovation project and it immediately brightened up the room.
You also might want to check out the blog http://www.HouseTweaking.com – they bought a similar style brick house with a similar before look and are DIY-ing everything. They also vaulted the ceilings and it looks amazing. If nothing else, you could get some good ideas.
I LOVE remodeling! My husband and I are on year three of renovating a 1950’s brick ‘ranchburger.’ I say at the very least paint the wood paneling a nice light/bright color. You can always pull it down and dry wall later, but it will help immensly. You might have hard woods under your carpet, which if so, refinishing hardwoods is a lot less expensive than installing. Best of luck! I’m so happy for you guys.
I’m so happy for you! If anybody can make it look great, it’s definitely you and your excellent taste.
I wonder, given the time frame the house was built in, if there are original hardwood floors under the carpet? Mmmm…
It’s a great house. I can’t wait to see how you guys apply your good taste to it. My folks just bought a 1960 rancher and I love it!
Sun-room: seems like a keeper, at least temporarily. A good place to banish the unruly children and the dog to… once you get another one ;)
That oppressive paneled living room is just like my aunt’s! Complete with dead animal head! What it really needs is a bunch of guns. That said, though, home is home and this one is about to be YOURS (or your’n, as my family would say). Congratulations!
oh my goodness, that house is so cute! I love vintage! But yes, wood paneling must go! At least you don’t have a lime green toilet? Or do you?
Andrea/Courtney: yes, there are some original hardwoods — they’re under the carpet in the front living room and down the hall (the kids’ bedrooms are wood while the master bedroom is carpeted). They’re not, however, in the laminate-floor kitchen or the carpeted dining area to the side of the kitchen. We’re thinking of leaving the carpet in the front room, pulling it up in the hall, and matching as best we can with new wood floors in the dining area/kitchen, which is relatively small so hopefully shouldn’t be TOO much $$$?
Ashleas, no, thank god! Although the linoleum in the master bath is scary. The good (?) news about that, though, is that it’s such a pipsqueak of a bathroom there’s not much of it to dwell on. :)
I love it! I have a hard time coming up with ideas or envisioning change, but even I can see this has great potential. Congratulations again! I wonder, for the sunroom, could you put in new flooring with underfloor heat?
Anyway, thanks for sharing and enjoy!
Love that dinette set and the lamp in the kitchen! (kitchen? Is that carpet? That’s a bit of an “oh my.”) definitely keep the sun room. I actually like the grey wash on the walls in there. You’re so not crazy to post these. So cute, see so much potential!
There is practically nothing I love more than imagining and re-imagining what to do with spaces like this one! Lucky lucky you!! For the sunroom you should add radiant heated flooring under whatever new tile you choose. Rather inexpensive, and easily able to heat a whole room of that size.
I love before and after home photos! Also, I’d be tempted to ask if the pronghorn head could stay with the house. It’s pretty awesome.
It has beautiful curb appeal, and in no time, it will be yours and will be beautiful on the inside to match. Just getting the clutter and old paneling out will be such an amazing difference.
Is the wood/veneer on those built-ins bookmatched? If so, please don’t paint it–that’s a beautiful look that you can strip, restain, and build a whole room around.
There’s so much beautiful light! You can do anything in rooms with great windows and lots of light. I realize that home improvement is rarely an “adventure,” but with a house with bones like that, it can be!
We are beginning a renovation project in our 1940-50’s era brick ranch in a couple of weeks. So much to love, so much to rip out. Good luck!
This house is going be fantastic! So excited for you.
I’ve matched newly installed hardwoods to old and it was super reasonable. It sounds like the home has great solid bones, and is in a wonderful neighborhood– the paint and floors are the easy stuff! So excited for you all.
I’m sure others have said so already but I really, really love the cabinets in the first shot. And I’m sure it will be easier to see this house with the clutter gone. Agree on that wood paneling though. Congrats and happy demo!
Holy crap this is so exciting. Your whole move is just going swimmingly! Congratulations on the house, I can’t wait to see what you guys do with it!!
Congrats!
The house is perfect. You have the right neighborhood, a gorgeous yard, a house with limitless possibilities, and two determined and talented adults. You will make this place shine. I see wood floors, a warm kitchen, knocking out the nasty ceilings and cheap ass panels in the living room, I could go on and on….Conga Rats on the house. :)
I’m glad you shared! You can definitely see the potential. I think the sun room swapped for a deck might be an awesome idea, especially if you can’t heat/cool it. Especially with that back yard you showed the other day.
I adore mid-century ranch houses and would love a place like yours. If you’re at all interested in updating your mid-century gem while keeping some of the better vintage touches, I highly recommend checking out Retro Renovation.
http://retrorenovation.com/
Tons of possibility, for sure!
If you’re looking for a quick fix for the paneling, my parents painted over theirs 30 years ago and it’s looked fine ever since, and it totally brightened up the family room.
Congrats and enjoy making it yours!
Please keep the pink chairs, the swan and the Whatever That Is head on the wall. It looks like a fab house!
ps or send those weird/wonderful items to me. especially the swan.
I CANNOT wait to follow along on this adventure! Our second house was a fixer – we replaced everything, down to the doorknobs.
You might think about keeping the plywood cupboards if they are sturdy – they don’t make stuff like that anymore.
RE: Heater – you can get flat panel wall heaters that are electric and heat rooms without burning the kids. Search for Convection Ceramic Flat Panel Wall Heater or similar combination and see what comes up.
And congrats! You bought a house!
It looks like it’ll be a great house after a few updates. :)
I’d keep the sunroom, it’s a great place to sit if it’s raining and icky outside, and in your neck of the woods I’d say that’s often? (I live in the weather extremes of Wisconsin, I’d opt for a sunroom here too…) My grandparents just added a nice second floor sunroom to their house, and they used the radiant floor heating under the tile. It works great, it’s a nice temperature up there even in December.
Do you know the blog younghouselove.com? They’re experts at painting paneling and updating an older home. They have great (mostly inexpensive!) tutorials! Amazing transformations, check their site out
Such a great house and it’s nice that you have the opportunity to put your flava on/in it! I like the cupboards/ sun room/ potentially high ceiling. We’ve done a lot of remodeling on our place and I like Apartment Therapy and Design Sponge for inspiration. A.T. has a good search feature. Pretty much really looking forward to your house updates.
Since our house is done and we have no plans to move (ever!), I’m excited to live vicariously through your renovation. It has potential. Endless potential. And, you have a very handy husband. It will get done and we’ll all be glad we saw the before photos to appreciate the transformation. Looks like it has good bones, plenty of space, and really great views/lot. I’d say that is a great start.
That house looks like it has a lot of potential and “good bones.” I would certainly keep the sun room and add a deck too, if possible. Looks like it would make a great play room for the boys.
So happy for you guys! Your house is awesome! I too bought a fixer upped with ugly floors and ugly sunroom. I would do the floors before you move in, no matter how much money. It is the one thing that you will never want to do while you are living in the house. My sunroom was wood paneled and unheated/cooled. I put up dry wall and insulation, added skylights, and use window AC/space heater. Three months out of the year, it is unusable…but still my absolute favorite room in the house!
Definitely do the floors before moving in – we didn’t in the house we’re in now, and it’s my biggest regret. Putting new flooring down is not all that expensive and it is a big bang for your buck, so to speak. It’s neat to see the before as I’m sure the after will be wonderful.
Congrats!!! I can’t wait to see what your plans are and the transformation.
You guys will make it awesome. I can’t wait to see the after pictures! And then you also have that huge backyard. The boys will have the coolest fort ever I am sure of that :)
love the new house! so much potential and fun to make it your own! Keep the dinette set, put windows/screens in the sunroom, add a electric baseboard heat..( we had a screened in porch in Iowa transformed into 4 season room.. it was the best room of the entire 3000 sq ft house..you will love it!)
Walls were cedar and it felt like our favorite place in Colorado! Try white washing the panel, or making it look like cedar wood paneling…somehouse lighten it up, get the window treatments changed. You can always change it later.. focus on the floors, painting and get settled in! :)
can I send a pic of the cedar porch?
Congratulations!
Re space heater – get one of those electric, enclosed-oil heaters (ours are DeLonghi brand). We used one in the drafty bedroom for our oldest child, it was super.
My parents’ house has a sunroom and we always put the Christmas tree in there, so you can see it twinkling when you drive up, and yes, my dad complains every Christmas morning when I want to go open presents out there in the cold. They do have two space heaters for it though, and for so much of the year, it’s just right. When my brother and I were teenagers and would have friends over, it was the perfect slightly separate place for us to hang out, too. Love all the greenery and light in the picture of this one.
I adore the idea of having a painting from the previous owner — the snippets I think I can see of her work do look lovely.
I think it’s very exciting – so what if it looks a little crappy right now? Remodeling is so great because you can make stuff just how you want it – although the process itself can suck at times. I read your previous post about the “house next door” and I swear, I actually welled up with tears. Yes, I am a total sap, but it is just so cool that you learned the history of the house and can take care to honor some of the things that the previous owner valued. It is also sweet that she knows you will be raising your kids there and that you will have one of her paintings, etc. Far better than moving into a home where you know absolutely nothing about the past owners. Anyway, best of luck – I look forward to seeing your remodels over the next couple years!! ‘Cause it will be years!
I love that you took the leap of faith with your dream, and the move, and look how it’s all coming together. It was meant to be, you just needed to leap. I love when good things happen to good people. Congrats.
And I love that dinette set too.
Oo oo oo this is so exciting! There is so much potential in this house. I am so happy for you guys!
If you need some time to think about it, at a minimum I would paint the paneling in the living room white as a temporary measure until you settle on next steps for the room. Our basement is paneled in the stuff and I thank god the former owners had the good sense to paint it white/offwhite because dark paneling + basement = fail.
I agree with PPs to focus on the floors first before moving in. Those are the biggest PITA to do after you’ve moved in! The rest is “easier” to do after. Can’t wait to see the changes you’ll make to make the place yours. Yay!
Look at those bones! And look how tidily lined up the stuff is! They’re going to leave it clean as a pin and the rugs look new and it is totally livable. Way better to start like this instead of some brand new reno that cost a bezillion dollars but that you can’t stand…. You are going to have a blast!
HOW EXCITING! It’s perfect, really, to buy a sound house with updating to do. SO amazing what fresh paint and ripping down curtains and pulling up carpet and and and…how much time do you have to work on it before you can move it? Amazing, the light in the house is generous and gorgeous. You will figure out everything in time, and it’s amazing what you can live with for awhile (or for a long time, if you are me). Mozel!
I love everything about this – not least the fact that you and I will be suffering together. We closed on a house recently circa 1948 and *just* finished all the demo. Now we have to move some walls, and put in two bathrooms and a kitchen. It’s daunting but it’s a chance to have exactly what we want! And that would have been more expensive to buy than install, at the end of the day. Wishing you luck and patience! Can’t wait to read about all the fixins.
Just wanted to chime in and say what is UP with that quilted floor in the first picture?
And I vote for a fake fireplace (pellet stove?) in the sunroom.
And yes, it was a good idea to put up these pictures.
I mentioned in an earlier comment about keeping the paneling, I meant in the sunroom. I totally understand not wanting that darker wood paneling in the rest of the house.
Since I love the midcentury ranches, I hope you keep many of its original features, but I am just speaking for what I would like for myself. It looks like a great house, and I know you will have many happy years in it.
Not fond of the grainy wood paneling in the dining area, but love the built-in cabinet. Perhaps a nice coat of paint? Definitely keep the sunroom, it would be a great place for the kids to play Legos on rainy days. You could put a small free-standing fake fireplace there for warmth, and with a bunch of plants it could be a gorgeous room. The living room paneling has to go, but we all know that. But it’s a great house! Two years from now it’ll be a showplace and will reflect your personality and living style. I don’t envy you the work, but your sense of accomplishment is going to mushroom.
Can I just add my one paltry vote to keep the wood paneling? Call me crazy, but I love it! I recently had to watch a friend remodel the crap out of this gorgeous old house with a ton of paneling and built-ins and it made me so sad that all the people that can afford to buy houses are just ditching this gorgeous, homey old look. If I ever get to a place where I can actually afford to buy a house, they’ll all be erased from the face of the planet. So sad…
Keep the sunroom. If the yard is as big as you say it is, you’ll be dying to build a HUGE deck out there anyway in a year or two. The sunroom is something unique you can use for many of those “in between” outdoor days when it’s raining or mosquito-ing and you still want to get away from the house a bit. I’m so excited for you.
Keep the sunroom – many great reasons outlined already.
And your current and previous house had wood floors all over the place, seems a good match for you and for the house style. So I vote for ripping out all the carpet, matching wood where you can, and sanding/refinishing the whole thing, then move in and do the rest of the stuff a bit at a time.
Nice that you take possession the first of August and don’t have to move until the first of September. About the right amount of time to get everything fixed up (and supervise all the work from next door).
You know I love me a mid-century ranch!
What a great, new, endless blogging topic. We’ll enjoy going along for the ride.
woohoo!! exciting! in the first picture that old rocker & the dinette set were kinda cool. even the deer head on the wall was sorta neat.
anyway, take out the paneling and drywall and then either new carpet or wood flooring. would help a lot. will look great with your own stuff & a fresh coat of paint!
I love seeing the possibility in a new home!
Having said that, holy pack rats, Batman!
I see loads of potential! I am so thrilled for you guys :)
That little dinette with the pink chairs is worth about $1,500!! It is adorable. See if they will throw it in with the house, to make up for the keruffle about the paneling… :)
Don’t do anything too drastic too soon. Live with it for a while and then figure out what needs to be done. That dinette set is great!
I, for one, definitely don’t think you’re nuts. That house? Is at a great starting point!
[we bought our neighbor's house in faaaaar faaaaar faaaaar worse shape, with the place & surrounding acre full of trash, grossness and wierdcrazythings. Our neighbors thanked us the first time they saw us cleaning up! Comparatively speaking, that place looks spotless and ready to go! Congrats!]
KEEP the sunroom… it’s my favorite part!! And as for heating it, my parents found a lovely solution, I don’t know the exact name of the model they used, but it’s a Charm Glow Gas Fireplace with real flames, pilot light, etc — cuts utilities WAY down with how much heat it efficiently puts out, and is very lovely to sit by/look at. They got theirs for around $200 (on sale though), and loved it and the $$ savings so much they put them in their rental properties as well.
Space heaters, on the other hand, are energy suckers…. and less efficient.
Congrats, btw — nothing embarrassing about these pictures; my parents gutted a house they bought from a diagnosed hoarder. They had to rent a massive dumpster… and filled it almost 20 times…. with things like glass food jars from the 70’s….
http://www.amazon.com/Charmglow-Natural-Glass-Fireplace-CGN300TQ/product-reviews/B0019VPZSG
It must feel completely surreal to have so many things in the universe come together – the job, the move, the house. I am so happy for you – it is really inspiring.
You have probably heard this advice a million times, but still – don’t do anything for six months. Yes, put in the floors before you move in – and completely blow your budget and get your dream flooring situation – it is the only thing you can’t/won’t undo later. But don’t make any big, permanent decisions on anything else.
Spend the next six months (if not longer) building your budget back up for the renovations. And living in your house for a while and really get to know her – and your family in her.
Make a list of your top priorities for remodeling now – before you move in. Then, after living in it for six months, write out another list. Those lists will probably be quite different. And spring is the perfect time to start the remodeling stuff.
I think it looks gorgeous. Congratulations on the house. Agree with one of the first commenters, floors & colors can make a huge difference and we can clearly see from the photos that the not so easy to change features (size of rooms, windows, …) are gorgous. Thanks for sharing the photos. So exciting…
oh my gosh – SO exciting. I wish I was moving into a house with nasty paneling and a dodgy sunroom in my dream neighborhood – so much fun to dream and make it happen! Thank you for letting us all living through you.
We have painted white paneling throughout our house and I love it.
Congrats again – the universe is shining down on you right now :)
And I love the light in your new home.
*live
These pictures reminded me of a house my family bought when I was a teenager. With everything else that had to be done to remove to eau de hippie (do they really think patchouli covers pot smell?) there was no scratch left to deal with the awful dark panneled family room. So, my parents did the only think they could…painted it just-off-white. It worked too! It looked cozy and rustic. Imagine living in an Etsy listing. Something to think about when you’re in the OMG WE CAN’T DO ALL THIS AT ONCE!! Stage.
Fun! You know we bought the crazy cat lady’s house and saw potential in it that everyone else couldn’t see. Now we’re halfway to the house of our dreams! So no, I don’t think you’re crazy at all. You might want to pick up Atomic Ranch magazine, though, for ideas. It looks like it has great bones, you just need to get rid of the old-lady decor!
Ditch the sunroom, yes to the vaulted ceiling, HELL to the YES on the built ins and big ass windows. This is a great house, regardless of the condition. Congrats!!
Unflattering pics or no, all I can see is the beautiful bright sunlight in every room you posted. So exciting! I can’t wait to see what you do either, your last renovations were beautiful. (Is that creepy? I’ve been reading for a while. HI!)
We had a family room with the 70s wood paneling. Tight on funds to make a major change, I gave it 3 coats of a latte-colored paint. It was a big improvement- enough give us a couple years to save funds for a total overhaul.
Love the photos. Keep ‘em coming.
YAY! Congratulations!!! What wonderful good fortune that your perfect home was sitting right next door.
The bedrooms in our house have the same windows as your paneled room has — up high like that. I think maybe it was supposed to be some kind of safety thing in the 70s? I can’t imagine any other reason to make them that way. We painted those rooms light, bright colors, including the ceiling, and it really made a big difference making things feel more airy and less… prisony. (Well, except my son’s room. He wanted camo colors, so his room is khaki, olive, and tan. With impenetrable camo curtains. But the ceiling is the lightest, and even in there that helps a bit. :) ) And yes, you can paint that paneling if you want to make a quick change. It makes a bigger difference than I thought it would — we couldn’t afford the time or the money to redo the walls in my daughter’s room, which had the dreaded paneling (we had it in most of the houses I lived in growing up and my dad used to say if you ever needed a fire exit just run through the wall. I’m glad we never had a fire because I totally believed him) as WELL as the prison windows. It looks not half-bad, and later on if we want to tear it out, it’s just as easy to tear out painted flimsy paneling as dark 1970-was-here flimsy paneling.
I’m so excited for you, and some of those rooms are just lovely.
That is super exciting! Sometimes the most fun part of a house is dreaming up all that you could do with it.