House of the Day: 65 South Elliott Place
We hadn’t realized that this house at 65 South Elliott Place was on the market until it popped up as one of the early listings in the Brownstoner Marketplace. (We did know from this post that the place has been sitting empty for the last couple of years.) For the right buyer with the stomach…
We hadn’t realized that this house at 65 South Elliott Place was on the market until it popped up as one of the early listings in the Brownstoner Marketplace. (We did know from this post that the place has been sitting empty for the last couple of years.) For the right buyer with the stomach and the cash for a major renovation, this pre-Civil War era woodframe house could be pretty interesting: There are lots of original architectural details and its on one of the best park blocks in Fort Greene. The asking price is $869,000. What do you think this would be worth fully-restored?
65 South Elliott Place [Filmore Real Estate] GMAP P*Shark
Am looking at photos of Robert Duffy’s Federal house in the West Village. Deceptively simple woodwork and plaster. He worked with architect Stephan Jaklitsch, who has also designed stores for Marc Jacobs. The idea was to make the place livable while touching the original architecture as little as possible. They left sloping floors, but the walls, ceilings, and cabinets look straight. They purposefully left gaps in the original floorboards. House has its original Federal-period windows, which, like these, are six over six. These windows are historical treasures.
I made a offer on the house above asking haven’t heard back from the guy in a month.
I think I might see wide pumpkin plank floors and marble fireplaces. Simple yet handmade trim and plaster work. Original windows that will be better restored than replaced.
As for costs, everyone is right. If you add on staircase, exterior, porch, it could add another $100,000, maybe more. Landmarks, architect, filing are more expenses I don’t know anything about. This house could really shine with a top-of-the-line renovation, but it would be a subtle beauty, not as ornate as later styles.
I can imagine something along the lines of Julianne Moore’s place in “Restoring a House in the City.” (Technically Greek Revival, not Federal.)
M4L – I fainted. Then I called a few more contractors – and mopar has it down; at 200k you could have a VERY livable house. Throw in another $100k on “finishing touches” and you could have a gem featured on the Park Slope Civic Society House and Garden Tour 🙂
In total – from a 17×23 to a 17×45 (all three floors), squeaking under $300k – that included a lot of sweat equity and exchanges (designer friend in LA – flown out to NY for pride, put up in a hotel for a week – using points, miles, etc).
Is someone using this house as storage for stuff to sell at the Brooklyn Flea? Cuz I think I almost bought that bookcase for $40 in the rain.
Ha ha ha Nomi!
M4L, actually, you might be able to make this live-able for $200,000. Hard to say without knowing every detail of what it needs. You could do plumbing, electric, new boiler, minor basement (sister a few joists, etc), patch and skim coat everything, prime, paint, refinish floors, new old vintage fixtures exactly in the same place they were before and original-style unfitted kitchens — for $100,000 easy. Use a contractor and licensed plumbers and electricians, no architect, no designer.
This wouldn’t include major structural work, redoing staircases or other issues because of foundation problems, hvac, new heating pipes and radiators, roof, chimneys, new floors, windows, insulation, stripping off lead paint, any removal of asbestos, etc., etc. A new staircase is $2,000 to $3,000 per flight and up, depending on the wood you’re using.
At least the floors and walls in this house are not covered in panelling or linoleum, so you can inspect the condition. That’s always nice. Replacing our ruined wainscotting has turned out to be a major unanticipated expense (that we’re putting off till later).
In fact, superficially, our house was in pretty similar condition to this one when we bought it. And now, $50,000 later it looks about the same. Ha ha ha!
bupe, did you laugh upon hearing that quote?
Nomi;
I’d made it just a bit randy: ladies in vintage underwear. Sort of like the Victorian equivalent of Hooters.
Just don’t call Sean Dineen for that gut reno – our house was in similar condition, and when he drove by in his Escalade, he was very succinct: $300-400K per floor.