Photos of the house!
I took all these “before” pictures over a month ago, but I didn’t want to post them until the deal was final. Now I can share!
For anyone who hasn’t heard the backstory on this house, here’s the deal: we’re told it was built sometime in the 1850s, and that it’s believed to be the oldest house in Germantown, which is one of Nashville’s historic neighborhoods. It was originally a cottage for immigrant workers, like several other homes from that period which have survived in this neighborhood.
In the 150 years it’s been around, many people have presumably owned this house and tried to improve on it, but the additions and changes have been inconsistent and haphazard. This house is just begging for someone to come in and clean it the hell up.
So! Our plan, in the short term, is to clean it the hell up and make the place liveable. We’re calling that the “shack makeover” stage, and it’s been in full swing since Saturday.
Then, in six months to a year, we’ll begin investigating financing to do a major, MAJOR renovation, which will probably include leveling the back half of the house (the addition to the original house) and rebuilding, but taking it another floor higher (so that the profile will go up from front to back instead of down as it does now), opening up some of the original walls for a more loft-like interior space, adding a front porch overhang (as it clearly used to have one, and should), replacing the wood lintels above the windows with stone, as well as thoroughly redoing the kitchen (and maybe even converting the kitchen fireplace into a pizza oven), possibly adding a rooftop deck (the inspector said we have a great view of downtown from our roof), and generally making the whole house much, much cooler.
In the next few days, I’ll start taking the “during” pictures. It’ll probably be several years before I can take anything called “after” pictures. 
25 Responses to “Photos of the house!”
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:30 am
So cool! So much potential and so many projects. I look forward to reading about the progress!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:49 am
I think the rooftop deck idea is *wonderful*. I’m a huge fan of them.
So very looking forward to the pictures of the process.
-J
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 8:16 am
I love it. Yeah, there’s a lot of work ahead, but it’s a very cute house. Plus you’ve got a tree house! Congrats!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 11:11 am
wow! you are so much braver than me! i’m buying a house (i close in, uh, a month and four days, not that i’m counting) and it’s in virtually perfect condition. i saw a few that would have worked for what i wanted that i could have gotten for cheaper and done work on to improve them, but in the house i’m getting, i need to put a new roof on, have the water heater revented, and then just not screw the house up.
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 11:25 am
Wow. That house could really be incredible. Kudos to y’all for being willing to take on such a large and worthy project. Best of luck!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 11:35 am
Wow! Sure, needs work, but there’s so much potential. Plus, they left you a mattress, so what more can you ask for? Congrats!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 11:36 am
That’s a very nice house Kate. Congratulations!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 12:32 pm
Oh my gosh this is so exciting! What a gorgeous house! Or I should say what a gorgeous possibility for a house.
I am very, very jealous.
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 2:18 pm
Oooh, lots and lots of potential there!
And you know, those “paint mixers special” brown walls might not make a bad base coat for a faux finish technique; with a few colors of overpainting and glazing, you could wind up with something that looks like warm antique leather.
Don’t neglect to investigate the possibility of financing that renovation through your state or local historic preservation society. If you’re willing to work within their guidelines (which aren’t onerous), you may be able to qualify for low-interest loans or outright grants; even if they don’t have the money for that, you might qualify for a 10-15 year freeze on property tax increases if you’re restoring original exterior features like that porch overhang.
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 2:34 pm
Very cool, congrats on home ownership!! I’m sure you ‘ll have quite a time restoring/renovating it. Keep us updated.
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 4:05 pm
congrats
looks like an exciting project!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:27 pm
Thanks!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:30 pm
Yeah, me too. We saw and were on some very cool ones in Chicago.
It’s funny how life works. We were very disappointed to have to move back to Chicago from Portland, but had it not been for the year we spent there after already having owned a home (’cause heaven knows you look at houses differently once you’ve owned one), we wouldn’t have had any idea how to do this project. But having seen so many beautifully renovated historic three-flats in Wicker Park and other neighborhoods, we have some ideas from which to draw in redoing this house.
I’m not saying I’m glad we had to sell our house in Portland, but the twists and turns do eventually lead somewhere a lot of the time, don’t they?
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:30 pm
Thanks!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:32 pm
Yeah, we kind of went back and forth during the househunt about whether we wanted to take on a major project or just a minor cosmetic fixer upper. In the end, we chose the one in need of the most work. Go figure.
Good luck with your closing!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:32 pm
Thanks! We’re excited for sure.
Good luck on yours, too!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:33 pm
Thanks!
Now if we have even half the dedication you’ve described in renovating yours, we’ll be fine.
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:33 pm
Thanks!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:36 pm
Hey, I’m just glad you didn’t look at the pictures and decide not to come to Nashville after all.
Now to get the important stuff done before your visit and the party.
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:41 pm
Great suggestions, thanks!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:42 pm
Thanks!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 7:42 pm
Thanks!
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 9:06 pm
bounce bounce bounce
Posted: Apr 12th, 2005 at 11:05 pm
You know, this kind of almost pathological optimism is one of the things I love most about you. (It’s also something we have in common, so it’s refreshing to see it in someone else.
-J
Posted: Apr 13th, 2005 at 6:00 pm
Pout ” Flickr is having a massage. We had an unexpected hardware failure. ”
so can’t see them