"The Perestroika/Glastnost Approach"

The properties I've bought to renovate have always come with existing additions or modifications and I haven't necessarily been wild about what the previous owners did.  However, for mainly structural reasons, my predecessors decisions have always factored into my changes.  Sometimes their remodels have been a dominant influence on how I re-worked the layout and on other projects what they did to the house has played a more subtle role in my final design.

Each of my Pig's Ear renovations have been different.  However, they've all been similar in that my visitors routinely comment that my finished homes feel bigger than their respective square footage sizes.  Someone probed me once about this openness.  They were curious and seemed to really want an explanation for why I tore out walls and redesigned the floor plan with multiple columns and headers.  I didn't have a well thought out answer and I ended up saying something like, "It's sort of the perestroika/glasnost approach, I guess... I tear it all down and then I try to open things back up when I rebuild it."

The expression on my interviewer's face seemed to say, "Sorry I asked."  My answer was just what popped into my head and it came out of my mouth as I thought it.  It was what is was.  All I can add to that today is that I've never given that answer a second time.  I have an associate degree in construction engineering, but also have a B.A. in international affairs and although my two degrees are not alike, maybe they come together in my mind in moments like this when I mutter an off-the-wall answer like, "It's sort of the perestroika/glasnost approach."  

Finally, I'll admit that I've heard the late President Reagan's voice during the demolition phase.  It's echoed in the back of my thoughts in a grandfatherly way, very supportive and full of encouragement as I've swung my sledge hammer.   "Mr. Renovator... tear down this wall."


See Step 6 - Sketch Out Your Floor Plan

See Step 8 - Redraw Your Floor Plan

The Exterior Façade

The word façade is commonly associated with the front, street facing side of the building, but for this post it includes all sides on the exterior; the brick, the siding, and the pieces/parts that cover the structural framing that are visible when you’re outside looking at the house.  None of my homes have had stucco exteriors, but that would certainly fall into this category.

When I wrote about Step 19 (Closing Exterior Openings), I described the importance of being in a position to work the inside and outside simultaneously.  So, as I’m getting ready for the rough-in (before insulation and drywall) on the inside, I’m making progress outside on trim, siding, brick, fascia, soffitt work and any other exterior work that would need to be completed before the painting can start on the outside. 

There was a time when I really had to think about the sequencing of all the different scopes on a construction project.  Now, the order seems more natural and second nature to me.  There’s more than one way to skin a cat and multiple ways to renovate or build a home.  The exterior façade sequencing is like everything else written on BSAPE.  This is simply how I do it. 

Fascia comes after the roof is done and the soffitt work can be completed after that.  Exterior trim around doors, windows, and corners need to be completed before masonry or siding work.  However, with a brick home, the soffitt needs to be done after the masons have finished because it’s easier to tie soffitt into masonry rather than the other way around.  On a building with wood, fiber cement, or vinyl siding I prefer to have the soffitt completed before the siding because (opposite to brick) it's more practical to tie the siding into the established soffitt in lieu of hanging the siding after.  Porch/balcony handrails get installed last (unless they need to be completed sooner for safety reasons.) 

The Cottage - Back corner before

The Cottage - Back corner after.

The Baltimore Animal House

BOOK REVIEW
From Animal House To Our House:  A Love Story

  

On May 10th, I heard Ron Tanner speak about his new book at the Charleston County Public Library.  This is one stop of his 66-City Tour telling America about his house renovation adventure(s).  I really enjoyed it.  I love hearing the experiences of other renovators and was immediately intrigued because Ron's 4,500 SF brownstone was an extremely run-down property that had been condemned.  Tanner is not a house flipper or general contractor.  He's a writer who bought a dilapidated fraternity house to get the girl.

Ronald does not shy away from the personal or intimate details that help the reader understand how he got in over his head with the Delta Upsilon House (DUH) and Ron has a self-deprecating sense of humor that shines through in each chapter that makes it easier to laugh while reading about him injured and bleeding or yelling and cursing in helpless frustration.  

However, it's fair (and perhaps obvious) to say that I especially liked From Animal House To Our House because I could relate in both general and specific ways; renovation blunders, craziness with contractors, burning the candle at both ends, bank loan deadlines, predictions of unavoidable failure from visitors, throwing out a back while trying to tie a shoe, heartwarming pet stories in the midst of the rehab, realization that some renovation tasks are a lot harder to complete than expected (while others are the opposite), and on and on.

If you're rehabbing a house, loved the movie The Money Pit, enjoy reading my posts, are an aspiring home renovator, pet lover, hopeless romantic, adventurer, or wanderluster, I think you'll enjoy From Animal House To Our House as much as me. 

Step 19 - Closing Exterior Openings

The Bungalow - Before

After I button-up things on the roof, address any structural issues, and make certain the foundation is good to go, I start dealing with the exterior doors and windows.

Some fascia work is complete, but still a long way to go.

I never lose sight of the need for having scopes of work ready indoors and out.  That way I can keep making some sort of progress regardless of what Mother Nature is doing.  For example, if I'm working outside and it starts to rain, I always have something set-up and ready to do inside so I can keep cruising.  The windows and exterior door work are a key to being in this position because they impact the renovation on both sides of the perimeter walls. 

Exterior trim & siding work were on hold until Step 14 was done.

This condition of being prepared/ready also applies to being able to work on the interior when it's dark outside.  If my schedule allows me to be working until ten or eleven at night, I may push ahead outside until I have to scoot inside to work in front of the lights.  Again, being finished with Step 14 makes this possible.  I can always set up my lighting on the outside, but unless I have a looming deadline I'd rather not drag the lighting equipment outdoors for just two or three hours if I can avoid it.

In actuality, Steps 15 (Non-Structural Framing) and 16 (The Exterior Façade) can be worked simultaneously once the exterior doors and windows are in.  In addition, keep in mind that Step 14 may include some rough framing if new openings are created for a door or window.  However, this work is just about getting new doors and windows installed where they belong; painting them comes later in the finishing stages of the project.

So, after the foundation, structural work, and roofing are finished (Step 13), focus on the things that the interior and exterior activities have in common; the windows and the doors leading to the outside.       

The Bungalow - After

See related post The Bungalow.

Jump to Step 15 -  Non-Structural Framing

Separation of Church and Renovate

We all grew up learning that our nations founding fathers believed in the separation of church and state.  Some will argue that they wanted to protect the nations governance from the influence of the churches and others may believe that they wanted to keep faith and spirituality from being tainted by the dirtiness of politics.

In Step 4 - Pull Out the Valuables, I described how I go through the things left behind in the house.  Bibles might be placed into a third category; things I save and then give away.  I never throw away a Bible.  After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, I traveled down to Pass Christian, Mississippi as part of a construction relief team.  Along with a weeks worth of clothes and some of my hand tools, I remembered to pack the stack of Bibles I'd collected from my various projects.  I enjoyed the week of volunteer work and it felt good to pass along the sacred books to those who'd lost theirs in the historic storm.  

With that said, I'd like to advise you to be wary of people who use religion to try to get your business.  This is another lesson I've learned the hard way. 

Some businesses include religious symbolism in their marketing and advertising.  This is a less than subtle effort to send a message to prospective clients that's something like:  Hey, we're religious and spiritual businesspeople.  You can trust me.  Hire our company and we'll demonstrate the values that our houses of worship stand for.  These are high standards and the people who use religion to get business are frequently not able to measure up to the level they're aligning themselves with.  They should leave faith out of their marketing approach, but they don't because they need this tactic to get business and simply put, it works.     

I don't like pointing this out, but I've been on the frustrated end of this relationship too many times to count.  Plainly put, those people usually don't perform very well.  They aren't overly concerned about deadlines, they oftentimes come up short on their part of verbal commitments, and more times than not they do their business in ways that run contradictory to what they're being taught during worship.  It's bad for their business and more significantly harms the faith, church, synagogue, or denomination they claim membership with.  

So be mindful of this and be careful.  Good contractors don't have to use their faith to get work.  If your tradespeople are rock solid spiritually, you'll likely figure it out by their actions without them making an effort to tell you.  In my eyes, reputable business people don't need to use religious symbolism on their advertisements or business cards and they don't need to have it hanging from a chain on their neck on your first meeting.  If a prospective trades-person wants to bring-up religion from the get-go, let them give you a quote, but recognize this red flag, get some more prices, and think hard of going ahead without them.  You'll be glad you did.               

The Bungalow

The Bungalow was part of a larger, three building renovation project that also included the Detached Garage (see The Detached Garage at The Bungalow) and a rental property next to it that we call the Duplex.  Although this 50 year old home had a countless list of pressing issues (some clear and obvious, but others hidden behind drywall), it had great potential.  It had four bedrooms, two closets, and one bathroom.  It also had a living room in the front and a large den in the back of the house (that I really believe had been originally added as an attached garage). 

The property held one beautiful live oak tree in the front yard and another in the back between the house and the Detached Garage.  These grand trees (and the oaks around the Duplex) created a canopy above the three structures that made it feel like you were inside even though you were outdoors.  The world above my dilapidated challenges was home to families of squirrels, bluejays, cardinals, and a pair of woodpeckers.

I have renovated properties that have been officially condemned.  This experience leads me to believe that The Bungalow would have qualified for the city's red tag if a code enforcer from the building department had come by for a visit.  The roof leaked, there were floors collapsing in more than one room, the heating and cooling system had been replaced by window units and space heaters, and the plumbing and electric were functional, but were hodge-podged through-out and not up to code.  

Along with the issues that would have made the home legally uninhabitable, there were other things that made the flow of foot traffic awkward and thrust the Bungalow into the Pig's Ear category.  It was a wreck.  Half the outside was painted blue and the other half was brown.  There was no uniformity with the doors, windows, or the interior and exterior trim.  It had two back doors, the fire place ate up too much valuable square footage in the den, and the chimney was falling away from the house in the back.  There were unfinished handy-man projects inside (drywall, painting, misc. carpentry) and there was trash, debris, and left-behind belongs by previous residents everywhere.  

I felt at home immediately.  There was no where to go but up.  I knew what to do and how to do it.  All I needed was time.

The Picture Window at The Bungalow

Subdividing The Bungalow and The Duplex

You Can Do It

I wrote in my preceding post (Step 9) that renovators working solo or as a team need to get a handle on their own capabilities before banging away at the walls.  Although I believed that it had to be included as the next step on my list, I also felt conflicted about posting it because I want to encourage people to renovate and writing about limitations feels like it's going against that attitude of encouragement.  I love resurrecting the run-down properties I buy and really want others to experience home renovating as I have.  My bottom line message is: You can do it.   

 

There's nothing wrong with getting a hand from friends (or hired help), but don't sell yourself short either.  What you're able to do is likely somewhere in between doing every task on the project and getting out of the way, watching all the action from a safe distance, and then writing checks.  Step 9 - Know Your Limitations is intended as a reminder of that.  

Most of you probably learned to ride a bicycle as kids, but you certainly have a few stories about spills you took as you learned to ride.  The first time I rode a two wheeler, I was clueless about the breaks and stopped when I rode into the side of our barn.  As you arrive at the down and dirty truths about what you're capable of as a do-it-yourselfer, you may have some wipe-outs. (see Vinny Had the Right Attitude).  Furthermore, you might find yourself in a jamb and maybe you'll have to call a professional to get you out of your predicament.  It's okay if that happens and just remember that it's part of the business of renovating your own house.   

If you have a home renovation dream of your own, go for it.  Just remember to be careful and exercise basic caution, discretion, and common sense.

 

Rehab Addict Nicole Curtis On DIY

If you've read at least one of my previous posts you won't be shocked to learn that I've found time to watch more than one episode of Rehab Addict on DIY.  The shows host, Nicole Curtis, is passionate about renovating and takes on homes that others think are beyond repair.  She doesn't just point her finger and tell hired tradesmen what she's wants done, she rolls up her sleeves, grabs a shovel or a hammer, and is part of the fun.        

I've only been able to see Rehab Addict a few times.  I saw Curtis re-purpose some garage doors into a basement wall and incorporate an old soapstone wash sink into one of her bathrooms.  In another episode she transformed the bathroom of a client and found an old wood door to use as a headboard.  (see The Picture Window at the Bungalow).  She did some dumpster diving in another show and candidly (and without reservation) explained how most of her furniture was discarded as trash by previous owners.  Now, this may not sound as exciting and dramatic as demolishing an old house and rebuilding a new one in a week, but that's not what Nicole (or Blood, Sweat, and Pig's Ears) is about. 

I can relate to how Curtis finances her addiction.  In the intro of one show Nicole explains how one of her project houses isn't selling quickly enough and because of this she's having to put her own home on the market for sale.  This is the reality of a freelance home renovator.  My wife calls it a feast or famine way of life.  When I'm waiting for the next buyer, I start to think of different ways to generate cash and selling a property is always an option.  On one hand it's nerve racking, but on another it is exciting and is one of the things that makes Rehab Addict subtly intriguing for people who don't live this way. 

So, if you haven't watched Nicole Curtis in Rehab Addict, and you love renovating like I do, then you need to check the television schedule and sit down for a thirty minute episode.  It's good stuff.     

NC's Bathroom Redux on DIY (May 5, 2012)

Nicole Curtis Going Non-Conventional on Rehab Addict (May 10, 2012)

Welcome Back Rehab Addict  (Feb. 9, 2013) 

Step 10: Get Your Official Permission

On one hand, getting permission from the man to work on your own home may feel downright un-American. I get it. However, if this is where you are at, try to think about it another way; you may not need the oversight, but maybe others do. In America, we’re all equal, so permitting by the government of and for the people is just part of the adventure. Bottom line though, it’s in everyone’s best interest, yours included, to have building officials who issue permits. Afterall, you want someone to make sure the DIYer next door isn’t going to rehab a home that catches fire and takes yours down with it, right? And don’t you want a lookout to prevent the person across the street from creating an eyesore that you have to look at or that’ll lower your property values? There are other reasons, but you see my point.          

The first and most significant thing to keep in mind regarding the permitting process is that every building department is different. The only thing I’ve found that’s the same, regardless of the town or city, is that most building officials firmly believe that the way they do it is the way everyone does it… that their rules are the standard.

The initial steps I've described don’t require permission from local authorities. However, when you start demoing walls and addressing the bigger issues, there's a good chance you'll need a permit. I'd love to write down everything you’ll need to know about permitting, inspections, and code compliance, but all of this varies from place to place. I've worked in too many municipalities to count, and they're all different. In addition, it's common for them to make adjustments on how they do things periodically, so I try to be prepared for anything when I walk into a building department.

In some places, you'll have complete freedom to do whatever you want to your property without any outside involvement from others. However, some cities, towns, and counties will require that you provide them some details of your plans and pay a small fee before you receive a postable sign. Some building officials may ask for drawings, while others will be satisfied with a written description. One village or city may require that you hire a licensed General Contractor to do the work, supervise, or manage your project, while other towns might be okay with you acting as your own GC… as long as your name is on the deed. 

Furthermore, there are some municipalities that will expect a you to make the house your home when you're finished and might even require you to sign a document pledging to live there as a resident for a stipulated time period once you’re all done. Basically, the local folks don’t want you to slap lipstick on your pig’s ear and drywall over shoddy work before you flip it and then high tail out of town, leaving your poor buyer with a house full of sub-par work. I know you wouldn’t do this, but someone else has, so rules have been put in place. If you have to live there for a while after you’re finished, they’re speculating that you’ll do a better job. Again, hiring a general contractor to oversee or do the work may be a viable way to get in and flip it. 

 When I'm navigating my way through the rocky permitting and inspection waters, my mission is to receive my Certificate of Occupancy at the end of the project. However, to reinforce my point on the randomness of this process even further, not all towns or local authorities issue a C.O. after the final inspection is passed. The bottom line here: when you go to get your permit, be ready for anything, and don't be surprised if you're faced with someone on the other side of the counter saying, "This is how it's done" as if there's no other way. Trust me, this attitude is common. I've grown to understand that when this happens, the clear reality is: That’s just how it's done there.

And finally, pull a permit for the improvements you know you're going to make, rather than things you might do. If you’re positive you need to replace some drywall, paint inside and out, and you'll also be popping in replacement windows, then get official permission for those things. Don't muddy the waters by mentioning the possibility of skylights, a hot tub, or other dreamy blips on your rehab radar. Just keep it simple, and when you're rock solid on additional scopes of work, you can circle back to get the bureaucratic green light at a later date. 

Weeping Mortar Joints

Tools needed to remove WMJs.  (Brick Hammer is shown,
but any hammer to pop down on your chisel will do.)

From my end, it's clear that there is a lot of interest in the topic of Weeping Mortar Joints.  There are some that hold WMJs in favorable regard and believe they should be appreciated as an architectural element.  As I've mentioned before (see The Weeping Joints at The Fire House) when complemented effectively, I'm totally sold on how they can contribute to the exterior facade.  However, when they've been painted with the exterior brick, I think the result is less-than-impressive.  When I had weeping joints on the project we call The Fire House (before), most of my visitors believed strongly that I had no choice but to deal with them in some way.  I agreed.  

There is more than one way to skin a cat.  I've found that if you have a unique issue it's possible to get five different suggested solutions from five people.  They all may be right and they may not.  When you're the one making the decision it's up to you to listen, sort through what you've been told, and draw on your own knowledge base to move forward as you choose.  The WMJs at The Fire House (during) was an example of something that inspired a diverse variety of advice. One person strongly recommended that I hire a masonry crew to chisel away the oozing joints, grind out the mortar, and then tuckpoint replacement material back in to create more traditional looking joints.  Another visitor recommended that I find someone with a jackhammer and get out of the way.  A few thought I should simply get used to how the home looked because they knew of no viable options for me.  And another man got more specific and unloaded his seemingly costly and time-consuming advice for me to attach wire fabric to the brick and then apply stucco.  As I mentioned in my February post on this topic, it was pretty simple and I just chipped the WMJs all off myself by hand, a remedy that eluded the curious folks stopping by.

Question:  How do you eat an elephant?

Answer:  One bite at a time.

 

Front Before Removing WMJs.



After

I didn't try to chip all the weeping joints off in one day or even a weekend.  The exterior walls were between nine and ten feet high.  I broke that height in half and started moving my way around the house a day at a time and one 5' x 5' section at a time.  Some evenings I chipped away after work for 20 or 30 minutes and there was a day or two on the weekends when I did twenty-five square feet in the morning and the same sized section before dark.  It was not difficult or strenuous and there was an immediate pay-off because of how the work impacted the exterior look so profoundly.  Once the WMJs were gone, the joints then had a jagged look that differed from typical/traditional ones finished during construction with a jointer, but they looked good.  Better stated, within the painted brick exterior of The Fire House (after), they looked right and if a visitor didn't know any different, they likely assumed that the way it appeared was the way the brick facade had always been.

 

The back of The Fire House just before I removed the WMJs.  You can chip away from a ladder, but I built a box frame to use as a scaffold that I slid along and worked from as I progressed around the perimeter.  I also used this scaffolding to work from as I repaired the fascia and soffit. 

After

Step 8: Clean Out the Interior

Day 1 - There's not much to salvage here.
Yet in Step 8, I'm focused on the pots, 
dishes, and things in the cabinets. Cabinets,
counters, and the old stove will get
removed during the demo phase.

After - Same view.

If something is left behind by the previous owners, you can't use it, and no one you know wants it, then be ready to send it on its way. Step 8 goes hand-in-glove with Step 7: Shifting into Salvage Mode.

I've learned some lessons over the years that will save time, money, and some heavy lifting. You can apply what I wrote in Step 7 to the left behind belongings, but what about a refrigerator or other large appliance ready for retirement? When I first started, online websites to sell or give stuff away was still to come in the future. However, now this is a solid first option. Consider posting an ad, and maybe someone will come take your appliance away... even if it doesn't work. If you aren’t able to make a cyber connection, you might be able to push, pull, and drag your appliance out to the curb, where someone in the salvage business will likely snatch it up. You can always haul it away yourself, or even wrestle it into a dumpster, but those options suck up time and cost you money… and may even lead to an ER visit if you hurt yourself. Make every effort to keep it simple, economical, and safe. And be resourceful.

Apply this type of thinking to the other left-behinds. If you place scrap metal or aluminum out next to the street, it'll walk away on its own. Side hustle salvagers will be glad you didn't put it in the dumpster, and these scavengers will happily haul it away for you. Same with other things that may hold little value but are too good to toss into your rented metal trash box.

Donating stuff is also better than adding it to the dumpster because you need that space for serious rubbish and your heavy, dirty construction debris. In the end, you pay by the ton when the dumpster folks pick up their loaded container. You need to save your cash every place you can, so don't pay anyone to take it away if you can get it off your property easier and for less of your budget money. Step 8 is a great place to begin thinking about the squeeze on your project budget as part of the game of renovating a pig's ear. 

Rules, laws, and town ordinances vary by area. In some places, construction or renovation debris out at the street is fine, but in other places, it can become an issue. Sometimes you’ll be able to ask for permission, while in other circumstances, it might end up being more practical just to beg for forgiveness. Overall, be aware and make the most of the situation you find yourself in, case by case. Ask neighbors, make phone calls, or surf the city web page for answers or clues about what you can and shouldn’t do.

There's a good chance the local sanitation crew will make your streetside deposits disappear if nobody else wants them. Make an effort to place your discards where the trash is picked up, and the odds are in your favor that someone will deal with it when you're not looking. If you're paying for sanitation services as a taxpayer or as part of a utility bill, you might as well get your money's worth and let someone else haul off your unusables when possible. It may only be a few dollars, but that money adds up over the course of a long renovation, and you'll want those dollars at the end of the job for the finishing touches.

Also, keep in mind that neighbors can be finicky about newcomers littering the public-right-of-way with junk. If the real estate market is hot, they lean toward being more contentious and uppity. If the market is cool, they'll be glad you're investing in the neighborhood and helping their property values. In my experience, most will realize it's a win-win scenario and cheer you on rather than gripe over evidence of your progress. But don’t be caught off guard by someone in the neighborhood being a squeaky wheel.

Finally, Step 8 is when I pull out the carpet. Certainly, my favorite part of the clean-up phase. Carpet traps moisture and stank in the house. You'll want both of those gone as soon as possible. In addition, you will also want to know what's under any floor coverings. Redeemable hard wood flooring or tile? Subflooring that's deteriorated? If you know the carpet is going, get it gone sooner rather than later.

          Bottom line, if things in the house are not going to help get you closer to completion, it’ll likely be in your way and slow you down or be a waste of time to move. Get it out of the house ASAP so you can spread your wings and start to fly.

The Fire House Den before I started with
light pouring in the charred hole in the
roof. Comparable to the corner of the
kitchen above, this needed removed ASAP.

After the Clean Up. It looks better.
Plus, coming in the project and seeing
this, felt like major progress.  

After the Renovation. 
This is the same view. It's the same fireplace
and same salvaged wood floor that still has
some char marks that help tell the story of
the catastrophic fire. 

  Jump to Step 9 - Sketch Out the Floor Plan

Step 7: Shift Into Salvage Mode

          After you get the keys and make the home secure, you need to get busy emptying it out so it’s wide open, ready for you to spread your rehab wings and fly.

Circumstances may allow others to skip this step, but my pig’s ears have all come with more than their share of left behind stuff. It’s been the rule rather than the exception to find clothes in the closets, dishes in the cabinets, and helpful things in the junk drawer. 

This is when you should call for a dumpster delivery or come up with some other way of hauling trash away. You don't need to spend time on unusable things more than just once. As a rule, I always find out what I have in the house before I let any contractors inside, because I don't want everything to be thrown out. The things I usually save from the dumpster fall into one of two categories: sellables and useables. 

Sellables are anything valuable that folks would like to buy if they know you have it and are willing to sell it. Sometimes I turn these treasures into cash, selling them online or to people who will resell them in a shop or store. But I’ve also saved some interesting finds like special books, sports collectibles, fun chotchkes. And I always pocket any marbles I find—on last count, my cache came to over five hundred. 

One of my favorite salvaged items is a vintage milk bottle. I was a toddler in the Midwest when the milkman was becoming a thing of the past. Yet I still remember Mom going to the metal box outside our front door and pulling out the cow juice. Not only can I tell the kids about this pre-school memory; I can show them an example of how the milk used to be delivered to our porch. What makes my quart container even more special is that it still bares the label of the dairy farm once located in the town where my wife was born.

Next are the usables; things you suspect will be able to help you in the renovation. These are left-behinds like tools, pieces of hardware, miscellaneous materials, and anything else that might serve some purpose during the project. Think along the lines of Tom Hanks in Cast Away. Remember how his character kept those ice skates? He didn’t save them for figure skating, but just in case… which ended up having important uses; a tool to open coconuts and also pop out his abscessed tooth. It's simply practical to hold on to your usables.

Moving something throughout the rehab may still be better for the budget and schedule than driving to the store to replace a usable that you casually threw away. Gas is expensive, and you can take this from me; your time and money will be better spent if you make the most of anything valuable that’s been left behind. However, if you find yourself moving something a lot, something you’re not using, take that as a sign that you probably aren’t going to need it, and get it out of there.

Jump to Step 8: Clean the House Out

Step 6: Secure the Property

After I take ownership, I'm mindful of the need to make the house and any outbuildings secure. Adventurous kids and hormonal adolescents are no longer free to enter. Plus, I’d prefer that curious folks from the neighborhood only see the inside when I’m around to lead the tour.

Step 5 is when I install my own locks and make sure that doors shut completely. I also board up any broken windows and brace them so they can’t be pushed open easily from outside. It’s similar with any sliding exterior doors. It doesn’t take much to beef things up with a board, broom handle, or something else substantial to keep folks out.

Besides people, I want to keep animals from coming inside as well. I’ll admit that it’s hard to keep snakes out, and I don’t mind having the tiny lizards on site. At this stage, I’m most concerned with bigger animals: stray cats, racoons, and possums. I've had more than a few animals wander thru, seeming just as curious as the people in the neighborhood, and I don’t want four-legged critters entering if I can keep them out.

I realize that animals are clever and smart. They seem to know and remember where they can go to rest and get a break from harsh weather. We’d likely be the same if we lived in the wild. Once, I disregarded one opening because I thought it was insignificant: the hole for the dryer vent. Somewhere near midnight, a baby bobcat came in, and it didn’t want to leave. Looking back, the fury little thing was probably just lost and sacred. I was tired and had to go to work in a few hours, so I went back to bed and let this cat make itself at hme—at eighteen hundred square feet, there was plenty of room for both of us. However, the animal quickly curled up in a ball at the foot of my bed until morning. At daylight, while I was waiting for my first cup of coffee to brew, it came out to look around. I opened the front door, and it went on its way, likely to the woods at the end of the block. Since this was back in 2000, I didn’t have a cell phone to document this special visit, and official ID from a wildlife professional was not exactly an option. It was a husky cat with a stubby tail, and I still to this day think it was a Carolina bobcat. Although I especially enjoyed the late-night visit from that critter, there were other animals that I knew I needed to keep out, so I sealed up the hole before dark.

Make your new project house secure and seal up all the openings, including the ones that you may write off as insignificant.

My late-night visitor looked like this fur ball.

Jump to Step 7 - Pull Out the Valuables

Jeremy Lin: A Diamond in the Rough

BSAPE is about home renovating, but it's written from the perspective of my own experiences saving severely neglected houses; places that have been abandoned, homes that have been overlooked, and properties that others didn't want.  As I've shared before, I have the radio on when I'm driving or working alone and there's been plenty said in the last couple weeks about basketball player Jeremy Lin, the point guard for the New York Knicks who was seemingly disregarded for years.  Lin has burst onto the scene this month in a way that seems more like an inspirational Disney movie than something that could actually happen in real life.

When people were going nuts about Tim Tebow in the fall, I weighed in because I was enjoying the story, we were talking about it frequently, and I especially loved the fact that TT was proving football experts to be off target (like they predicted his passes would be).  Lin is a great story that is being compared to Tebow's due to their humility and religious commonality.  But these two stories are about more than sports or spirituality.  They're about doing things contradictory to what authorities with experience foresaw with certainty.  They're about chasing dreams and persevering through adversity.

Basketball wise-men consistently passed on Jeremy Lin.  He didn't get an athletic scholarship after high school and was not drafted out of Harvard.  After a season with the Golden State Warriors, Jeremy got waived in early December by them and was then let-go by another team on Christmas Eve.  Ouch!  Then he filled out the bottom of the roster in the Big Apple until injuries to multiple teammates resulted in his chance to shine.  Now, there are a lot of people in the world of basketball scratching their heads and explaining why they failed to notice the Knickerbocker's newest star. 

The properties I've resurrected have been overlooked by plenty of other people; contractors, house-flippers, investors, and other folks who couldn't see past the fire or hurricane damage, the trash and debris, the overbearing intrusiveness of Mother Nature, and/or the other issues.  They weren't willing or able to see the potential until after I was finished, then many of them realized that they'd missed a great opportunity, just like those NBA talent scouts and executives are now doing as they watch the dynamic play of Jeremy Lin. 

 

A diamond is a piece of coal under extreme pressure.  Hear what the experts say, but don't let them stop you.  If you want to take on an abandoned house or do something else people with more experience view with discouragement, throw yourself at it, and don't stop until you've achieved your objective.                 

My Favorite Part of This Old House Magazine

Although many things have changed over the past decade, for me one thing remains the same: my routine when I remove my issue of This Old House Magazine from the mailbox.  The first thing I look at, oftentimes before I even make it back into the house, is the last page:  Save This Old House.  The homes that TOHMag. features here are Pig's Ears; houses that most people don't want and properties that have been seemingly forgotten.  Many of these houses are vacant by the time they appear on this page.  They're not completely dismissed though, someone recognizes their value and has taken time to put out a call for their rescue by sharing photos and a brief write-up.  As much as I love taking on severely run-down houses, I also enjoy the stories and lessons of history and the STOH page nearly always has intriguing historical details included in the articles accompanying the pictures and ties these facts into the subjects of the back page.  

Sometimes these houses need moved, but they always need someone like me who's ready to dig into the challenge of renovating an extremely run-down home; properties that have in many cases been left for dead and are ready to be brought back to life.  We live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina near Charleston.  They featured a home in the Palmetto Sate once; a property up in Union that's about three and half hours away.  So, if you have a STOH near you, I'm envious.  I'd love to buy one of these places and head up the effort to breathe life into it and help transform it into a Silk Purse. 

One of these days, maybe TOHMag. will share a home on Save This Old House that is near us.  I'm watching our mailbox and waiting because those are my type of houses.          

Why Eli Manning Impresses Me

I love watching people who are good at what they do.  There's nothing better than having a contractor step on my job who is totally professional about their craft and no matter what happens they calmly and methodically handle the situation.  I feel the same about the mechanic who works on my truck as skillfully as a surgeon in the operating room or a mother in Wal*Mart who care-freely manages multiple children while she shops, wipes noses, and squirts germ gel as she shuffles through coupons.

As I've written before, I'm a big sports fan and I can't get enough gridiron action during football season.  The New York Giants (who take on the New England Patriots Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI) are not my team, but Eli Manning has come to be one of my favorite players because he exemplifies the type of person I find most admirable.  Years ago, he sometimes would appear rattled and unsure of himself when things weren't going well, but he's matured into a sure handed quarterback that humbly demonstrates confidence.  When they zoom in on his helmet in the middle of the action he now has this look and demeanor that seems to say, "It's all good.  Everything's under control.  Whatever they do, we'll react and be fine.  I got this."  And not only has he been demonstrating confidence, he's also been demonstrating competence as he goes through his progressions and nails receivers with his passes.  And, to make things even better in my eyes, he's just doing it.  He's drawing attention to himself for doing his job well.  He's not dancing or spending time talking to the other team.  He's not doing nonsensical things off the field.  He's not cocky.  He's simply doing his job and doing it well and letting his play speak for itself.

That's the type of tradespeople and contractors I like having on my job sites.  I want people who know what to do, how and when to do it, and who remain calm under pressure and can systemically deal with challenges when they arise.  Not everyone on a construction site fits this description, but when I have the privilege of working with someone who does, I have no problem expressing how much I appreciate them.  I may not be able to tell Eli Manning how impressed I am by how he goes about his business with efficiency, effectiveness, and humility, but I can tell the workers on my projects and the other people doing a good job for me.  

Mark Twain is credited with the quote, "I can live for two months on a good compliment."  If you cross paths with someone  impressive who's really simply good at what they do, I hope you think about what I've shared here and consider telling them how genuinely impressed you are with them.

Appreciation for the Radio

There are days on my projects when I have tradesmen and contractors working on various scopes of the renovation work.  On these days I'm engulfed by the sounds typical on any construction site; hammers pounding nails, saws cutting material, drills boring holes, and maybe operators with noisy equipment working on the exterior.

However, there are also plenty of days when I'm working alone like a one man band.  After years of building I easily gravitate toward the Whatever It Takes mindset.  I never hesitate to grab my tools and get to work when I need to.  The scopes I've completed for each of my Pig's Ears has varied.  Sometimes I do a lot of framing, sometimes I do just a little.  And that's how it's also been for the landscaping, insulation, drywall, siding, exterior trim, demolition, flooring, concrete work, and masonry; my involvement has fluctuated with each house.  I've painting everything on some houses, but other times I've dished the work off to a painter or subcontractor.  The same goes for the work up on the roof.  I really enjoy laying shingles, but every time I start carrying them up to the ridge or tearing old ones off I hear the voice in my head saying, 'This is the last time.'  I've plumbed an entire house by myself and done the majority of the electrical (under the guidance of a licensed electrician.)  Now I've never done the HVAC work or tried to stretch out carpet; those have consistently been areas that I've handled by writing a check.  I've done all my own door and window work and all the fine carpentry.  I did a few of my own garage doors years ago, but now I find someone to do that too.  And finally, more times than not, I've bought and placed the appliances where they belonged in the kitchen. 

With all that said, when I'm working alone on the job I prefer to have a radio on and most of the time it's tuned in to sports talk.  One of my favorites is Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio featuring Mike Greenburg and Mike Golic.  I'm also a big fan of The Dan Patrick Show (see Tebow). After DP I'll tune in to The Jim Rome Show aka The Jungle.  Finally, I usually switch over to National Public Radio (NPR) during the mid afternoon.

I've listened to some of these radio hosts for years and over time I've grown to feel as if I know them.  In a small way, they've filled the void that exists by not having co-workers.  Furthermore, when something good happens in their careers or their families I know about it and am happy for them and when they share some bad news I empathize.  I talk about them to my wife when I get home the same way I'd tell her about someone in the office or another person on my crew.  And, like a spouse gradually gets to know co-workers my wife has learned about these sports talk guys through me.  I can't tell you the number of times she's interrupted me for quick clarification at the beginning of a Mike and Mike story with something like, "Now are you talking about the little guy or the one who used to play football?"  By way of the public air waves they've been a part of most of the Pig's Ears I've rehabbed.

Listening to the sports talk has become a part of what I do.  I don't always have it and when it's not available I find myself missing it.  So, if you work in circumstances that surround you with co-workers, enjoy and get to know them.  However, if you're working alone like me and you feel the need for some company, don't forget about the radio.

On one project I sanded and refinished the wood floors myself.  I enjoyed doing it, learned some things, but since then I've found a contractor that specialized in this type of work to handle this for me. 

The Detached Garage at the Bungalow

Everyone who’s ever gone through a renovation project knows that you need space to operate.  I’m talking about a garage, carport, barn, shed, or basement.  Now with minimal thought you probably understand what I’m getting at: you need a place for supplies, tools, material, and equipment to keep them secure (so they don't walk off) and protected from the weather.  In addition to that you want to keep your environment somewhat organized and who wants to waste a bunch of time moving things around.  The value of this type of extra space on a renovation project may be immeasurable.  If you’re renovating a home and you don’t have this type of area to utilize, you’ll wish countless times that you had it.  Furthermore, if you do have this extra square footage to make use of, you’ll probably take it for granted.  I’ve learned this lesson the hard way and the Detached Garage at the Bungalow exemplifies how my approach has shifted slightly over the years.  For the reasons described above, I put this sub-project at the top of my list and at the front of my schedule before everything else. 

Before - The roof leaked badly and the place was jammed full of junk.   

Let me say that it’s easy to demo an old building and start over from scratch.  However, it can also be wasteful (haste makes waste).   In rebuilding the Detached Garage at the Bungalow, I wanted to save and reuse what had value and rid the property of what was not useful or simply beyond repair.  This is not all about saving trees and doing what's best for the environment.  Although that's really important, there's practical wisdom behind this approach (which I'll write about in better detail another time).  Anyway, what I started with was, in essence, a crudely built pole barn that sloped slightly from front to back.  I took everything down to the concrete slab and the nine wooden posts that made up the most integral part of the framing system.  From there I rebuilt it to something useful and of value.    

During - It was a great little project... like working inside even though I was outside.

I did all the work myself because I could, I wanted to, and I knew I’d really enjoy taking it on and knocking it all out.  The framing, roofing, fiber cement siding, vinyl soffitt, painting - that's all me.  However, I did pay someone to install the garage doors.  When I look back and remember this little sub-project, the thing I’ll remember most is the site where I was working because for me it was idyllic.  I wasn’t on the beach, next to a peaceful lake, or on the top of a mountain, but I was tucked back behind The Bungalow in a densely populated neighborhood in our city engulfed in nature.  I was surrounded by people, traffic, and the busy world but alone in a setting that was dominated by grand trees, colorful birds, and active squirrels.  And because of the canopy of trees forty or fifty feet overhead it felt like I was working inside even though I was outdoors.  It was great and I totally loved it. 

After - I made good use of this 500+ sqft. area from the beginning of the project to the end.

So, if you’re a home renovator and you have room to work from, appreciate it.  If you’re in the market for a project house, keep the need for spare space in mind from the start.  And, as always, don’t be too quick to pass up on those Pig’s Ears you come across.  Look at the pictures of the Detached Garage.  This thing was a wreck.  But after I was finished…