Updating Townhomes Brings Out Neighborliness
Most homeowners find their biggest surprises come from the cost and the time needed to complete their remodeling projects. Not me.
While I’ll admit to being taken aback by a bid or two, in truth, my biggest surprises have come from the unexpected benefits of remodeling.
When the city of West Hollywood passed rent-control laws in 1986, a surplus of condo conversions enabled me and 14 other lucky buyers to purchase charming two-story townhouses with wooden floors, French windows and unexpected archways.
On the downside, my charming townhouse also came equipped with 60-year-old plumbing and wiring, ugly carpeting and a kitchen and bathroom that had been badly remodeled 30 years earlier.
Even at the rock-bottom prices we paid for our new homes, our budgets were low and our remodeling needs high.
But because 15 people had bought almost exactly the same home at almost exactly the same price, we quickly learned about the benefits of semi-communal living.
By sharing resources such as my floor refinisher, Mark’s plumber and Paul’s handyman, we were able to develop an extensive network of workers who could do the best work for reasonable sums of money.
And because the plumber, handyman, floor refinisher had worked the unit next door or across the courtyard, they could anticipate problems before they ever occurred.
When the electrical remodeling proved to be an enormous undertaking, our entire complex banded together to get one bid to complete the whole building. We decided as a group on the minimum amount of work to be completed in each unit, to ensure that our new homes were both up to code and safe from such natural disasters as earthquakes.
Then each homeowner decided for himself or herself about additional work to be done in each unit--such as the location of new outlets, installation of new circuits for computers or garbage disposals, even basic wiring in areas that will some day be used for expansion.
A tireless and efficient homeowners’ association board found the electrical contractors to complete the task at the promised price and on a reasonable schedule.
I have also learned to be grateful for my creative neighbors, since their ideas could often be incorporated into my home. Until Wendy started ripping up the seven layers of linoleum on her kitchen floor, I would never have considered the possibility that the original flooring could be oak--oak that refinished magnificently.
It was Leslie and Lynn who discovered that the attic could one day be an extra bedroom, but in the meantime, could serve as a efficient storage space by installing some basic flooring. And Paul’s folding shutters served equally well in my house to hide the water heater until the kitchen remodeling is completed.
Need a second bathroom? Well, one neighbor turned the master bedroom’s walk-in closet into a charming powder room, while another took advantage of an odd-shaped nook in the living room. On the other hand, my next door neighbors turned that same nook into an efficient and convenient laundry center, hidden behind a newly installed folding door.
Remodeling a kitchen? From the most basic to the most lavish, someone in our complex has completed the project, so I have had the luxury of learning from other people’s time and money.
When I meet with designers, I can march them from kitchen to kitchen and point to specific details that I find desirable. And when the bids come back, I know when they’ re too high, and when they’re within the range of acceptability.
All this pooled information and shared resources has brought me closer to my neighbors and created a sense of community that is too often missing in a big city.
There’s a warmth and intimacy that couldn’t exist without our shared commitment to revitalizing and renovating our small complex. And in a few instances, my neighbors have truly become my friends, adding joy and comfort to my life.
Like every other homeowner, I have learned some unexpected skills as a result of my renovations. I can tile, replace a faucet and even do some basic wiring. I have also learned that I can paint a house--but will never do it again.
By throwing myself into projects with advice and occasional hands-on help from friends, neighbors and family, I have learned that I have abilities I never had expected.
When I walk across a bathroom floor that I retiled, it’s a constant inspiration to experiment, to reach beyond my limitations. Just because I haven’t done something doesn’t mean I can’t.
And when I find out that I either can’t--or won’t ever do it again, that’s when I call in the experts. And that’s another unexpected benefit of remodeling.
For every single woman in Los Angeles who has ever complained about meeting men, I have the solution. Don’t hire a matchmaker, hire a contractor. Innumerable bright, energetic, charming men--some of them single--have crossed my doorstep in the last couple of years, men who not only have a profession--but an exceptionally well-paying profession for which there seems to be an endless demand.
After interviewing contractors and designers about remodeling my kitchen, a man who had designed and constructed cabinets for friends came over to give me a bid. I’m still considering the bid, but I accepted an invitation to dinner and we’ve been dating ever since. He’s been a most unexpected benefit of remodeling.
Between my remodeling efforts and escalating real estate prices in Los Angeles, my charming townhouse is now worth roughly three times what I paid for it. I’ve broadened my skills, added to my circle of friends and found a warm and wonderful new relationship all by remodeling. Oh, and by the way, my house looks a lot better then when I started.
