Plans

The existing structure will stay intact. There are few new walls to support the addition of a half bath on the first floor and a master bath upstairs. Also, the dank basement will become an English basement one bedroom apartment.

Neglected

The house has great bones--that's what you say when everything else is a wreck. The roof had apparently been leaking for some time, causing significant damage to the plaster ceilings and walls. Amazingly, the wood floors and structure is still very much sound. The original wood trim is still intact throughout the house, including the staircase... a great find.

To give you an idea of the level of decay, here's a photo of the old kitchen.

Arriving at the Hill

This spring we've sure seen a remarkable recovery in the real estate market. The change in the DC area has been especially decisive with year over year prices up over 25%. As a prospective buyer, it's a very challenging environment.

As the search began , and I quickly zeroed in a few choice neighborhoods: Eastern Market, Lincoln Park, Bloomingdale, and Shaw. These neighborhoods have gone, or are going through a lot of renovations at the moment. It's not uncommon to find a house or two on each block undergoing some level of development.

After a few months of searching, I found an ideal candidate in Capitol Hill, near Atlas District. The neighborhood is well established, but periodically a neglected home will enter the market. I wanted to find a property where I could add a basement rental unit, this fit the bill.

Shaw Rowhouse

Take a look at the last project in Shaw, details can be found here:

Shaw rowhouse renovation in Washington, DC