Phases of a Butcher’s Hill Rehab – Part 1

IN THE BEGINNING

A house is not just a compilation of wood, drywall and nails.  It is an idea brought to fruition by skill, labor and imagination.  That last ingredient – imagination—is what distinguishes your house from my house. The right combination of skill and imagination can turn a shell into a masterpiece.  Most believe they have the requisite imagination.  Trust me, most don’t – you don’t.  That’s why before embarking on a house rehab, your first step should be finding an architect with experience in your type of project.  Look at their work.  Is it repetitive or does it display an array of ideas?  And most importantly, explain your budget.

The home rehab featured in this post and a series of follow-on posts is a major undertaking.  Fortunately, the owners are not faint of heart and have done their due diligence after interviewing several architects and contractors.  The house was built in 1880 and started out as 4-bedroom, 2-bath, 3204 square-foot house with a carriage house out back.

Profile attributes:

• Size — 3204 sf above ground living space.
• Location: Butcher’s Hill near Patterson Park with a view of the water.
• Two-story Carriage house:  Two-car garage with open space on the second floor.

This blog post will begin with what the house looked like when it was purchased.  In the series “Phases of a Butcher’s Hill Rebab” we will follow the home’s progress until the project is completed.

The next post in this series is “Blank Canvas.”

I’m Greg Bridges with Long & Foster Real Estate.  I sell and write about real estate in the Baltimore area.  Office 410-889-9800, Mobile 410-215-0565 or g.bridges@lnf.com