Updating our DC rowhouse - where do I even begin?

[Anonymous]

We have a 1920s WOTP DC rowhouse that was last updated in the late 1990s when the owners added a rear bumpout and dug out the basement. The galley kitchen was last updated in the late 00s, but it was a cheap-o renovation and there's just not enough space for two people to work in the kitchen. House consists of (1) english basement, (2) main level living, dining, and kitchen, and (3) top level of 3BR/2BA with a rear. Foot print of rowhouse is 17' wide by 50' deep.

We are at a loss as to whether to do this piecemeal or everything at once. I have no idea what the costs are for these renovations, so I'd also like some advice on that.


Main floor
Background: we have living room, dining room, kitchen, and a backyard covered porch on our main level. The covered porch is a bit weird - it is below the 2nd floor bump out, so it is enclosed on 5 sides but open to the backyard. If you're standing in the alley and looking at our house, the back porch almost resembles a diorama box. The original brick rear wall of the rowhouse still exists and is the load bearing wall between the kitchen/dining room & covered porch.

Updates to do:
-Tear down wall between kitchen and dining room (non-load bearing).
-Tear down load-bearing rear wall between kitchen and outdoor covered porch. This will require a structural beam for support, plus a pillar sunken down through the basement.
-Add kitchen island, re-do cabinets, update kitchen layout, new appliances. Ikea and GE quality is fine.
-Enclose outdoor covered porch and turn it into the interior of the house: wood flooring, climate controlled, dry walled, series of large casement windows with screens overlooking the backyard.
-Create new powder room half-bath in the newly enclosed space - will need to run plumbing.
-New backdoor and exterior stairs into the sunken backyard

Upstairs
Background: Main bedroom with a tiny ensuite bathroom (toilet, shower, sink - 3' x 6'), two other bedrooms, main bathroom (10' x 5') with skylight accessed at top of stairs

Updates to do:
-Gut renovate the main bathroom. Right now the skylight is leaking and the ceiling plaster is flaking. Renovation of this bathroom is highest priority. Replace skylight, all fixtures, tile, tear out plaster walls/ceiling and replace with dry wall, re-insulate, replace any rotted wood, etc. Not moving any plumbing. Add exhaust fan. Radiant heat floor.
-Renovate main bedroom and bathroom. Tear down wall between bath and bedroom, expand bathroom by cannibalizing square footage from the main bedroom. New bathroom will be 12' x 6' footprint with shower, toilet, new vanity with double sink. Will need to move plumbing, all new fixtures, dry wall, pocket door between bathroom and bedroom, add stackable washer/dryer, add exhaust fan, radiant heat floor. Add small built-ins for storage in bathroom. Add recessed lighting in the main bedroom.

Exterior and roof
Background: Roof is flat with slight slope, covered in asphalt sheeting, approx 17' x 45'. Roof is approximately 25 years old, has some leaks that I've fixed. HVAC condenser unit is on the roof and blower is in the attic - approximately 20 years old.

Updates to do:
-Replace roof with newer membrane roof and underlying wood sheeting.
-New skylight to main bathroom that also doubles as an access hatch to the roof. This is important, as I can currently only access the roof via a 35' ladder in the backyard. It's not safe!
-Blow new insulation into attic space
-Replace HVAC condenser (on roof) and blower (in the attic). Condenser will require a crane to lift into place onto the roof.
-Replace approximately 500 sq feet of siding on the rear of house on our 2nd floor extension. Open to ideas, we just want something more modern.
-Replace four standard size 28x48 double hung windows on front of house. Mid-range quality replacement is OK.

Extra bonus if we somehow windfall into money:
-Add a poly roof deck with safety rails. Add access via a 9' spiral staircase in one of the 2nd floor bedrooms. Need to include access hatch or door on the roof. Build pergola for shade or mounting points for shade sails - open to ideas.


How would you prioritize these updates? How many could we get done at once for $250K?


Thanks!

[Anonymous]

You need to do a whole house renovation, all at once where you move out for at least 6 months and probably a year, and it's going to cost more like $500k.

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to just knock the whole thing down and rebuild? I live in a >3000sqft townhouse in VA and insurance estimates the whole build cost is only around 550k. It's built to higher standards than most DC rowhouses

[Anonymous]

Tl;dr version: time to move!

[Anonymous]

$500,000+ and do it! We’re in the same situation and love the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Holy crap! That's quite a list of fixes. We are in Baltimore, in a 5-bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, 100-year old rowhome. Due to a flood in the house, we wound up gutting our kitchen (removing a non load-bearing wall, installing new hardwoods, new cabinets, etc.) and also gutting the two full bathrooms, which were on the 2nd and 3rd floors. We also redid the half bathroom in the basement, but I'm not sure that work would qualify as a gut. Our project probably cost around $280k, much of which was picked up by insurance. We were out of the house for 10 months -- that cost is not included in the $280k figure. I do not think $250k would cover the costs of what you want to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a 1920s WOTP DC rowhouse that was last updated in the late 1990s when the owners added a rear bumpout and dug out the basement. The galley kitchen was last updated in the late 00s, but it was a cheap-o renovation and there's just not enough space for two people to work in the kitchen. House consists of (1) english basement, (2) main level living, dining, and kitchen, and (3) top level of 3BR/2BA with a rear. Foot print of rowhouse is 17' wide by 50' deep.

We are at a loss as to whether to do this piecemeal or everything at once. I have no idea what the costs are for these renovations, so I'd also like some advice on that.


Main floor
Background: we have living room, dining room, kitchen, and a backyard covered porch on our main level. The covered porch is a bit weird - it is below the 2nd floor bump out, so it is enclosed on 5 sides but open to the backyard. If you're standing in the alley and looking at our house, the back porch almost resembles a diorama box. The original brick rear wall of the rowhouse still exists and is the load bearing wall between the kitchen/dining room & covered porch.

Updates to do:
-Tear down wall between kitchen and dining room (non-load bearing).
-Tear down load-bearing rear wall between kitchen and outdoor covered porch. This will require a structural beam for support, plus a pillar sunken down through the basement.
-Add kitchen island, re-do cabinets, update kitchen layout, new appliances. Ikea and GE quality is fine.
-Enclose outdoor covered porch and turn it into the interior of the house: wood flooring, climate controlled, dry walled, series of large casement windows with screens overlooking the backyard.
-Create new powder room half-bath in the newly enclosed space - will need to run plumbing.
-New backdoor and exterior stairs into the sunken backyard

Upstairs
Background: Main bedroom with a tiny ensuite bathroom (toilet, shower, sink - 3' x 6'), two other bedrooms, main bathroom (10' x 5') with skylight accessed at top of stairs

Updates to do:
-Gut renovate the main bathroom. Right now the skylight is leaking and the ceiling plaster is flaking. Renovation of this bathroom is highest priority. Replace skylight, all fixtures, tile, tear out plaster walls/ceiling and replace with dry wall, re-insulate, replace any rotted wood, etc. Not moving any plumbing. Add exhaust fan. Radiant heat floor.
-Renovate main bedroom and bathroom. Tear down wall between bath and bedroom, expand bathroom by cannibalizing square footage from the main bedroom. New bathroom will be 12' x 6' footprint with shower, toilet, new vanity with double sink. Will need to move plumbing, all new fixtures, dry wall, pocket door between bathroom and bedroom, add stackable washer/dryer, add exhaust fan, radiant heat floor. Add small built-ins for storage in bathroom. Add recessed lighting in the main bedroom.

Exterior and roof
Background: Roof is flat with slight slope, covered in asphalt sheeting, approx 17' x 45'. Roof is approximately 25 years old, has some leaks that I've fixed. HVAC condenser unit is on the roof and blower is in the attic - approximately 20 years old.

Updates to do:
-Replace roof with newer membrane roof and underlying wood sheeting.
-New skylight to main bathroom that also doubles as an access hatch to the roof. This is important, as I can currently only access the roof via a 35' ladder in the backyard. It's not safe!
-Blow new insulation into attic space
-Replace HVAC condenser (on roof) and blower (in the attic). Condenser will require a crane to lift into place onto the roof.
-Replace approximately 500 sq feet of siding on the rear of house on our 2nd floor extension. Open to ideas, we just want something more modern.
-Replace four standard size 28x48 double hung windows on front of house. Mid-range quality replacement is OK.

Extra bonus if we somehow windfall into money:
-Add a poly roof deck with safety rails. Add access via a 9' spiral staircase in one of the 2nd floor bedrooms. Need to include access hatch or door on the roof. Build pergola for shade or mounting points for shade sails - open to ideas.


How would you prioritize these updates? How many could we get done at once for $250K?


Thanks!

Assuming you want to stay put, I would do one floor at a time. Seal of that floor and live in others. As someone currently doing a 1 floor reno and living in our basement and main level, decision fatigue is real. If I was doing the whole house at once, my head would explode. Assuming you have a bathroom on another level, I would do the top floor and roof this year and then wait a year, enjoy life, and then do the main floor the next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a 1920s WOTP DC rowhouse that was last updated in the late 1990s when the owners added a rear bumpout and dug out the basement. The galley kitchen was last updated in the late 00s, but it was a cheap-o renovation and there's just not enough space for two people to work in the kitchen. House consists of (1) english basement, (2) main level living, dining, and kitchen, and (3) top level of 3BR/2BA with a rear. Foot print of rowhouse is 17' wide by 50' deep.

We are at a loss as to whether to do this piecemeal or everything at once. I have no idea what the costs are for these renovations, so I'd also like some advice on that.


Main floor
Background: we have living room, dining room, kitchen, and a backyard covered porch on our main level. The covered porch is a bit weird - it is below the 2nd floor bump out, so it is enclosed on 5 sides but open to the backyard. If you're standing in the alley and looking at our house, the back porch almost resembles a diorama box. The original brick rear wall of the rowhouse still exists and is the load bearing wall between the kitchen/dining room & covered porch.

Updates to do:
-Tear down wall between kitchen and dining room (non-load bearing).
-Tear down load-bearing rear wall between kitchen and outdoor covered porch. This will require a structural beam for support, plus a pillar sunken down through the basement.
-Add kitchen island, re-do cabinets, update kitchen layout, new appliances. Ikea and GE quality is fine.
-Enclose outdoor covered porch and turn it into the interior of the house: wood flooring, climate controlled, dry walled, series of large casement windows with screens overlooking the backyard.
-Create new powder room half-bath in the newly enclosed space - will need to run plumbing.
-New backdoor and exterior stairs into the sunken backyard

Upstairs
Background: Main bedroom with a tiny ensuite bathroom (toilet, shower, sink - 3' x 6'), two other bedrooms, main bathroom (10' x 5') with skylight accessed at top of stairs

Updates to do:
-Gut renovate the main bathroom. Right now the skylight is leaking and the ceiling plaster is flaking. Renovation of this bathroom is highest priority. Replace skylight, all fixtures, tile, tear out plaster walls/ceiling and replace with dry wall, re-insulate, replace any rotted wood, etc. Not moving any plumbing. Add exhaust fan. Radiant heat floor.
-Renovate main bedroom and bathroom. Tear down wall between bath and bedroom, expand bathroom by cannibalizing square footage from the main bedroom. New bathroom will be 12' x 6' footprint with shower, toilet, new vanity with double sink. Will need to move plumbing, all new fixtures, dry wall, pocket door between bathroom and bedroom, add stackable washer/dryer, add exhaust fan, radiant heat floor. Add small built-ins for storage in bathroom. Add recessed lighting in the main bedroom.

Exterior and roof
Background: Roof is flat with slight slope, covered in asphalt sheeting, approx 17' x 45'. Roof is approximately 25 years old, has some leaks that I've fixed. HVAC condenser unit is on the roof and blower is in the attic - approximately 20 years old.

Updates to do:
-Replace roof with newer membrane roof and underlying wood sheeting.
-New skylight to main bathroom that also doubles as an access hatch to the roof. This is important, as I can currently only access the roof via a 35' ladder in the backyard. It's not safe!
-Blow new insulation into attic space
-Replace HVAC condenser (on roof) and blower (in the attic). Condenser will require a crane to lift into place onto the roof.
-Replace approximately 500 sq feet of siding on the rear of house on our 2nd floor extension. Open to ideas, we just want something more modern.
-Replace four standard size 28x48 double hung windows on front of house. Mid-range quality replacement is OK.

Extra bonus if we somehow windfall into money:
-Add a poly roof deck with safety rails. Add access via a 9' spiral staircase in one of the 2nd floor bedrooms. Need to include access hatch or door on the roof. Build pergola for shade or mounting points for shade sails - open to ideas.


How would you prioritize these updates? How many could we get done at once for $250K?


Thanks!

Assuming you want to stay put, I would do one floor at a time. Seal of that floor and live in others. As someone currently doing a 1 floor reno and living in our basement and main level, decision fatigue is real. If I was doing the whole house at once, my head would explode. Assuming you have a bathroom on another level, I would do the top floor and roof this year and then wait a year, enjoy life, and then do the main floor the next year.

OP here: thanks for this advice.
We can live in the English basement. It's a nice layout and quite spacious, 2BR/1BA. I'll broach this idea with my spouse. Fixing that bathroom and skylight on the top floor really is our priority given the water leak issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a 1920s WOTP DC rowhouse that was last updated in the late 1990s when the owners added a rear bumpout and dug out the basement. The galley kitchen was last updated in the late 00s, but it was a cheap-o renovation and there's just not enough space for two people to work in the kitchen. House consists of (1) english basement, (2) main level living, dining, and kitchen, and (3) top level of 3BR/2BA with a rear. Foot print of rowhouse is 17' wide by 50' deep.

We are at a loss as to whether to do this piecemeal or everything at once. I have no idea what the costs are for these renovations, so I'd also like some advice on that.


Main floor
Background: we have living room, dining room, kitchen, and a backyard covered porch on our main level. The covered porch is a bit weird - it is below the 2nd floor bump out, so it is enclosed on 5 sides but open to the backyard. If you're standing in the alley and looking at our house, the back porch almost resembles a diorama box. The original brick rear wall of the rowhouse still exists and is the load bearing wall between the kitchen/dining room & covered porch.

Updates to do:
-Tear down wall between kitchen and dining room (non-load bearing).
-Tear down load-bearing rear wall between kitchen and outdoor covered porch. This will require a structural beam for support, plus a pillar sunken down through the basement.
-Add kitchen island, re-do cabinets, update kitchen layout, new appliances. Ikea and GE quality is fine.
-Enclose outdoor covered porch and turn it into the interior of the house: wood flooring, climate controlled, dry walled, series of large casement windows with screens overlooking the backyard.
-Create new powder room half-bath in the newly enclosed space - will need to run plumbing.
-New backdoor and exterior stairs into the sunken backyard

Upstairs
Background: Main bedroom with a tiny ensuite bathroom (toilet, shower, sink - 3' x 6'), two other bedrooms, main bathroom (10' x 5') with skylight accessed at top of stairs

Updates to do:
-Gut renovate the main bathroom. Right now the skylight is leaking and the ceiling plaster is flaking. Renovation of this bathroom is highest priority. Replace skylight, all fixtures, tile, tear out plaster walls/ceiling and replace with dry wall, re-insulate, replace any rotted wood, etc. Not moving any plumbing. Add exhaust fan. Radiant heat floor.
-Renovate main bedroom and bathroom. Tear down wall between bath and bedroom, expand bathroom by cannibalizing square footage from the main bedroom. New bathroom will be 12' x 6' footprint with shower, toilet, new vanity with double sink. Will need to move plumbing, all new fixtures, dry wall, pocket door between bathroom and bedroom, add stackable washer/dryer, add exhaust fan, radiant heat floor. Add small built-ins for storage in bathroom. Add recessed lighting in the main bedroom.

Exterior and roof
Background: Roof is flat with slight slope, covered in asphalt sheeting, approx 17' x 45'. Roof is approximately 25 years old, has some leaks that I've fixed. HVAC condenser unit is on the roof and blower is in the attic - approximately 20 years old.

Updates to do:
-Replace roof with newer membrane roof and underlying wood sheeting.
-New skylight to main bathroom that also doubles as an access hatch to the roof. This is important, as I can currently only access the roof via a 35' ladder in the backyard. It's not safe!
-Blow new insulation into attic space
-Replace HVAC condenser (on roof) and blower (in the attic). Condenser will require a crane to lift into place onto the roof.
-Replace approximately 500 sq feet of siding on the rear of house on our 2nd floor extension. Open to ideas, we just want something more modern.
-Replace four standard size 28x48 double hung windows on front of house. Mid-range quality replacement is OK.

Extra bonus if we somehow windfall into money:
-Add a poly roof deck with safety rails. Add access via a 9' spiral staircase in one of the 2nd floor bedrooms. Need to include access hatch or door on the roof. Build pergola for shade or mounting points for shade sails - open to ideas.


How would you prioritize these updates? How many could we get done at once for $250K?


Thanks!

Assuming you want to stay put, I would do one floor at a time. Seal of that floor and live in others. As someone currently doing a 1 floor reno and living in our basement and main level, decision fatigue is real. If I was doing the whole house at once, my head would explode. Assuming you have a bathroom on another level, I would do the top floor and roof this year and then wait a year, enjoy life, and then do the main floor the next year.

Living in a house with one floor sealed off sounds like torture to me. Save up and do the whole thing, the right way, or move.

[Anonymous]

Do you have kids? Living there during a major renovation could be incredibly risky due to possible lead exposure.