Here is a great article in the NY Times about a truly tiny renovation both regarding the square footage and the budget. Mark Robohm rehabbed a 400 square foot Chelsea studio apartment that he bought in 2001, during a lull in the real estate market following September 11th. Amazingly, his renovations topped out at $11,600 (note $1,800 for the kitchen). Read the entire article to get all of the details but I’d like to point out Mark’s tips on saving money during a renovation:
• Recycle building supplies (this one is easy and it cuts down on your waste removal costs)
• Check out hardware stores, yard sales, and Ebay (I’m adding Craigs list too - which is arguably most helpful)
• Consider cheap substitutes (they are not always ugly)
• Inhabit your renovation (Joe and I have that taken care of)
Photos courtesy of Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times, Article by Joyce Wadler
House&Fig:
In your adventurous home restoration don’t forget to hit up Urban Ore in Berkeley for house supplies; door knobs, pulls, handles, doors, vintage and newer windows.
Hey RonMonster,
We actually went their once and it was a great experience. I’m sure we’ll be back again soon. You can see a few photos from our trip on flickr here:
http://flickr.com/photos/uberwert/sets/72157601350792630/