Project List for Charlie Foursquare
/American Foursquare Renovation Project Plans
We’re already about five weeks into having possession of Charlie Foursquare and are moving full steam ahead! So, I figured now would be a good time to share what needs to happen to prepare this property for the next steps.
As a reminder, our goal is to turn Charlie Foursquare into an Airbnb. But if things go sideways and that doesn’t work out, we’ll sell. Either way, many (maybe even all) of the items below need to take place to get the most bang for our buck. Let’s dive in!
Clean
Status: Complete
If you read my last post or have been following along on Instagram, you know that the previous owners left a ton of stuff behind.
To most people, this would be a huge inconvenience. But luckily for me, amongst all the dust and garbage, I’ve actually been having a blast finding treasures in every room. Most of these items suit the house really well, and I plan to keep them in the house to use as decor.
As of right now, all the rooms (except the sunroom and basement) have been cleaned out completely because we had to get them prepped for…
Refinish Floors
Status: In Progress
One of the best parts about old Charlie Foursquare is that the original hardwood floors are intact throughout! When this house was flipped years ago, all those gorgeous floors were covered up with carpets (and in the case of the kitchen and foyer - linoleum). But they aren’t anymore!
Lucius, I, and a couple of our incredibly selfless friends spent hours ripping up carpet, pulling staples, and scraping linoleum to prep the floors for refinishing. We also had to remove everything from the house. It was a ton of work, but I think it’ll prove to be totally worth it after we see the finished result.
In fact, the floor refinishers are doing their magic right now! It’s taking everything in me not to stop by to check it out.
Repairs
Status: Unfinished
Compared to the hot mess we’re dealing with in our office building, Charlie Foursquare has surprisingly little repair work. Here are the items that absolutely need to be fixed no matter what happens with this property:
Ceiling Patching
There are three rooms (the kitchen, den, and one of the bedrooms) where large chunks of the ceiling are missing. Fortunately, this is a pretty easy fix and won’t take much time.
Half Bathroom
Luckily, the room that is the most in need of help is also the smallest - the half bathroom. In fact, it’s so small this is the best picture we could get of it.
I’m thinking this room might need to be gutted simply because the beadboard that currently exists is falling off the walls. I would love to transform this little bathroom into a bite-sized design surprise with some cool wallpaper and floor tile.
HVAC
Before it got super cold out, the boiler in the house broke. We planned to install HVAC throughout the home anyway, but we had to do it quicker than planned on the first floor to prevent pipes from freezing.
To finish the job, we’ll need another system installed in the attic for the second floor.
Additional Tasks
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Lastly, here are the items that don’t necessarily HAVE to be done to make the house functional but will go a long way.
Treat Woodwork
Not only are the floors original to the house, but so is the rest of the woodwork throughout. Most of it has just been stained, but there are a couple of rooms where it’s been painted. I’d like to strip the wood down in these rooms to restore it.
As for the other wood, it really just needs a good cleaning, and I’m going to apply some Restor-A-Finish to see if it can bring the wood back to its best self.
Lastly, I’ll need to install quarter-round throughout the home to cover up the gaps between the baseboards and floors.
Remove Paneling
There’s a small amount of paneling that isn’t original to the house (some in the den and some in the stairwell that you can see in the picture below) that we’d like to remove.
The paneling in the den doesn’t bother me much, but the paneling in the stairwell draws too much focus since it’s practically the first thing you see when you enter the home. I can’t wait to tear it out and paint that area a lighter color!
Paint/Wallpaper
A fresh coat of paint can go such a long way. After I give the whole house a good deep clean, I’ll start removing wallpaper and repainting.
I’ve already been working on the overall design for this house, and I’d actually like to add some new wallpaper - likely in the dining room, foyer, and half bathroom. I’m excited to continue working on the design and watch it come together.
Replace Light Fixtures
We’re fortunate that there are several original light fixtures left in the house.
But there are still quite a few that are newer and don’t exactly fit the style of the home, so we’ll be swapping those out.
Furnish
Lastly, if the Airbnb plan works out, we’ll load it with furniture (and I’ll style it to my little heart’s desire). I’m thinking a mixture of old and new throughout the home.
I’d love to find some second-hand items (like dressers, nightstands, coffee tables, maybe a hutch) and have been keeping close tabs on Facebook Marketplace. Once it gets closer to time to start furnishing, I’ll be scoping out thrift and antique stores too. But I plan to buy area rugs, couches, chairs, and most likely bedframes new.
Final Thoughts
While this list may seem long, it actually feels completely manageable - especially considering everything we’ve had to do on our office building renovation (hopefully, I’ll be able to give an update about that project in the next few weeks!)
I can’t wait to see the finished flooring and start checking things off of this to-do list. Keep following along to see how this project progresses!
