I am currently under contract for a mid-century modern home just outside Lexington, KY. I have an inspection scheduled for tomorrow which will hopefully go okay. The house needs mucho renovation and is being sold 'as is'. The price reflects the need for renovation. I have outs in the contract in case the inspector finds massive problems or it doesn't appraise for what I offered. My biggest concern is the roof. I was unable to too see the roof when I toured the home as it is mostly a flat roof with one section that has a very slightly sloped roof. I have waited and waited to buy a home because I never liked any of the more mid-century ones I have seen and even then they very rarely come up for sale in this area. There just aren't many of them around the Lexington area. The very few mid-century homes I have seen available in the area have always been 'upgraded' meaning the mid-century elements were mostly removed and replaced with contemporary stuff. So they were high priced and I didn't really care for the 'updated' interiors. The home I am under contract for was built in 1950 and looks great on the outside...floor to ceiling windows in living/dining area, flat/low roof, nice carport, large yard. However, it is in drastic need of renovation on the inside. The house was apparently updated in the 1970s when an addition was added to the home. So except for the bathroom, the decor is from the 70s. They also went the 'cheap' route when renovating in the 70s and nothing held up really well. The bathroom is still original but tiles are cracked (a couple missing), etc so it will need to be renovated too.
Most of the home is carpeting which is stained and just kinda icky. The kitchen and add on room have a cheap wood floor that has seen better days. Anyhoo, I was thinking of maybe doing concrete floors throughout the home. I don't like carpet and I'm not really a huge fan of hardwood either especially with pets. I know I could do tile, but I have never really liked the look of tile on the floor. I think I would much rather a smooth surface with minimal grout lines. Anyone have experience with concrete flooring or maybe a different suggestion for a type of flooring I might like that would do well with pets and fish tanks?
The kitchen/living/dining all need updating. I want to open the space up a bit more as everything is very sectioned off now, but I don't like full open concept. The current kitchen has a ton of wasted space and the counters/floors are maroon of all colors LOL Was this a 70s thing??? Cabinets are falling apart a bit and appliances are ancient so total gut job there. Anyone have any good advice or places to look for design ideas for kitchen/living/dining that are somewhat open concept but still have some separation of areas?
I eventually plan to turn the build on room into a master bed/bath. And redo the existing bathroom, but those will be more future projects. The floors and kitchen/living/dining will be priority.
The inspection went surprisingly well. The electric needs updating but we already knew that. Two windows need replacing which we already knew. And some flashing in the chimney needs replacing due to a bit of moisture seepage. But the inspector said the home was in pretty good condition especially for the age.
Also, the house actually is built on a concrete slab even though the ductwork is below the house. They apparently poured the concrete around the ductwork. The inspector said he had never seen that before. That means that I should just be able to remove the flooring and have the concrete floors redone.
We need to move the laundry area (which was already planned on) as it is currently in the kitchen so we will be putting it by the bathroom in a closet that is already there. Plumbing is accessible from the bathroom. Kitchen/dining/living area will be redone as mentioned in original post. We are basically going to keep the current setup of the kitchen but just expand it and make the openings into the dining and family room area larger. I thought there would be more work needed on the house structurally so I was pleasantly surprised. I was sure there would be roof issues. etc, but it was actually a fairly new membrane. I didn't realize that flat/low slope roofs have to use a membrane rather than shingles.
Congratulations. Polished concrete floors are beautiful (although not something they did back then).
Thanks! Yeah, I realize that polished concrete wasn't really the 'thing' back then. However, I like the look and the durability especially with pets. I plan on having the concrete floors finished throughout the home.
For the bathroom, I plan on buying a vintage pedestal sink (and maybe a matching toilet). The tub/shower will be new as I plan on having a 6 foot tub installed. I want the bathroom to look as original to the home as possible. Plus, I just like that vintage look.
Anyone have good recommendations on kitchen cabinets that won't break the bank but go well in a mid-century home? I would like something with more of a teak type of finish (doesn't have to be teak).
I am still under contract for the home. Was supposed to be closing in two days, but the attorney for the estate realized that he didn't file some paperwork that needs to be filed for the title. He file it like a 1 1/2 weeks ago so now we can't close until mid-March. Got the first estimates back on fixing up the home (I realize that they will likely be more than the estimate), but the estimates are lower than I expected even more the basics. I guess because apart from the electric most of the work is cosmetic.
I am still under contract for the home. Was supposed to be closing in two days, but the attorney for the estate realized that he didn't file some paperwork that needs to be filed for the title. He file it like a 1 1/2 weeks ago so now we can't close until mid-March. Got the first estimates back on fixing up the home (I realize that they will likely be more than the estimate), but the estimates are lower than I expected even more the basics. I guess because apart from the electric most of the work is cosmetic.
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