Fixer Upper Friday: A 2BR for $399k in the Wilshire House in Jackson Heights

This week's Fixer Upper find is a 2BR located at 34-15 74th Street, 6E in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of NYC listed for just $399k. Renovated 2BR/1BA homes in this neighborhood are going for upwards of $600k, so there's a good $200k of instant equity on the line for some lucky buyer to tap and renovate a home exactly to your taste. Let's take a look.

Financing Your Renovation: What a HELOC Appraiser Is Looking For in a New York City Co-Op Home

Whether you're renovating to resell or to stay in your home and enjoy your design upgrades for years to come, a HELOC can be a good way to finance your renovation. Though it doesn't come with as rigorous a screening process as a first mortgage, a HELOC does require a bit of paperwork. And once you're pre-approved, the lender will order an appraisal. This won't be exactly like the appraisal when you sold your last home — so put down the grout cleaner. Here's what a HELOC appraiser is looking for.

Scherr's Versus Semihandmade White Shaker Doors That Fit IKEA Sektion Cabinets

There's a growing trend in homeowners choosing IKEA cabinet boxes and organizational inserts but sourcing their doors elsewhere, and it's dominating Houzz discussion boards lately. If you're looking for doors made to fit, with the bored holes for IKEA's European style concealed hinges already carved out and ready to go, there are several companies providing custom doors for IKEA. I've looked at all of them, and with samples in, I'm proclaiming the winner in the category of already-painted white Shaker is Scherr's. Here's why.

What Lenders Look for in a Renovation Appraisal

This kitchen renovation, for so long just a gleam in my iPad, is becoming a reality, and that's exciting. I'll be paying for a good deal of it out of pocket, but I'll need to borrow additional funds. Let's take a look at the number-one thing a lender looks for to approve renovation financing: Will the current value of the home support the current mortgage loan amount plus the renovation amount you want to borrow.

Financing and Return on Investment for a Major Kitchen Renovation

Via Berkshire Green

The kitchen renovation I've been dreaming of has finally arrived, and I'll be paying for a good deal of it out of pocket. But adding up cost estimates so far for cabinets, countertops, and appliances, I can see I'll need additional funds. Financing a renovation isn't a topic many home blogs cover, so I thought I'd share my discovery process. Let's take a look at the cost of a major kitchen renovation and the estimated return on investment (ROI).

IKEA Kitchens: Planning Your SEKTION Cabinet Organizers

Via IKEA

When you're planning your kitchen, don't stop at the exterior design. It's helpful to sketch out exactly what you'll be storing in each cabinet. It's a tedious mental exercise that you'll be tempted to put off until after installation, but that would be a mistake. Planning the interior organization will help you anticipate your family's needs and design a kitchen that fits the way you really live. Here are some things that I changed my mind about that would have been expensive mistakes to correct.

Can You Open a Wall in a NYC Co-op Renovation?

Via Fontan Architecture

Our renovation has hit the wall — figuratively speaking. I've been in a holding pattern these past weeks, uncertain of how to move forward. Every step seems to bring me back to this wall that separates our kitchen from the living room. Scary stories about co-op renovations abound, from restrictive board rules to labyrinthian city permit processes to costly paid expediters, and the like. It's enough to put off even a seasoned renovator. But finally I see my way clear. Yes, you CAN open a wall in a New York City co-op building, with just a few mitigating factors.

Why I'm Minimizing the Range Hood in My New Kitchen

Via Houzz

Is it just me, or have range hoods gone over the top? Sometimes it seems as though a Rolls Royce has been parked in the kitchen. Granted, if I lived in a manor house, I'd probably be coveting a custom steel hood like this, that puts Cornue to shame. (I certainly love that cut marble backsplash.) But here in New York City, co-op living prevents most homeowners from venting our range hoods to the outside, and this brings things into a sharp new perspective, where range hoods stand on their design merits alone. Here's a look at what I see.

Fixer Upper Friday: 2BR Convertible to 3BR for $525k in The Plymouth in Jackson Heights

Via StreetEasy

This week I profile a Fixer Upper extraordinaire. This home at 35-20 82nd Street, #41, has an unusually flexible floor plan that could allow an owner to add both a third bedroom and a second bath. As 3BR/2BA homes in this Jackson Heights neighborhood are going for upwards of $850k, there's about $300k of instant equity on the line for some lucky buyer, and that could fund a pretty swell renovation. Let's take a look.

My Visit to the Semihandmade Showroom in NYC

Having decided to go with statuary marble for the backsplash, the rest of the kitchen design fell quickly into place. To keep this renovation budget in line, I hope to make IKEA cabinets work for me. As I really dislike IKEA cabinet doors, this will require sourcing custom doors to fit IKEA cabinets. First up: A visit to Semihandmade in NYC.

Classic White Shaker + Marble Kitchen

I met today with the good folks at Semihandmade. This company makes door fronts that fit IKEA cabinets — they even drill holes for the hinges. So brilliant! Now I can go with affordable IKEA cabinet boxes, with their cleverly designed interior fittings that I love, but I have a better option when it comes to the door fronts. I can even get real wood shaker fronts, so I'm not locked into ultra modern slab fronts if I want to use IKEA. After seeing the Semihandmade doors, I think I've made my decision.

Thanksgiving Table DIY Place Cards Craft

Happy Thanksgiving! This will be a quick post. As American's across the land are basting turkeys and bringing out the good china, I thought I'd share a quick place cards craft. All you need is some fall foliage and gold spray paint. Ready? Let's get to it.

Oh Yes, IKEA Can Do Upscale Modern Kitchens!

via Houzz

I paid a visit to IKEA on a rare day off, hoping I'd have better luck grabbing the attention of one of the kitchen staff on a weekday than a weekend. I didn't realize I was visiting right smack in the middle of IKEA's thrice-annual Kitchen Sale. Even for a weekday morning the place was mobbed with frenzied folks hoping to start a kitchen in time to lock in the 15% off. Waiting for my name to be called, I had ample time to walk through all the model kitchens and take note of things, such as the scale of the kitchen islands and smart cabinet organizers. There are things I definitely want, like the under-sink recyclables pullout and the drawer within a drawer silverware pullouts, which will allow me to do all deep drawers and no doors. It wasn't until I got to the doors, that the IKEA cabinet line gave me pause.

Two Open Kitchen Designs Using IKEA Cabinets

Now that I've weighed the pros and cons of the galley kitchen, considered knocking down walls for an open concept kitchen, and grappled with the budget, I'm starting to think about cabinetry options. Cabinets can eat up 50% of the budget, so I'm looking to bring those costs down. First stop, IKEA.

Calculating the Budget for My Dream Kitchen Renovation

Now that I've decided to open up walls, it's time to grapple with the budget for this renovation. When I renovated my Brooklyn kitchen back in 2006, I'd just sold my previous home and rolled over the equity into the new place. I was feeling flush, so I'm embarrassed now to say that I didn't set a budget. Rookie mistake!

Recycled Kitchens That Are Worth It — Just for the Appliances

Since the day I first set eyes on our home, I've been casually stalking recycled kitchens. Today I came across one that would be worth it for the appliances alone. And the fact that I can turn it down made me realize that I've come to a decision about our kitchen. And the decision is to go big — as in walls are about to come tumbling down.

Cottage Style: How Shake Shingles Weather Over Time (PHOTOS)

We've achieved a big renovation milestone this year — the summer cottage is now completely reshingled, from top to bottom. Replacing the old vinyl siding with cedar shakes was an eye-popping improvement, but an expensive undertaking. 

Fixer Upper Friday: Turn This 2BR/1BA in the Fillmore to a 2BR/2BA With Open Kitchen

via Streeteasy

Hey, I'm back with more Fixer Upper spotting. So, I don't often cover a home that's been advertised without photos, but 83-10 35th Avenue, 2G caught my eye because it's so undervalued for the area. Is this home in estate condition? Very likely. Do the co-op financials bear an indepth look? Certainly. But considering that another 2BR/1BA this size in this building sold for $685k just three months back and that this one is asking $489k, I'd say it bears a look-see. There's about $200k of instant equity on the line that some lucky buyer could pour into their reno and end up with a home designed to their own personal specs. The floorplan of the G line is available on Streeteasy:

Recycled Luxury Zen Bathroom for Less Than $2,500

While stalking a recycled kitchen on Green Demolitions this week, I came across some great deals in the bath section. Two never-used Lefroy Brooks deep soaking tubs for under $1,000 — and one is the lovely Zen Tub. (The wooden feet alone retail for more.) Then I saw that the tub would pair really well with an Alape floating vanity, marked down to $950. This got me falling down a designer rabbit hole. Could we kit out a whole dreamy Zen bathroom for under $3k just shopping markdowns at reuse stores? Why, yes, we can! Even less!

Fixer Upper Friday: Dunolly 2BR Reconfiguration

StreetEasy

Hey, I'm back with another installment of Fixer Upper Friday. Today I'm looking at a 2 BR at 34-21 78th Street, 2J, in Jackson Heights that caught my eye. The home, which just hit the market asking $450k, is located in the Dunolly Gardens, a massive six-building co-op that actually takes up an entire city block. Other 1100 sq ft 2BRs in the building, like this one in the E line, have been selling for as high as $615k, thanks to a coveted second bath. Looking at our floor plan, a clever reconfiguration has the potential to not only open up the kitchen but also add a second bathroom, creating a valuable master suite. Let's take a look!