Making Our Freedman Liveable

You know how you think something is going to be easier than it really is?  Somehow on large projects like this one, it always is that way for me.  Greg, the more realistic one of the two of us, moves fast and works hard, but even for him this task became more and more daunting.  We had to clean out the debris and fix up the front room, and you'll see the room was in the best condition to make a place for us to stay.  We did not want to complicate our construction budget paying an expensive Charleston rent.  Not only the expense, but we wanted to be able to be available to take on projects after work.  By adding a commute, it would add time and many nights the thought of making a 10 to 15 minute drive is daunting.  As we peeled back the layers, we were discouraged, overwhelmed...just what had we gotten ourselves into when we took this step.

Initially, we had to make several runs to the landfill with linoleum, carpets and some of the built-ins.

 And once the worse was out of the way, we could work on setting up a dorm room that was clean and secure enough to feel comfortable.  Living in the new neighborhood and getting to know our neighbors I counted as important as well.

We bought a cheap, flat white latex paint to seal the walls.  After washing everything down with ammonia to disinfect and deodorize, we sprayed nearly four gallons of paint on the walls and ceiling.  The house drank the paint in like it had been a thirst for years!  Some of the drywall still appeared rough, but I began to believe we could make it here.  The bathroom situation while not pictured was the most difficult adjustment.  I had been a camp counselor and I kept telling myself it no worse than those bathrooms.  Somehow, at 21 we are not so set in our ways!  It was by no means a "new" home, but it was new to us and it was all ours for the good and for the not so good which we will be sharing in posts to come!

Demo Phase

While the renters removed a majority of the contents of the house, there were layers to be removed before we could begin to peel back the underbelly.  With the amount of debris inside the house, Greg had not been able to fully grasp how bad things were structurally.  The kitchen appeared to be the worst floor in the house.  Our first trip to the landfill was rugs, linoleum, and others materials that had been used to hold the rotten sub-floor in place.  And while Greg had promised me that nothing could be revealed he could not handle, it still ended up being much worse than expected.

Some of the special items found at the first was a 1960's Portable Singer sewing machine. I have always valued the quality stitch that the metal machines make.  I have it in my favorite sewing repair shop as I write this hoping to use it in the future for quilting.  In cleaning out, Greg and I began to wonder how we could make a place acceptable for us to stay while we work through the phases of repair.  We decided the front room was in the best shape and cold be cleaned up the best.

The walls were roughly mudded and dirty.  We began by washing them down with ammonia and then sealed them with flat white paint.  Greg used a paint sprayer and it took 5 gallons of paint to fully cover.  Its like the walls drank in the paint, but I felt I could throw a wall to wall rug down and make it for a time.  Now, how to set up our small dorm room.

Seeing A Diamond in the Rough

In looking for a cottage on Charleston's Westside, our thoughts were to search Wagener Terrace area just past Hampton Park.  Charleston Peninsula has a great central location for both of our morning commutes.   We found one home that already had some renovations on the street.  The realtor encouraged us about the area being safe and convenient.  It was reasonably priced and it seemed to be the one highest on the list of prospects.

A week later as we were doing our own searches of the area, Greg hit on a small home on the corner of Congress Street and Carondolet Street just off Rutledge Avenue.  It was so filled with furnishings and built low to the ground, and we had a difficult time even seeing the real condition of the house.  Greg is a professional in the construction industry and nothing about the house scared him away from considering the purchase.  In essence, we had to realize the lot was worth the purchase of the home, and if all we ended up with was the shell, it was worth it.

We have always loved the Charleston Single Homes downtown and this small home was like a miniature of those that exist just blocks away.  The wrought iron may have been fashioned by the very craftsmen that worked on the Peninsula.  The surrounding area has been in a state of revitalization over the last several years.  After much consideration, we took the plunge and closed on it in the Spring of 2013.