It has been common for me to see old ranch homes sitting on acreage around me area to get bought and rezoned into residential developments or into commercial properties. I have seen some of the bigger commercial-to-residential projects (factories and warehouses turned into lofts and condominiums), but this show was interesting in that they were individual residential spaces created out of formerly commercial spaces.
Has anyone done anything like this? I think in the episode I watched (one each of former warehouse, church, and library properties) and was surprised, pleasently, at how the library turned out. I think the women that bought the property paid something like $70K for it and boy was there a tremendous amount of hardwood in there, and this didn’t include all of the hardwood bookcases.
I’d be interested in hearing about any of the renovation-conversions that any FHB members have conducted in their new homes from converted commercial properties.
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It's like almost anything else, good and bad.
Comes down, sometimes, to larger planning. Doesn't do much good to put in pricey, hip, minimalist, loft apartments close to downtown and advertise "no commute," if you have to commute out to the grocery or convenience store . . .
It's also a pretty good idea to determine where the top dollar-affording folk who are supposed to move into the new, hip, housing are going to park their cars (down by the jail visitor parking is a less-than ideal situation, by the by . . . )
The jobs themselves, well, they're like any other remodel job--they can be good, they can be awfull. The jobs can be approached about every possible way, too--not sure there's one good way. TI-style can be good and bad. I tend to prefer a complete interior gut job if it's to be Tennant Improvement, though.
Like so many other job, the better defined the limits of the job are, then generally the better they are to "do."
I don't live in one, but I helped some friends do the third floor of a printery on Murray St in Manhattan, back in the early 80's. Fire rated 5/8" sheetrock is a bitch get in an elevator, oh yeah and ample parking, day or night<G> "what's in a name?" d'oh!
This needed to be in the business section Nuke , but oh well they will have to find it . Theres a few of us around here that get into this.
No I havent but I inspected one and it was really cool but I shut it down and called the state health department . That would not have happened if tey had submitted plans but anyway,... This was an abandoned building with the windows broken out and it was raw buddy! They made studio apartments is what it is called . They left these huge windows in where the people could watch the city at night . Cars driving by and the neon lights kinda thing. They left the walls as it and would not paint them as it added some kind of character. I wish I would have had a digital back then . Id show ya. They put a coffe house down stairs with food as in cold cuts and such. Decorated really old . If this thread lasts I could take some pics of it . Been wanting to drop in for some of their coffee. They have sitting areas where small groups can visit. Tennants and such but its a pubic place . What it needs is beer and wine but we are dry. Theres game tables plus games. Really too cool.
The subject excites me because its somthing new you are talking about . Heres the deal ; Sometimes commercial property ends up in the wrong place and it gets torn down eventually if there is a purpose for the land. They offer those types of property for less than the land cost because of the clean up. I know youve seen it as everyone has seen streets or districts moved to newer parts of towns that are better centered off interstates , shopping centers , busier streets , newer developments and such. Takes a real thinker to find a butt for those properties.
Tim