Phase Two – Main House

Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it

Michelangelo

Everyone who knows me, knows I love a challenge. However, as a property investor/buyer there is a “checklist” of precautious when purchasing a property. Even with a home inspection, there are no guarantees. At the end of the day, the only thing you can do is go with your gut or your heart and the rest falls into place. This applies to our recent purchase, we just knew. 

 The feeling of knowing this is the one, the old house tugged at our heart and soul. I believe if her walls could talk, she would share with us the generations of families who made memories there. The home needs so much TLC, my husband Kevin and I want to be the ones to bring her back to life from years of neglect. To stand proud along the shorelines of New Jersey. She deserves a second chance and we are going to help her get there!

We have great ideas for our new “old” home and we are so excited to dig in. The interior of the 1800′ sq. ft home will be gutted to the studs. Yes, drywall, insulation and most of the electrical and old plumbing will be removed as well. The staircase leading to second floor will be removed. The floor which supports the second floor will be gone and new rafters and support beams will be added to hold the house together with new vaulted ceilings. Old windows out and new windows in. One side of the main floor is a perfect layout for our new master bedroom plan. There is an old existing wood fireplace along one wall which will be in the master bedroom. We are planning to convert it to gas. As you see in the photos, walking past the fireplace towards the front entrance, there will be a hallway leading to a new addition built in front and will accommodate an en-suite and walk-in closets. The old deck off the master bedroom will be restored. Wall to wall patio doors will be added to take in the gorgeous view of the bay.

The stairs leading to the walkout basement will be expanded to create a larger staircase heading down to a new media room. The walkout basement ceilings are low, so we plan to remove the ceilings to gain height. The interior floors and walls will removed to be make way for an updated new beautiful media room. There is also a full bathroom which we will have to remodeled as well. The deck off the new media room will be restored.

The old existing kitchen and dining area will be part of the “new” addition. The plan is to gut the kitchen area and utilize this space to gain more square footage as we expand into the great room. When renovating, you try to use every inch of space. In this case we are combining the old (renovate) and new (build) to work seamlessly together. The new great room will have vaulted ceilings with a large stone fireplace and a corner library. Great room and library will have full views of the sea and marsh. When designing a home with water views you want to create a seamless floor plan with no obstruction. This is high on my wishlist to take in the sea and marsh views.

Large office, chef kitchen (with water views), butlers pantry and laundry/mudroom are planned for the main floor. The new addition will accommodate a second floor with 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. Two bedrooms will have private balconies with bay views. The third bedroom will be designed to accommodate a toddler/nursery/playroom with a private bath.

We expect some set backs and are prepared. Nothing runs smoothly when it comes to renovation work. We were told to tear down the old house and start new. However, we are up to the challenge and the home will be absolutely unrecognizable in a beautiful way once she is completed. Thank you for following my journey!