Back porch with better shot of the siding, additions and three chimneys.

This post was edited by davis.mbd on Thu, Oct 16, 14 at 13:09

View from kitchen through center hall (I believe) into dining room. Love that sink.

This post was edited by davis.mbd on Thu, Oct 16, 14 at 13:13

As this is a vernacular house largely devoid of ornament, I was thinking keeping the level of finish along the lines of this home - think stripped down, light, spare, natural finishes, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: [Southern CT Beach Home[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/southern-ct-beach-home-beach-style-kitchen-phvw-vp~12579883)

This post was edited by davis.mbd on Thu, Oct 16, 14 at 13:25

Would require an in-person visit, accompanied by a good repair contractor to spot the problems. It could be just cosmetically scary, or it could be falling-apart scary.

How's the location?

The location is rural but a five minute drive from a small town and forty minutes from the city where I work. It's at the back of 1.6 acres of wooded land and can't be seen from the main road (a paved county road). The land on all three sides of the property is 300 acres of timberland - right now it's all forest, but of course that could change in the future.

Another interior shot, I believe part of one of the additions. See what I mean about odd window placement?

Another interior shot, this all wood.

I would love to have a breezeway house! You have some nice wood floors to work with. It's worth a walk-through, IMO.

So... today I trespassed a bit. I was just too curious, I had to go peek in the windows for myself. Unfortunately my phone was dead so I couldn't take pictures, but here are my updates!

The curb appeal is much better in real life than in the picture. The roof was much steeper than I was expecting - it reminded me a lot of Allison Ramsey's Holiday House (but a derelict version, of course!).

I was right - it was absolutely a dogtrot. The center hall is beautifully proportioned, better than I had hoped. Wide, with a lovely view straight out the back. The baseboards and trim were plain and wide, very nice.

Re the siding: the paint was peeling everywhere and a number of clapboards were damaged, but I tried to push my nail in on a few spots and they weren't soft. There were a few spots where the eaves board (?) was broken/dangling, and the metal roof was faded in a few places.

Structurally, I don't have enough knowledge to even venture a guess, but other than some sloped porch steps everything seemed plumb. EXCEPT: the old stone chimney was missing some stones, and there was a crack running through a portion of it. Honestly, the chimney did not look safe whatsoever, and I think it would have to go.

I was also right re. dating the additions, etc., because I caught a glimpse of a pink bathroom through a back window :)

The oddest thing about the house that I saw were the floors. Except the one room I posted previously with the wood paneling (which was in an addition), it seemed as if the floors have been covered in concrete. Of course, I couldn't go inside, but the front porch definitely was concrete and it looked like the same material was continued inside. It was almost as if the house had been built on a slab - but it is definitely on piers.

The view off the front porch was lovely (though overgrown) - I saw at least two very old live oaks in the front yard.

Attached is my rough floor plan. The outline/dimensions are from the property appraiser's site, the porches are in blue, and the greyed areas are the ones I couldn't see through windows b/c I was too short. The back screen porch was inaccessible b/c the door was locked. Yes, that front room is really really big.

Traditional _Dogtrot_ means no doors, just an open breezeway. Since you observe doors, that means it's a "central hall" type of plan.
True vernacular houses are not that commodious; they adhere to more standard room sizes based on log/lumber lengths that could be cut at small local mills. In the latter half of the 19th c., that means that it is rare for a vernacular house to have rooms bigger than 16ft in the smaller dimension. 16x20 for a room size is usually the upper limit. 16x16 or 16x12 being a much more common module. The study of modules in vernacular construction is a specialty within architectural history.
Cement floors indicates a later date and the steel casements were not a vernacular detail.
But it's still a very impressive place. Does it get any light with all the porches?
Casey

Hi sombreuil!

Thank you for your comments - but this is, in fact, a dogtrot that has been enclosed, as most were after the introduction of AC. Those that still have the open dogtrot have been uninhabited for generations and are generally in ruin. Also, as I mentioned previously, the original windows were replaced with steel casements during a remodel in the 1950s, which is when the house was enlarged. The area bounded by the front porch delineates the original house. The large front room was once the same size as its partner across the hall (so, about 14x16), but was expanded during the remodel. I didn't mention this in my post above, but the ceiling at the point of the addition drops about two feet, clearly marking the two ages/stages of the house. The only original fireplace - made of stacked stone - is the one on the righthand side, while the rest are brick and of a later date.

Yes, the natural light is great! And the view from front to back and vice versa is spectacular. I wish I had been able to take pictures, because everything on MLS makes it look dark and scary.

This post was edited by davis.mbd on Fri, Oct 17, 14 at 16:57

Dark and scary is good. It keeps the competition away.

If you are in the market, find a good renovation contractor and ask for permission to take a close look and let you know what the serious flaws are.

If it were fixable in my budget, and I liked the location? Sure!

Haha good point lazygardens.

So... assuming the foundation, etc., is fine, do y'all think 60k could be a reasonable budget to:

Remove the stone chimney
Restore the windows, replace doors
Replace siding with hardiboard
Replace the roof
Gut and remake the kitchen
Gut and remake the two bathrooms
Paint all the interiors
Put in wood floors (with carpet in the bedrooms)
Fill in the pool

My dad is actually a retired local GC, so I would be able to access his knowledge and connections.

This post was edited by davis.mbd on Fri, Oct 17, 14 at 21:57

No. Unless you are totally DIY, you need more than that.

I live in a low cost of living area in the South and I think 150k would be a closer reality here. However, it seems to cost more to fix an old house than build a new one where I am at. So, it would really just depend on what you want....give new life to an old place or build new.

Neat! I wonder how much of the kitchen is salvageable. What is that roof?

The window placement isn't weird--it's classic 50s but they usually are a different style to better appreciate the view (in this case of a yard gone wild):

$60K to gut a 2450 sf house, including roof and siding? Not unless you're 95% DIY. I'd guess about double that if you're hiring the labor--even with "good connections."

Hmmm.....can you live with the original kitchen and bathrooms? That would really help the budget! Paint is your friend and if the structure in those rooms (no mold, good foundation, etc) is okay..then it's really just cosmetic. Think retro :)