When Pat and Bruce Naumann bought their two-story vintage home in Woodstock three years ago, they knew it needed some work. What they didn`t know was how much.
”A case in point is when the previous owners patched cracks in the wall, they didn`t bother to sand the patches-which were numerous,” Pat Naumann said. ”They just wallpapered over them.”
Planning a long-term renovation, the Naumanns have tackled one room at a time. So far they have remodeled two baths and updated two bedrooms, scraping layers of paint and wallpaper as they went. They also have built a 2 1/2-car garage.
In between fix-it projects they added two more children to their fold, for a total of four boys. Although the 90-year-old home is spacious, two of the four bedrooms are quite small. The bedroom adjacent to the dining room is undergoing an as yet undefined transformation; perhaps it will become a family room, Naumann said.
As their family grows, the Naumanns are now considering a change in plans. There`s a strong possibility they`ll build or move to a home better configured for their needs. But first, what are the essential projects for this house? Naumann asked Jay Nalley of ERA/Advantage in McHenry, who agreed to share some selling tips.
”I`m afraid if we do too much we won`t get our money back,” Naumann said.
Cosmetic touches
Nalley agreed with taking a conservative approach. ”Do the cosmetic things,” he said. ”That means paint, wallpaper, clean the carpeting.”
Naumann already has these tasks on her ”to-do” list. She plans to take down peeling wallpaper in the dining room and stencil a border at ceiling height. She will also replace wallpaper in the L-shaped stairwell where previous owners papered over wood paneling. While she`s at it, maybe she will tear out the paneling, too, Naumann said.
For the sake of simplicity, Nalley advised leaving the paneling intact. What he would like to see her do is put clear plastic trim on the outside edges of the wallpaper to prevent peeling that occurs when someone turns the corner of the staircase.
Naumann is also toying with the idea of installing new kitchen cabinets and maybe building a center cooking island. The appliances are new and white. Nalley cautioned against such ambitious plans. ”I`d leave the cabinets,” he said. ”You might hate them, but they are usable.
”It`s true what they say that the kitchen sells the house, but so does the rest of the house. It`s fine to put money here if just the kitchen needs repair, but that`s not your case. Other areas need attention, too.”
Counter plan
Instead, he suggested putting in new kitchen flooring to replace the dated vinyl block pattern. That, coupled with new wallpaper, will give the kitchen a fresher appearance, Nalley said.
The basement is partially paneled and carpeted, and divided into separate areas: a children`s playroom, laundry room, workshop and half-bath. Naumann is thinking about spruceups here, too. She has an aversion to wood paneling and would like to get rid of it.
”My first house was a mobile home and everything was paneled,” she explained.
”You don`t know what is under the paneling, and it could turn out to be a big job,” Nalley said. ”Spend your money upstairs and let this be someone else`s project. You won`t get your money out of the basement.”
Nalley suggested that the Naumanns compile an album of photographs taken before, during and after their renovation to show to prospective buyers of the home. Then they can appreciate the work that has gone into the home, he said. ”I`m glad for the help,” said Naumann. ”I`ve worked with Realtors before and they might tell you the bathroom needs work, but they don`t tell you what kind of work. This is good advice.”
