House Projects – Joe LaMuraglia

July 24, 2019August 13, 2019

#SavannahRanch Before and After

318 E.57th Street Plans Before and After

At long last the renovation of my home in Savannah is complete. it was a labor of love, to say the least. The idea was to convert a two-bedroom, 1.5 bath house into a three-bedroom, 2.5 bathroom rental home with the goal of it being a retirement option in the future. The conversion deleted a dining room and a sitting room (to the left on the drawings above). I also lost a hall closet by making the guest bathroom much bigger (and thus, actually usable!) and I opened up the main room combining the living room and kitchen. The kids on HGTV call that “open concept”.

The photos in the gallery below show a good sample of the before and after transformation. I am beyond happy with the way it all turned out and I am pleased to share that it rented to the first couple that viewed it.

I may have to write an article on LinkedIn on how taking a sabbatical to renovate a house actually improved my project management, creative and communication skills. Would you read it?

Now, on to the next shiny object. I wish I could do this for a living but I need to fund my retirement account so I can actually live in the #SavannahRanch one day!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

July 22, 2019July 22, 2019

BERGEN BUNGALOW – BEFORE AND AFTER

The home I purchased in River Edge, NJ in 2014 was my first renovation project. It was built in 1848 and had been in the same family for the previous 50 + years. I knew it was going to be a project so I did the renovation in stages.

Stage 1: I painted the rooms that I knew would stay largely the same. In this case, the living room, dining room and entryway were the first to get attention. I also removed all the wallpaper from the kitchen and adjoining room which included wallpaper on the ceiling. I also removed an island/bar that dissected the kitchen and adjoining room. I was not clear what my final plan was going to be so I bought an Island from IKEA that I could move around and test different ideas.

I even tried to get on “America’s Most Desperate Kitchens” on HGTV.

I hosted brunches and dinner parties to see what the flow of guests would be and observe where they would naturally congregate. I also interviewed my brother’s friends who had raised children as I knew this would not be my permanent home and that I would likely sell it to a young couple with a child. They shared valuable information about being able to keep an eye on young children when doing chores and the fact that having a laundry room in the basement was very difficult with a toddler. All that ‘data’ helped me design the kitchen and ultimately convinced me to enclose the screened-in porch and make it another family room off the kitchen. The goal was to be able to cook, do laundry and watch a toddler all at the same time.

Stage 2: After a year of living in the house largely like the way I bought it, I gutted the kitchen and bathroom and moved the kitchen to what was the adjoining room. Installed the washer and dryer where the sink used to be and turned what was the former kitchen into a laundry room and pantry. This allowed the kitchen to be the center of daily life with plenty of overflow into the second family room that was the former porch. You can see the before and after photos below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

February 19, 2019July 19, 2019

626 Parker Ave – SOLD!

Newly renovated on one of the best streets in East Lake Terrace! The charming 3 bedroom/1 bath cottage has new hardwoods, fresh paint, and updated lighting throughout. Kitchen features white cabinets, stainless appliances, and quartz counters. The bathroom has new fixtures, tile shower, and floor. The home has a spacious living room and separate dining room. New dual zone HVAC and heat pumps with Nest thermostats!

There are 2 bedrooms on the main floor. Head upstairs for laundry and huge closet, perfect roomy third bedroom, office, or playroom. Fully fenced backyard w/ huge deck offers room to landscape or add a garage. Plans exist for interior expansion and detached garage w/ apartment.

SOLD!

For more information, contact Alison Bahm at 404-502-0295

More information HERE

This slideshow requires JavaScript.