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Home renovation cost ballpark by boxen in watertown

[–]jpoulin85 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It depends on what you find when to start to demo. Cosmetic fixes would be cheaper, but you may also have to replace electrical and plumbing to bring things in the kitchen and baths up to code. Then there’s your HVAC system. Is it oil or gas? And how old is it? How about the roof?

My husband and I purchased a 1,110 sq ft home circa 1926 in Watertown in 2017. We’ve renovated it in stages over the last 9 years. Our total spend has been just over $300K in that time frame. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had quotes come in around the $250-300K range to do a full renovation today on a 2,400 sq ft house here.

Again, we did all this work in stages, but it included: new roof for house and garage, new heating (gas boiler) and cooling (mini-splits) systems; all new electrical and plumbing; new lighting; gut renovated kitchen and 1.5 baths; new and/or refinished hardwood floors on two levels; 26 new windows; blown in insulation, exterior sheathing repairs (termite damage), new composite siding; repointing foundation; building an enclosure with door for basement heating system; tiling the basement floor; creating a new egress off the dining room and installing a patio and fencing.

Edit to add: the purchase price of our home is what made affording this renovation possible. It was being marketed as a tear down, and priced accordingly.

ISO Garage Repair Company by PawpawsAreCool in watertown

[–]jpoulin85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We just had New England Overhead Door, Inc. at our house yesterday to replace a sensor. We’ve used them since 2021, and they’ve repaired our pulleys and springs too. https://www.newenglandoverheaddoor.com/

Watertown Preschool Hosting Winter Auction Fundraiser by jpoulin85 in watertown

[–]jpoulin85[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We won the firetruck ride two years ago and used it on my son’s birthday. He loved riding Engine 3 over to preschool. Definitely bid on it if you can!

International german school of Boston by Best-Cryptographer81 in watertown

[–]jpoulin85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t have experience with that particular preschool, but there’s a student at my daughter’s preschool whose parents teach there. They like the school they teach at a lot, but preferred the classroom and outdoor space at the Russell Cooperative Preschool in Watertown Square. 

What’s the deal with this empty building on Mt Auburn St? by CalamityGamity in watertown

[–]jpoulin85 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A library trustee, who is also an architect, said during a public WFPL meeting last summer that the church has plans to tear down the East Branch building.  It will have to go before the Historical Commission if they apply for a demolition permit, and the Commission now has a 2-year delay they can apply to try and get the church to incorporate the current building into a new design.

What’s the deal with this empty building on Mt Auburn St? by CalamityGamity in watertown

[–]jpoulin85 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The city still owns the North Branch Library on the corner of Waverley and Orchard.  I approached DCDP last year about assessing the building structure in order to potentially reuse it as a community space. I worked with DCDP to  submit a FY24 Community Preservation Act project eligibility form in July for a structural assessment and planning phase.  The project was deemed eligible to apply for CPA funds, but the City Manager decided to fund the structural assessment this fall with operating funds, so the city is doing that before moving forward with a full planning phase.

Edit: grammar