What began as a conversation with a friend about the real estate market quickly turned to inspiration as I wondered how I could get my hands on an investment property to flip in town. He had recently completed an old farmhouse conversion into two condos, and already having a love for old homes I looked into it further, hoping to set sights on my own. There was an active listing on MLS for an 1880's farmhouse in disrepair, one I had scrolled past many times, but now I looked at it through that different, inspired point of view. It had tons of potential, and I knew it looked familiar because I had been following the permitting process for the land around it. A developer in town who I've drawn many plans for over the past several years had scooped it up a couple years before this, subdividing the 16 or so acres around it into a flexible development, a new type of subdivision in town, where, if open space is preserved and a certain percentage of the housing units are affordable, a greater density of lots are permitted. The farmhouse was at the entrance to the subdivision, and previously known as 20 South Street. One of the reasons it was still on the market, aside from being a daunting renovation to undertake for many, was that the subdivision road needed utilities and a binder coat installed to release the lots with the town, which meant a closing on this farmhouse would wait as well. My business partner on the construction and development side of my business looked at the property and made an offer- we were off to the races.

Our Offer Was Accepted, Now What?

Upon viewing the property in person we, and especially my business partner, were struck by the natural light that hit the south facing front elevation of this tired farmhouse. I immediately began schematic design out of excitement for what this home could be reimagined into. I broke the rules of my own typical design process, usually I start with a full existing conditions measurement of the space, but here I started with the property card dimensions as a place holder. Although it added hours to my drafting, I still think it was beneficial to pick up those extra schematic design sessions as I worked through many variations of what could be. Part of the conditions for a flexible development in Easton is that the proposed home on each lot must undergo an architectural review by the Planning and Zoning Board prior to building department issuance to ensure the homes look similar on the exterior, are consistent with materials used, and conform to the regulations of the neighborhood as it relates to minimum and maximum square footage. Furthermore, because my project had historical value being built in the 1880's, there was an added level of design review by the Easton PZB to ensure this home's new design was a respectful and appropriate reimagination of this property.

Next Up on the 16 Olde Forge Blog Series

1. Working through various design development scenarios
2. Introducing cost estimation to the design (and what I'd do differently next time)