Floyd Avenue: A Historic Renovation, Part 1

We mentioned on the blog a few weeks ago that we only like to take on about two large projects at a time. This allows us to give every project undivided attention and care. One of the projects we are working on at the moment is a historic renovation on Floyd Avenue in the Museum District of downtown Richmond.

This project is an investment renovation that we are doing on our own. We consider several factors when choosing an investment property: historic status, investment potential, and the value added to the neighborhood. In this case, a gorgeous block of Floyd Avenue is going to become even more gorgeous when this renovation is done, and we like knowing that we’ve helped contribute to a neighborhood while saving a historic home.

This particular property was built in 1916 and had not been updated since the 70’s or 80’s. Some very scary wallpaper, bad paint choices and a generally choppy layout influenced our decision to bring most of the house down to the studs. However, several of the original features of the home were able to be salvaged including the original hardwoods floors, a beautiful exposed brick wall and several fireplaces. Many historic features in the home, such as built-in pocket doors, were exposed and put back into use.

Improvements to the home include an additional downstairs bathroom and master suite, a modern and open kitchen and a new back balcony and deck. The house is still in the midst of construction, but we’re already starting to see parts of it come together. We will be sharing photos and updates about this house over the next few months so that you can follow the process of a historic home renovation as it happens. And if this blog series convinces you that you just have to have this home for yourself, contact us right away. We anticipate a pre-sale of this property and it’s unlikely to go on the open market, so don’t miss out.