2020 – 2021 were big years at our Union Hill property, mostly due to COVID. It was a forcing function – we spent much of our time at that triplex since we could not travel. And gaining income on these apartments mean that I can finally expense and amortize all of the costs over the […]
Union Hill: What we spent to remodel a triplex Read More »
As we wrap up some projects and prep for new tenants to move into one of our rentals, I thought I’d take a breath and reflect on the year that was 2021. This year we finished the big, multi-year project in Union Hill. We rented the final apartment in July, ending weekend (and sometimes evening)
Looking back on our rentals in 2021 Read More »
There was a lot of noise transfer at Union Hill. It was so high that the lower neighbors wanted someone they knew to move in, so they would not feel embarrassed to ask them to be quiet. I did not think about soundproofing when we did the ceiling or floor work in the middle apartment…
Union Hill – Easy apartment soundproofing Read More »
The upstairs apartment of our Bremerton triplex was the worst of the three apartments. When we purchased it, the ceilings were maybe 6’5″ high, and all the walls felt like they were going to close in. I’m not sure if it was before or after we closed when I told Chris “what if we were
Union Hill – From cramped to open and L-shaped kitchen Read More »
Parking strip, hell strip, dry wasteland… no matter what you call that area between the sidewalk and the street, it’s a tough place to plant a garden. It’s exposed to traffic, fumes, wind, and often sun, and it’s hard to water consistently if you don’t already have sprinklers installed. I’m not even 100% sure it’s
Union Hill – planning and planting the hell strip Read More »
We did not have much of a plan for the closets, until I took down the paneling and saw what was once there – a window plus an outline of all the trim. Using this as my guide, I restored the closets to their original design, adding highly functional details that fit with the style
Union Hill – Restoring the original closet details Read More »
Although we maintained much of the original trim in the middle apartment on Union Hill, sometimes things go missing. That can happen during a four year renovation! We wanted to maintain as much of the character as possible, so we decided to recreate the craftsman trim. What is craftsman style trim? The hallmark of craftsman
Union Hill – How to recreate craftsman trim Read More »
Once I took the photos for our refi, it was clear how close we are to renting the last apartment in our Union Hill triplex. It is now May 1 – four years after starting this renovation. Our goal is to have it listed and move-in ready on June 1. Here is our punch list
Union Hill – The remaining work to list our rental Read More »
Our Central District and West Seattle refis closed quickly, but we hit a snag during our Bremerton appraisal. Although the loan only considered the rents on the finished and rented units, the appraiser insisted that we finish the middle unit before the loan closed (i.e. his estimate would assume the value of a fully rented
Union Hill – Update on refi and progress photos Read More »
Shortly after purchasing our Delridge duplex in West Seattle, we started searching for another property. We set our sights on buying another triplex in a gentrifying market. Our search As prices increased close to home, we broadened our search to include neighboring cities around the Sound. More people were getting priced out of Seattle, gentrifying
Our third home – buying a triplex in a gentrifying market Read More »
