Condo: The story
When John stopped working full time we looked to retire to Buffalo. We expected to buy a two bedroom condo in a high rise to leave time for the beach and travel. After looking at many places we saw two units (a one bedroom and a two bedroom) side by side that were dated and needed a total update. The same person owned both and we were able to look at two similar units a floor up that had been combined. Our realtor told us these units would likely go quickly for the asking price (which had been our experience). On the ride back to Rochester we decided to make a cash offer at full price for the two bedroom unit and a low ball cash offer on the one bedroom expecting to just buy the two bedroom. The owners were apparently looking to be done and countered for just a little more. We had two condos and a lot of work. We moved all our furniture into the living room of the one bedroom, boxes into brother Dave’s basement and moved to the beach for the summer. John was still working half time at RIT, commuting a day or two a week, and traveling a lot for work. So come Fall we lived mostly in the one bedroom unit and slept in the master bedroom of the two bedroom, while we started remodeling the two bedroom and opening up the wall between the two. We wanted to keep our furniture that had worked in our Victorian houses. So we added a lot of wood features (doors, baseboards and trim) to “age” the two units. It took over a year but after tearing out all the wall to wall carpet, tin closet doors, tin kitchen cabinets and learning the strange construction of the building, we had a whole new three bedroom condo. The one drawback was the leaky 50 year old bare aluminum Florida style slider windows. With Pam on the board and John on the window committee, we convinced the unit owners to invest in replacing all the windows in the building. After three years the place was complete.
Then… In Dec. 2021 we acquired the third unit on our side of the building and started another merger as told in the 501 story.
Lobby, First thing we saw, crisp and clean
Roof deck, nine stories up with great views of city (the skyline over my left shoulder is Niagara Falls)
First snow of the year. From our fifth floor we are above all the surrounding buildings
Turkey trot mile 3. We are right on Delaware Ave. in one of the liveliest neighborhoods in Buffalo
We purchased in June, moved all our furniture into the main room of the one bedroom unit, and moved to the beach for the summer
Come late summer/fall we mostly cooked in the one bedroom and "dined" at tray tables in the bedroom of the one bedroom unit as we started work next door (note the concrete floors where carpets have been torn up)
We cut a hole where we wanted to break through to try to discover what we were up against and to for sure move some electrical
Then just like in the cartoons we drew a door and started cutting from one side
Then we cut from the other (Yes those are sparks flying)
Eventually the two units were joined and we installed face mount pocket doors
With the door closed guests have there own suite in the one bedroom unit
Pocket doors viewed from the two bedroom kitchen eating area
To top off the remodel we installed a Waterford crystal lamp which had belonged to a good friends mother and he and his wife had graciously given it to us when it no longer suited their decor
Our garage spaces (the two closest to the elevator) occupied by the window crew. After a couple of years Pam became involved with the board and John and Pam joined the window committee of three to fix the only issue in the building. Replacing the windows building wide
Windows being installed on eighth floor
Windows being installed from inside and out
John inspecting the windows, the last step in the rehab (for now)