Yes, the corner sink has to be original, I think because the DW is original, and the Tappan range is original.

There is neighborhood inventory c. 1960 and this house says "bathroom tile" in the description.

Yes, I sincerely doubt anyone is going to restore the Philippine mahogany paneling, although someone just might keep the concrete block exposed as intended. I kinda doubt it though.

I just don't understand why someone would let the roof go. Keep the roof intact, shut the water off and an uninsulated row house can take care of itself for decades. Given the organization in some of the closets, my theory is that the house was normally furnished until the leaks got really bad and whoever owned it started shifting the contents and crammed a couple rooms full.

It must have been quite something in its day. Who let's their property go to that extent? Why wouldn't you protect your investment? If you didn't have the money to fix the roof, why wouldn't you sell it much, much sooner?

If it ends up filled with Ikea, it's because there's no money left over after addressing the structural issues.

I find the ranges in that style to be bizarre and amazing. This one is similar:

I don't care much about how it's furnished but the end point of many of these current rehabs is a dull, cheaply finished $800K house. I saw a $2M one recently full of rough millwork with knots bleeding through everywhere.

My other in law had one of those stoves in her house. It was cool!

I see some wonderful and expensive opportunities.

cawaps, my inlaws replaced that exact range about 5 years ago. I used it many times and it was surprisingly user friendly.

Pal, I am surprised you were able to walk in the house. Frankly, it looks pretty dangerous. Like you said, it's a shame that it was left to rot.

edited to add - What about the neighbors? Wouldn't the smell and the structural issues effect them as well?

I want one of those stoves.

Interesting that it is very modern design, nasty ceilings (even before they fell in) but seemd to have antique furniture.

Was it owner occupied? Seems like maybe someone aged in place and no one kept up with basic maintenance which slid into neglect. It's surprising how fast things fall apart.

It is enter at your own risk, pretty much. The holes in the floors are mostly covered over, and the joists and stairs seem solid. We've been in much worse, where we've been required to sign waivers and walk through areas one at a time.

I think it has been empty close to ten years

Smell, no although I am accustomed to the decaying house smell. it's not altogether unpleasant.

Structural issues not so much. The joists are designed to drop out in a fire or collapse without torquing on the walls .

It looks like an abused home that has been the repository of many unhappy memories. ::: shudder :::

I don't think so at all. There is a lot of evidence that when the house was lived in it was well-maintained. Some of the closets have neatly stored clothes and other items. The paneling where not damaged by rain seems to have been maintained. I believe that the damage occurred after the last occupant moved out.

Did you get a closeup on the yellow sofa on edge? I think I have the matching chair.

There is some interesting stuff in there, and who ever took the photos form the roof is very brave.

IDK, the framed family photos, the clothes ... whoever owned them should have taken them with them. Unless they were foreclosed or evicted. Or died with no friends or heirs. That is the story I see; I always think abandoned homes with scattered possessions are unspeakably sad.

Look at the book title ...

Yes indeed. Saw a gut job and there were all these awards and blue ribbons in the mud beside the overflowing dumpster. Reminds me of that.

This could be a fantastic property, though. Do it more in a Melbourne Australia-like style than the typical American flip style, imo.

Thanks for the sink info, palimpsest. I didn't know they made that style that long ago.

*shameless plug* I have one of those stoves in my garage. Would love to find it a new home.

/hijack

I did some Google searching about the property. The house has code violations going back to 2007, the owner died in 2009 at the age of 88. It appears that it was caught up in a messy estate for a while. The house was purchased last year by an LLC (which I believe was set up by someone who currently owns property on the street).

I love searching for the history of old homes. It's like solving a puzzle.

Found this charming blurb about the last occupant:

Philly Social Notes," The Afro American (Baltimore, MD), 06 Jan 1981, p 12:
Our concern goes out to always-modish , Neva Gilbert Bailey Scott, whose successful realtor husband, George Scott, died suddenly in the hospital while undergoing examination.
Neva and George owned one of those picture card pretty homes adorned on the frontage by an arresting display of white marble, in quaint old Philadelphia's Addison St."

That is such a lovely neighborhood and so close to Rittenhouse Square. It is hard to understand how it was left untouched for so long. I personally dislike the exterior and hope whoever rehabs it does something nicer than a flat slab.

I am thinking that the house has that notice on it for ten years and it has been padlocked for a good portion of that.

The property has a partition action on it which means that it has been divided so that multiple owners have a stake in the property. My thought is that no one individual felt they were responsible for fixing the roof so no one would do it and this happened.

The house has a historic designation so they can't redo the exterior. I am not sure how the jalousie windows will be handled in that case. But the new owner will have to get approval to replace them with something different.

However there is another one of these houses about a block away that has different, conventional windows. They may have a case for replacing the jalousie with windows similar to that other house.

Thanks for the comments on the windows.

I've seen a property in S FL, an old cottage from the 1940s that was just renovated by folks under the spell of Chip and Joanna, so they tore out the front wall (paid the fine, I guess, since it was a contributing structure in a historic district) to incorporate the front porch into the living room, but the porch has floor to ceiling jalousies all round. It's gone under contract a few times, but the buyers always back out when they discover it's uninsurable.

While the Philly house is totally not my style, I would hate to see any attempt made to cuten it up.

I see the potential for it to be beautiful again. I actually like the exterior. Hopefully someone with a vision will be inspired and lovingly restore it.

Fori here is the sofa

Writersblock, why is the house uninsurable? Hurricane-related?

Writersblock, why is the house uninsurable? Hurricane-related?

Not that, although that is true, but the fact that any fool can just lift the glass out and walk in anytime. We used to have a jalousie outside door on one of the bathrooms, and one day when I got home unexpectedly early when I was in fourth grade I had no trouble getting into the house by just lifting up the glass panes and laying them aside.

For heating/air conditioning, the loss is very considerable, too, since they are never even remotely tight fitting.

With enough $$-- and taste, it could be a winner

Don't care for the exterior/curb appeal, but at least you have the structure to the right that lessons it's starkness.

Curious, under historic guideline rules,, could something like Boston ivy be grown up the exterior?

With enough $$-- and taste, it could be a winner

Unfortunately to restore this house, replacing the actual millwork and refinishing what you could, recreating the mid-century baths and kitchen to the extent that one can't completely, on top of structural repairs, and a modern HVAC system (no central air I am thinking)--you would end up with a house that was too small to interest the sort of person who has that kind of budget, unless they are a true preservationist.

And then they would never be able to recoup the cost if they had to sell.

My bets are on a generic transitional drywall interior, possibly not even keeping the concrete block exposed. It will likely end up looking like any 2010s generic new construction.

------

There are two much older houses on the market here that have had recent renovations. (One had a great deal of original detail, one had already been through one major renovation 40 odd years prior, because it was in near shell condition). Both are in the $2-3M range, both are filled with inferior millwork (knots bleeding through) and generic finishes with the exception of the requisite over the top kitchens. Many people don't really notice quality nearly as much as they notice New.

The argument is that no one wants a house without modern air conditioning (true), no one wants a house without modern lighting (true, but that means lit up like a retail store, here), and everyone wants the gigantic master suite bath. (true). These are the things that ruin these houses. You can do any of these things while preserving original and recreating original as needed, but it's a lot more expensive gutting.

Thanks Pal...not a match. That one looks a but more upscale than mine :)

Wow, fascinating place. Not sure I have the vision but I can (just) see the potential.

Here's what I do to evaluate strength of design, and I guess potential. And I play the Powerball in an attempt to get the budget

Wow that place could be amazing.

It looks so sad as it is today, especially seeing clothing hanging in the closets and other personal items lying about. It's so hard to believe it's been allowed to get in such poor repair. Keeping fingers crossed you win the lottery, Pal!

It takes a special person to be able to see the potential in that! OMGoodness, I couldn't make it past the front door :o What kind of person (or circumstances) could allow that to happen?

So, it was 91k less than a year go, and is now offered for 400K?

Oh put a bid in for $285 Pal.

It must be saved, but at the right price.

All they can do is say no. But, the longer it sits the more it is a health hazard to the neighbors.

monica, I think it was really a concatenation of events, not one thing. The husband died in 1981. The widow died at 88 in the 2000s, but it's not clear whether she was in residence. It's possible the house sat empty while she was in nursing care. Then it sat for a number of years with a violation notice on it. So it was empty, something happened, what ever repair was halted and then the process continued.

There's been a partition action on the property so it does not belong to one individual but several. There may have been some disagreement for some time as far as what to do. I don't know much about partition actions but I do know a number of people who have co-owned property with relatives and that rarely seems to end well.

nosoccermom, I don't think that reflects the property being on the market. If there was a transaction for $91K I am thinking it may be related to the partition action? This couldn't have been on the open market for $91K, I don't think. The the lot is worth much more than that. Plus we have been aware of the house for ten years, I can't believe we both would have missed it last year.

justterrilyn That's just not in the cards. I think the total budget for a project like this would have to be at least $800K to do a decent renovation, a little less for a generic rehab and much more for something that was more like a restoration.

The good thing about the house is that it did not seem to have rats in it. I am not sure what makes rats occupy some properties like this and not others, but it didn't seem to have that rat "aura" if that makes any sense.

So, I don't know how things work in your area. Since I guess that home would be considered a blighted property due to holes in roof and parts open to the elements... won't this property end up on the auction block?

i mean, if someone called 311 there could be a daily fine of up to 300 per day per hole.

This is why I don't understand why a deal can not be had. Is the area less that 80% occupied or something?

I guess what you are saying is that just the land alone is worth the asking price? Still, it's a hazard now and susceptible to hefty fines.

No, doesn't seem to work like that here.

Below is what "blighted" means here. And until recently there were properties like this one not that many blocks from the house above. My SO lived in a neighborhood with houses like pictured below in the 1990s. And it was only about 4 blocks from the house above. And this house below is still on the open market.

The house in the original post is in arguably the most desirable neighborhood in the city. Depending upon how long you've been around. This neighborhood is now called "Rittenhouse Square" but to me,it is "Graduate Hospital" and now what is called "Graduate Hospital" or "Naval Home" used to be called "Grey's Ferry" or "Devil's Pocket". They keep expanding the boundaries of neighborhoods to include what is more desirable or becoming more desirable.

This house below is in North Philadelphia, still called North Philadelphia.

Wow!

@pal

I don't quite know how to read Philly tax/property info; however, there are some 35K tax debts/liens on the property. As far as assessment, while the total assessed value hasn't changed, they upped the lot value from 44K to 160K, with a corresponding reduction in building value.

Still, I don't see how this shell can be worth 400K. I know it's north of South St and there's really hardly anything on the market, but still... I mean, two blocks over you can actually buy a house that you can move into.

As far as assessment, while the total assessed value hasn't changed, they upped the lot value from 44K to 160K, with a corresponding reduction in building value

This happened over the entire city, it was restructuring of property taxes--the same thing happened to my house. Also my tax assessed value is much different, and less, than the market value of my house.

Still, I don't see how this shell can be worth 400K. I know it's north of South St and there's really hardly anything on the market, but still...

I don't know for sure, we will have to wait and see. But a similar sized house in decent condition on this block would be a couple hundred thousand more. They are probably knocking $200K off for rehab and trying to sell it at that.

I mean, two blocks over you can actually buy a house that you can move into.

Two blocks can mean a world of difference here. A few years ago you could have said the same about my house and two blocks south of me as well. And A few years before that you could have said the same about my house being much cheaper than one two blocks north.

Fancy block. With a garden, I presume?

I find it interesting but...that little ground floor window really bugs me. The property is so unfriendly to the street. I would love if that window was at least the size of the front door and I think it would look well balanced in that way as well. Of course this could be easily accomplished now except for the historical designation. I wonder if you could do some type of interior storm window to deal with the jalousie window...but of course they're thick when opened! But they would only need the storm in place when closed...I guess I'm thinking of treating the jalousie like a shutter over a regular window somehow.

Yes it has a small yard.

It's really hard to say how this price was determined and whether it's high or not, because any house that gets a rehab or is new construction is going to be priced at much higher than the neighboring houses. A house in marginally livable condition in may neighborhood sold for about 25% over asking and had ten offers. This one might sell and it might sit. A house a block away from the house in the original post in much better condition sold at a significantly higher price and it's being gutted anyway. So it's hard to tell.

Robo, on the first two floors everything is oriented toward the back. The small window on the first floor is a powder room, on the second floor one is in the stairwell and the other is also a bathroom I think.

My house also presents a rather unfriendly face toward the street. It has ribbon windows right at the ceiling line on the first floor. At the time the house was built the neighborhood was not safe at night. The houses across the street with more conventional windows on the ground floor often had bars on them and they were covered from the inside (And still are or you could see the entire first floor from the sidewalk). My windows are high enough that they can be uncovered and let light in. It was a defense mechanism. The houses around the corner have no windows on the first floor front.

Here is a comp, of sorts.

West 8 blocks, so Fitler Sq., not Rittenhouse Sq., slightly less desirable neighborhood--to people for whom this matters. Newer but not new rehab -- early 80s maybe. Similar size, similar outdoor space. Laminate counters, older bathrooms.

$750,000.

http://www.estately.com/listings/info/2526-lombard-street

And this unusual and charming, but almost 40 year old rehab right on the same block is pending. List price was $799K and it's doubtful it went for much less. They are pricing near shell based upon similar sized, but livable houses fetching $700-800K. Is that reasonable? I don't know, it depends upon what you can accomplish with $300-400.

But if you say that rehabbing it is 800K, then we're talking 1.2 mio.

So, 975K on 1925 Delancey, https://www.redfin.com/PA/Philadelphia/1925-Delancey-Pl-19103/home/38228759

Or near Fitler Square. https://www.redfin.com/PA/Philadelphia/2415-Lombard-St-19146/home/38232047

Sold for 735K, in Feb 2017, 2K sqft.

No I am saying a total budget, buying the shell and rehabbing it $700-800K. ($400K + 300K) But I am not sure you could do a great rehab of that house for under $300K.

And completely new construction would be over $1M. The new construction in these neighborhoods is always more expensive than the existing stock. because so much value is in the lot.

Oh, I see. It depends, of course, on how much labor and rehabbing costs are in Philadelphia, but 300K seems kind of low to me. Not to mention the hassle.

Can you access what that supposedly 91K sales price really was? Still think that 400K is overtly ambitious as a sales price. You're basically paying for the lot, minus the cost for tearing it all out.

Other comps:

614K, 1714 Addisonhttps://www.redfin.com/PA/Philadelphia/1714-Addison-St-19146/home/38230227

579K, 1828 Addisonhttps://www.redfin.com/PA/Philadelphia/1828-Addison-St-19146/home/38232345

1907 Waverly, 500K, but smaller, https://www.redfin.com/PA/Philadelphia/1907-Waverly-St-19146/home/38230455