This is the layout and a couple additional photos for reference.

the rooms are all four walled .....sometimes that is best left as is. If you want a different arrangement , the biggest spot would be between kitchen and family room..... take out fireplace and remove wall and then you have a wide open range of possibilities. Depends on your goals , desires and budgeted resources for the property which arent stated. Personally I think the exterior could use some improvement....lack of color......lack of landscaping....some details waiting for some enhancement.

led lighting and a modernization / a few others showing uses of color/ wood/ plants/ steps and so on.....if nothing else some landscaping....

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A lovely property, and you need an architect.

You have a warren of closed in rooms, multiple fires, you need to clearly define what you need from the space. Not everything can be crowd sourced, and this is one of those.

Get an architect to the site, before you bite off more than you want to chew: )

I am all up for respecting the integrity of a historic home and also making it work for you. This is a beauty.

Can you clarify what maximizing existing layout means? I think it means you do not want to tear down walls, but want a new bathroom and new kitchen within the existing spaces. Is that correct?

If so, what are you looking to improve in the bathroom and would you be open to gutting the room and moving plumbing? Do you want a double sink, is a walk-in shower and no tub ok, do you want a vanity?

In the kitchen, what kind of features do you want in a kitchen? Would you change plumbing locations, do you want an island to sit at, a separate table and chairs area, multiple sink locations? A separate pantry?

I looked up the house and it appears to have sold almost a year ago. I presume this would be an off market purchase. The home sold for much less than the median home price in the U.S. Perhaps that is due to area of the country? Sounds like you have recently done renovation so you know the costs and that at bathroom and kitchen gut could cost more than half of what the home sold for most recently.

That is correct. The kitchen must be addressed. The potential flow to the family room is key. The flow of the three bedrooms is what we are exploring (interior). The major opportunity is landscaping and backyard (color and illumination of existing features goes a long way).

The attic is the big opportunity, as it could be the master suite. Bathrooms are just updating and honoring period architecture.

Even historic homes need to have plumbing and electrical brought up to code and kitchens and bathrooms IMO need to be how we use them now, not how some people in the long distant past used them . I am chuckling over a FR in a historic bldg. You need an architect you aslo need to have a list of all the things you cannot change if this is a listed historic home . How do you live do you like all closed in spaces ?

Electrical and plumbing has been updated, as well as roof replaced. Great conversations already with state preservation society on parameters, etc.

The preservation society and a local residential architect will almost always have a relationship in place.

Not that we don't want to hear your plans? : ) but you need to USE that relationship- first, before you update us.....

You will be miles ahead, I assure you.

The interior and exterior must play well together.

it is beautiful inside/out.

I love the house as is but you could consider expanding the sitting room to the porch line and combing both the family room and kitchen to make a great room. Obviously roof lines would be involved etc. and you have to relocate the fireplaces.

Never mind I take back everything I said, I missed the historic house aspect!

The landscaping possibilities, in back, are amazing. The space in-between the back two corners is perfect for a patio/pool.

The listing photos show better than what you posted. I don't understand your dilemma because the house was sold last year and is not, presently, on the market. What's up?

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/801-Park-Ave-Goldsboro-NC-27530/78368949_zpid/

The kitchen has incredible potential. I wonder about taking down the wall between the family room and kitchen. (Might need to build around the chimney but you could jack off the fireplace and mantle and save it to be used decoratively in one of the new spaces you'd build, like the new master.)

You could create a wonderful open concept kitchen/eating / TV area within the closed confines of the family room-kitchen area. It would respect the historic vibe of the house to have a closed kitchen yet make it modern by having it large enough to contain a hangout space.

I wouldn't worry too much about the historic society. They might have a small set of not tightly enforced rules. Clearly this home has had many non-historic changes to it already inside and out.

I'm excited for you!

Thanks Jill. It was being rented short-term and will be back on the market soon.

It really is a lovely home on a beautiful piece of property. As it's historic, you need to tread carefully. I wouldn't be tearing down walls, as it's quite a large home, and has beautiful architectural details. It also looks very well-cared for. The walls, trim and flooring look like they have been painted/finished recently, so you probably don't need to do anything unless you change the paint colors. The floors are beautiful just as they are.

At approximately 16'x14', the kitchen is a fine size, so you may just need a kitchen designer to help you renovate it within the footprint. Not every home needs a kitchen open to a great room. The only glitch I see is the column in the center and that small angled wall; depending on whether that's structural, you may want to remove it.

The bathrooms also look updated and useable. If you purchase it, live in it for a while--it looks perfectly functional--and then consult an architect and designer to help with any renovations.

Keep us posted on your progress!

@Diana I think what looks like a column is actually the end of the angled wall. I concur that the kitchen, even with its chopped up space due to the angled wall would provide enough kitchen for me, and I actually prefer a closed kitchen rather than open concept. Most other folks... seem to want to stuff a whole house in a kitchen these days!

Good point about the angled wall/column, Kendrah. I hadn't noticed that.

First of all - unique style and design. It's a gorgeous house. One thing that strikes me is the 3 fairly large sized bedrooms in the right wing of the house appear to be sharing one bathroom. Will recommend that you carve out space for at least one more bathroom if not two.

Gorgeous and unique house! Will recommend that you carve out space for at least one or perhaps two new bathrooms for the right side wing of the house.

We’ve been in the house with structural engineers, inspectors and preservationists. It still needs a lot of work, but we are hopeful that we can make a deal and move forward with necessary improvements. Thanks for all the feedback!

Since you are just flipping the house, maybe don't mess with the interior too much. It already looks great from the pics provided, and the folks that buy it next year can do other changes if they want. If the third floor room is unfinished, then sure, finish it. If adding in a patio/pool out back is approved by the preservation folks and would improve the resale, then consider it.

Thanks. We are not flipping it, but rather restoring it. However, the numbers need to work. The attic is not financially viable for a number of structural reasons.

What are you restoring? Is the interior not to original? The kitchen looks newer, but most of the rest of it looks like it might be original walls, wood and floors. Since it went off the market last year, you say you are doing stuff to it, then putting it back on the market again soon- that's flipping. You might be planning on restoring some things, and sound like you want to change some things, but you aren't planning on living there- you are buy, fix/change, sell on it. Folks fliip historic homes, just like other homes.

What is going on in the attic if it is "the big opportunity, as it could be the master suite" and also "not financially viable for a number of structural reasons."? What are the engineers, preservationists, and inspectors telling you?

I think you are misunderstanding the situation, beesneeds. They are CONSIDERING purchasing the house, which had been rented out and will be back on the market soon.

Spot on Diane👌🏾

This house has good bones. The floors and walls seem fine. It looks quite livable as is. The exterior is more “blah” than the interior, so I would focus on that - especially the landscaping aspect. The house’s color is also not complementary….

This is a lovely house. I hope you’re going to live in it. I would!

Greetings friends! Thanks to all who provided counsel and insight on this potential project. We decided to pass after an in depth inspection and potential flow issues for a master suite. However, stay tuned as we’ve found another home that will be just as excited to renovate. More soon. Happy Holidays!

Thanks for update and good luck/ look forward to hearing about the next project. To create a primary suite in this house, I would install a door that closes off the back stairway and bathroom so that the back bedroom becomes the primary, which would include the use of the upstairs room in its square footage. Lots of space between these areas to get creative, and the other 2 bedrooms would still have a bathroom close by to share.

Inspections are critical. Glad you dodged a bullet - or two. Looking forward to seeing what might be the right house.

Thanks for the update. Keep us posted on the next project.

Yes please keep us posted!

Leave it how it is. But if any cabinets are fiberboard, replace with solid wood. There are salvage stores that sell antique cabinets rescued from old houses. Try to keep old features and coverup or remove modern items like dishwashers.

Thanks Terri! We passed on it for another. Stay tuned.

Stay tuned! We have found what we hope to be our next home. This historic 1886 colonial is now under contract. We look forward to learning together and this community has been phenomenal.

Wow, that house is lovely!

Thank you! So much history and craftsmanship.

Wow, I for one am VERY interested in your progress on updating this gorgeous historical Colonial! Would love to see photos of the interior "before."

Just a question--is the brick building another one or part of the yellow clapboard house?

Thanks so much Diana. The brick building is a separate residence.

That home is really lovely and gracious! The lot looks terrific (love the brick wall) and even the downspouts are attractive. I'm another who would love to see some before and after.

I will update as soon as I get images.

Oh! Wow! Please keep us updated!

Greetings friends. I started another thread to get ideas/help on the new house. But here are a couple additional ones of the Georgian Revival we will call home.

Living Room, Rear of House, Kitchen

Nice rooms! Thanks for sharing those photos.