The Little House in Jackson Heights

Back in December, I suggested that my husband and I go take a look at a few apartments in Jackson Heights. After selling our apartment more than two years ago, we had continued to look at apartments in Brooklyn neighborhoods while we rented in Clinton Hill, and never could bring ourselves to commit to anything we saw. We even started looking in Manhattan, figuring, if we were going to pay as much as we were expecting to pay for Brooklyn real estate, we may as well have the convenience of Manhattan.

 An afternoon of looking in Queens quickly convinced us to swap boroughs. One apartment in particular caught our eye. It was listed as a one-bedroom, but it had a dining area that could easily be considered a second bedroom (albeit a small one with no closet). And at less than half the price of a similarly-sized apartment in our Brooklyn neighborhood with a very low maintenance fee, it was an easy decision to make an offer. Our offer was accepted, and we moved forward with the purchase.

While we loved the layout (see floorplan above) and the location, there were some things we knew we needed to do before we moved in. The walls needed painting and the floors needed refinishing, but we were undecided about the kitchen and bathroom. Both rooms were in good shape, but were badly designed and total eyesores. On the one hand, we could certainly live with the ugly tile, but on the other hand, any improvements we made would probably earn themselves back if we choose to sell in the future. Having lived through a bathroom and kitchen renovation while inhabiting an apartment, I was very keen on the idea of getting it done before we moved in, which was ultimately what we decided to do. 

Now we’re moved in and we just have a few more fixes to make. I’ll be posting more about the renovation process, the before and afters, and everything we’ve learned along the way in the coming weeks. For now, this is a sneak peek at what the apartment looked like when we bought it.