Movin’ On Up!

Chronicling my adventures restoring and updating a quirky old Philadelphia rowhouse

Movin’ On Up!

The Crooked house is approaching an inconceivable place: a state of good repair. An as it needs me less and less, I’m finding myself falling out of love with it. I’ve been lusting for places with serious woodwork, light from all 4 sides, and some space to plant things. So, I’ve negotiated early access to the family trust fund and taken the plunge!

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I LOVE MY NEW HOUSE!!! It’s in the Pelham Historic District in West Mount Airy. If you don’t know Philadelphia and are older than me, it might mean something to you that it’s the neighborhood where Thirtysomething was set.

Just look at these stairs!

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And the dining room has an inglenook that’s big enough to be a dining room! I finally have room to really entertain!

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The floor plan is wonderfully open. No more 14 foot lots for me!

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And the front door is just like The Money Pit house! Love!! I don’t think I’ll have problems like in that movie. It’s a very well built house.

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And I finally have a closet with enough room to hold all my clothes. Plus some pretty sick paneling.

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It does have a few flaws. These inappropriate replacement windows will have to go post haste. Just no. Especially with the transoms in place to remind you how much better the original windows were. I’m seeing if the Irishman can make me some true divided light wooden casements. This is basically my first priority after I take the place over.

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Have another look!

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The good news is all that ornament is pressed metal. The nylon cup brushes I just bought to clean up my old bathroom floor should make it look like new in a jiffy. I figure a couple months to give the place a spit shine and I should be ready to move in by labor day.

Anyways, we’ll have so much more to talk about very soon!

No Responses

  1. Chris Harris says:

    April Fools, right?!? (Although, that house deserves the kind of love and attention you could bring to it.)

  2. Jean says:

    And a Happy April Fool’s Day to you, too!

  3. Ross says:

    Today, of all days, is the perfect day for such surprising news! Congrats!

    And I am SO excited that I am going to send you, by special courier, a check for $1M to help out with the new place!!!!!

  4. E Oliver says:

    Oh, Chad! How could you possibly want to move into a place with such filthy woodwork?

  5. If this is a joke, you got me good.

  6. Rosietta says:

    I like your humour and want to fix this house badly! Happy April fools. Trust fund baby. Lol

  7. Casey says:

    Well, that makes 2 years in a row that I fell for an April fools’ post. Last year it was a fire?

  8. Jo says:

    I’m imagining your painting angst in covering all that turquoise. What’s the title of the blog that goes with your new place: Chad’s Chateau Challenge? Jo @ Let’s Face the Music

  9. […] This weekend I was in the Wissahickon Valley Park (highly recommended) for a short hike. On the way back there was no choice but have a look at the place that surprisingly many people actually believed that I bought 2 1/2 years ago. […]

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