An 1880 House Adventure
I can say with absolute certainty that when I decided to take a job in and relocate to Columbus, Ohio early in January 2020, I never expected to stick around as long as I have. Now? I own a home in Ohio. An old home. What a plot twist!
For anyone still following along (thank you), the German Village neighborhood has been my home since Day 1 of residency. It’s a historic nook just south of downtown Columbus settled by (you guessed it) German immigrants in the 19th century. The vast majority of houses here are red brick on cobblestone streets built between 1870-1915, and the entire neighborhood is protected by a local commission that approves/rejects exterior alterations to the structures and landscaping. GV is a feat of preservation, and everyone who visits is surprised a place like this exists in Ohio. Not only is it instantly charming, this tight-knit community is wonderfully walkable, and is home to top-notch restaurants, shops, bars, an independent bookstore and plenty of baked goods. No wonder so many ex-New Yorkers live here… we love it.
Note: None of the following photos are of my house. They’re just some faves around the neighborhood.
I lovingly refer to this as “Chanel House” due to the logo-shaped bushes
Every single year this house near Lindey’s has the best tulips…
This house on Beck Street is famous for its white roses and tailored trees
One of the most photogenic homes on Deshler Avenue
When I moved here in early 2020, I lucked out and found a rental available in February: a 900 square foot house on City Park Avenue. I ended up staying in that house for 3 years, and it was mostly great except for the absentee landlord and dirt floor basement (not insulated from the first floor contributing to quite the active spider population.) I did a lot of work on that house: installing closet fixtures, patching and repainting from the previous tenant, troubleshooting a crappy stacked washer/dryer, and weeding and reseeding the grass in the backyard. You’re welcome, landlord. All of that is to say: when I left New York City, I didn’t know I had all this internal “handiness.” Part of that was pandemic boredom, and part of it became a mission to make a home for myself. And it made me slightly less afraid of homeownership.
My rental house on City Park Avenue
The living room/kitchen/spider haven
As you can imagine, German Village is a very competitive real estate scene inside of an already insane Columbus market, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. For years, I browsed around on Redfin. I watched houses list and go “Contingent” in minutes. The same homes appeared over and over again with their prices ever increasing. Once my hunt officially started, I ended up putting offers on a couple different places. One was overpriced and sat until it became a rental. The other, I offered over asking (still within reason) but was undercut by a Boomer retiree couple who paid in cash with no inspection. Cool for you guys and your entire generation.
The Book Loft, a 30-room maze of an independent bookstore on 3rd Street
One of my favorite corner lots on Beck Street
Then there was this house. This corner lot 2,000+ square foot, 2-story, 2.5 bath 1880 home sat on the market for 100+ days, which is a rarity in this market. I grumbled to my realtor that I might as well see it once the price dropped into my target budget. This house was U-G-L-Y, y’all. Untouched since 1997. Taxidermy. So much wallpaper. So much sponge paint. So much dust. As that lady who watches cringey food videos says on TikTok, “Everybody’s so creative!” Yikes. But I can deal with aesthetic issues, I can see past it. And it felt clear to me that my only point of entry into this neighborhood was through the long game—investing in a house that needed serious love. So, I did it.
Some of the records I’ve uncovered about my old house, and “before” listing photos of the dining & living rooms.
The purchasing process was relatively smooth. The owner was past ready to move on to his retirement home in Florida, and that made the process very easy. I got the house for under asking, and closed in 15 days just before Christmas without many inspection surprises: A few slate roof tiles to replace, a fireplace in need of maintenance, yada yada (shout out to my realtor Brandon).
Surprises since purchase:
Movers lie. Bigtime. My move cost 3x+ what they estimated. Cool beans. Two Men and a Truck? Never again.
I am not a Disney princess. A squirrel chewed a hole in the side of my roof and was partying in the crawl space below my bathtub. Critter Control of Columbus relocated him and patched up the house. They also found several birds living in the roof and evicted them/sealed off the space. Now I’m the birds’ public enemy number one.
Accidents happen. The gardener kicked up a rock with whatever equipment she was using and shattered my back storm door. It rained glass into my shirt, pants, shoes, etc. I’m still finding pieces in patio. She did dig up and backfill the stinky backyard koi pond for me, which I’m thankful for.
Thursdays are a show. Every Thursday night around 9pm, the whole house water filter does a self-cleaning that sounds like a geyser erupting under the living room. It took me a hot minute the first time I heard it to understand what was happening. Now it’s part of my “it’s almost Friday” celebration routine.
I know it will continue to be an adventure. If I had it my way, I’d win the lottery and redo the bathrooms, kitchen and finish the attic right away, but realistically it’s going to take years to bring the vision to life. I think that’s probably a good thing, because I’ll get to know exactly what I need in the space. I’d also like to dig in on the historic records of the house to see if there’s anything I can help restore. I’m just a caretaker of this house after all.
More to come!