What is your budget for the purchase and for the renovation?

Would like to stay in the 500k range for the purchase and 100k for the renovation.

I would recommend Brendon Shepard with District Title. Very well verse real estate attorney - and his company has condo conversions. The expertise will help guide you through what condo boards might ask about your renovations.

Good luck! I couldn't find anything in that price range 20 years ago.

> I’m hoping to renovate/knock some walls down,

You need to read the condo by laws to see if they have rules about walls coming down. Even if it’s possible and can be reinforced another way, the condo association might have rules about doing it at all. This varies from condo to condo.

Yes, of course, I have 3 days to review the HOA docs. Thank you

There was a guy on here who posted the budget for gut renovating his townhouse: https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/pq0ers/rowhouse_renovation_cost/

Obviously would depend on what 'knocking out some walls' entails, but 100K to do major potentially structural renovation is pretty hard to imagine.

I think I made it sound like a bigger job than it is. It’s really one wall, creating a small laundry room, and a kitchen.

I’m a local DC-licensed architect

If it’s like my hi rise condo none of the walls are load-bearing and piping is run above the ceiling and between units.

You need to specifically ask if you can have laundry in unit. Many buildings in DC have pipes that can't handle the addition of a washer.

I did. It’s allowed. Thanks for the advice.

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I’d love to talk if/when you have time!

Yeah that’s the tricky part. I’ve been told some design firms do prepurchase consultations. I think I’d be happy there even without renovation, but I’d like to know it’s possible.

There are DC condos listed in the 400k range. They may not be super up-to-date or enormous, but it’s possible.

My only advice is to buy in a building built before 1945. In DC, that means before 1920.

I live in a building from 1906 . Opened kitchen to dining, so no wall. Opened up more spaces so very open. Added laundry.

In Georgetown, another condo turned the kitchen into a second full bath , put a new kitchen in the old bedroom that was opened to the existing living room, and again great flow . That building from early 1900s too.

In Atlanta, I bought a condo from 1927 a few months ago and did serious work. Moved laundry too.

https://imgur.com/a/1aBc0tZ

This is also who my uncle (who’s run a mortgage here for 20+ years) recommended me when I bought.

My wife is a realtor -- she has worked with many buyers, first-time and otherwise, planning and implementing renovations: https://www.compass.com/agents/jaime-willis/

Obviously, I'm not impartial, but her integrity and generosity and competence are part of why I'm glad to be married to her :).

Hope all goes well -- buying and renovating can be exciting and complex.

Benjamin

>My only advice is to buy in a building built before 1945. In DC, that means before 1920.

What’s the difference in years account for here?

Construction is a race to the bottom that has accelerated even quicker in the last 20 years .

Cheaper materials, bad workmanship, and greed are the worst ingredients for a building, and that is happening in DC .

Also, the best locations were taken a hundred years ago. So if you want to live centrally located, these buildings are the best . On 16th, in Kalorama/AdMo, in Logan Circle, etc.

The spaces are larger , windows stronger, more natural light , hardwood floors, etc.

New buildings shine like Legotown near Union Market. Doorman, gym, whatever but no bones .

Have you had a plumber look at it? It can be more costly and intensive than you may imagine depending on available pitch for draining. Additionally if your building is older make sure you know if you need to upgrade the electricity to handle washer dryer.

This makes sense, older construction over new, but curious as to why you call out pre-1945 and then say “in DC that means before 1920.” Is pre-1945 a good benchmark for some locations but not in DC for some reason?

After 1945, they invested the drywall + synthetic insulation . Windows nowadays have a 25-year warranty vs. 100+

Drywall is great if you need to knock out a wall.

The busiest bus route in DC is 16th St. I lived steps from the bus stop, and we couldn't hear the buses stopping and going every 2-3 mins. A few times with total silence, I heard "the fare is one dollar and...".

The stone walls were so thick on the facade and great windows, so heating and cooling was easier.

In some cities even 1960-1970 ok but most old developments in DC is pre-1920

One bedroom condos 20005, 20009 are 350-450K

Yes feel free to shoot me your email address in PM