A Newly Renovated 4-Bedroom Victorian Row House in Lincoln Park: 900 W. Webster
This 4-bedroom Victorian row house at 900 W. Webster in Lincoln Park came on the market in February 2020.
Built in 1886 on a 25×116 corner lot, it has a two car garage with space for 2 cars on the parking pad which is on Fremont.
The listing describes this row house as being “newly renovated.”
If you look at the 2016 listing, it says that they did a bunch of renovation and then were getting transferred. If you have Redfin, you can see the pictures from that listing.
It has a lot of its original vintage details including pocket doors, medallions, crown moldings, the staircase, marble fireplaces and original marquetry hardwood floors.
There are 11 foot ceilings on the first floor.
The row house has 3 fireplaces including the marble fireplace in the living room, one in the master bedroom and the third in the lower level, which has been gutted, and which has a fireplace mantle from England.
The listing says the kitchen was “completely redone” in 2018. It has Subzero, Wolf and Bosch appliances with walnut cabinets and Quartzite counter tops.
3 bedrooms are on the second floor, including the master bedroom which has an attached bath and a balcony.
The listing says the smallest bedroom is being used as a closet, but can be converted back into a bedroom. There’s a second full bathroom on the second floor and skylights.
The fourth bedroom is in the lower level walk-out basement, along with a full bath and the family room.
The listing says there’s new landscaping and the house has been on the Sheffield Garden Walk.
The house has central air.
Originally listed in February 2020 for $1.895 million, it has been reduced to $1,799,900.
For vintage lovers, is this a dream house?
Stella Cordero Wagner at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
900 W. Webster: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, no square footage listed, row house
- Sold in February 1999 for $787,500
- Sold in August 2013 for $1,262,000
- Sold in June 2016 for $1,575,000
- Originally listed in February 2020 for $1,895,000
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $1,799,900
- Taxes of $21,669
- Central Air
- 2-car garage
- 25×116 lot
- 3 fireplaces
- Bedroom #1: 13×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 12×13 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 19×20 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 11×10 (lower level)
- Living room: 20×13 (main floor)
- Dining room: 16×15 (main floor)
- Kitchen: 17×9 (main floor)
- Great room: 21×13 (main floor)
- Family room: 31×19 (lower level)
- Laundry room: 6×8 (lower level)
Really nice place, realator did a shitty job showing off the uniqueness of the house. Really should be more that 25 pictures as the person that’s going to wants to see the details (inlaid floor,etc)
Owners did a pretty tasteful remodel, too bad they’re going to lose $
Wow. This place is really nice. The garage access is also a nice + from the street and not alley.
“Newly renovated on every floor”
other than the new kitchen, how much other extensive work did the current owners do. much of what they are saying is “new or newer” was in the previous listing from when they bought it.
This place is lovely.
I like the layout of the first floor, but I would guess that most buyers would prefer that the family room had been built out as a kitchen/great room.
Old floorplan is here:
https://tour.vht.com/390613840/900-w-webster-chicago-il-60614/ifloorplan
They also fixed the 2d floor layout, so there are 3 actual bedrooms up. That modification probably added as much value as the updated kitchen.
“too bad they’re going to lose $”
Everyone always says that a kitchen reno is like $35k, and moving some walls is basically free. (unlike pergolas) What do you think they spent on the new work (Kitchen, upstairs layout, whatever else)? It can’t actually be $200k, right? (yeah, yeah, even at $150k, net of transaction costs, they lose).
“Old floorplan is here:”
that looks to be from 2 transactions ago. if you’re logged into Redfin you can see the pics from the 2016 and they don’t match up to those. I think the people who sold in 2016 did most of the reno except for the new kitchen.
“that looks to be from 2 transactions ago.”
Sure could be.
“Everyone always says that a kitchen reno is like $35k”
id love to know how i can do a kitchen reno for $35k with high end cabinets and appliances. Subzero/Wolf/Thermador appliances and youve already spent more than $35k. I’m guessing they spent high five figures, at a minimum, on the kitchen alone.
“id love to know how i can do a kitchen reno for $35k”
I’ve never actually gotten an answer when I ask about who does [reno project X] for $Y,000 dollars.
The answer of course is “no one who is any good and will complete the project in a reasonable time frame” and when you include the cost of appliances, “no one at all”.
This is a gorgeous home.The second floor is funny in that the gorgeous bedroom in the front, which would make a great master doesn’t have a closet or attached bath, well it does have a closet but the closet is another “bedroom” without a closet since it’s afterall being used a as closet.
As a vintage lover, this one catches my eye. I relish the many original touches. So nice to see an old home that hasn’t been trashed by remodeling, though the kitchen is kind of meh.
This is a fair price considering quality and location.
“Sure could be.”
not could be, it is. you’re saying that the current owners did the upstairs work but they didn’t. previous listing clearly states that they redesigned the second floor. what the current owners did was take the smallest bedroom and make it a closet and updated the kitchen all within the existing footprint.
Fantastic place, I could see living here no problem. I think it will sell reasonably quickly.
Marco – Do you have a link?
As for remodel costs
Closet – Hard to tell quality but to looks like real walnut and a Millwork shop – $25k
Kitchen – Cabinets look like Kraftmaid. $40-60k + $15k in appliance (Floors NIC)
I did a kitchen reno with high end appliances and custom cabinets. It cost $120k. Unless you are doing off the rack cabinets w standard appliances I think 35k for a kitchen is not feasible (for properties like above).
“Marco – Do you have a link?”
if you have a Redfin account, scroll down to price history. you will see the old listings there. I don’t think I can direct link to it. here is the wording from the listing when it was sold in 2016…
“Majestic Brownstone on a corner lot with 2 car garage and 2 car parking pad!!! Just finished a very extensive renovation on every floor, sadly the owners now must transfer!!! Grand rooms on the main level with very high ceilings, refurbished original marquetry hardwood floors, crown molding & woodwork, staircase, hardware & wooded window blinds. Vintage fireplace mantel in living room, large bay window in the dining room, redesigned of kitchen & great room with 3 exposures, relocated new powder room and new staircase going to the walk-out basement which was gutted & redesigned with higher ceilings, gorgeous exposed brick and fireplace mantle from England in the family room with new walnut (heated) hardwood floors. Redesigned 2nd floor to create a 3 bedrooms & 2 baths with huge skylights and new walnut hardwood floors. All new: 3 zoned heating & copper plumbing, electrical, roof, skylights, A/C & tuckpointing. Too much to list! Permitted for 4th floor”
How would it cost to do a kitchen reno similar to this listing featured a few weeks ago, https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/25-E-Superior-St-APT-1403-Chicago-IL-60611/63701390_zpid/?
Thermador/Bosch appliances price out to $13K with tax. Kitchen is u-shaped 8×12 and there would be no change to layout.
Lauren, It would depend on the type of cabinets you get. Custom cabinets could be 20-40k and then 13k for appliances. Plus whatever the contractor charges you for labor. I’d say $40-60k?
MZ, Thanks. I was hoping to keep it under $50K. Now, if only Merchandise Mart showrooms would open.
“MZ, Thanks. I was hoping to keep it under $50K. Now, if only Merchandise Mart showrooms would open.”
So much depends on contractor costs Lauren. As well as what you’re paying for materials (counter tops, tile) and things like lights and flooring.
It all adds up, even on a small sized kitchen.
“Custom cabinets could be 20-40k and then 13k for appliances. Plus whatever the contractor charges you for labor. I’d say $40-60k?”
$7k in labor, including all the contingencies? So, not moving/adding any electric or plumbing, no new backsplash, no drywall or paint, etc etc etc? And are you re-using the counters?
I guess you’re doing all of the legwork on ordering the cabinets, dealing with delivery, etc, yourself, too?
At that point, yeah, sure, since you’re acting as the GC, too, to save $5-6k. But then, why not just install the cabinets yourself to save another $5k?
This house was restored beautifully- love the wealth of vintage details. I imagine it will sell quickly at the ask price or close to it.
As for the kitchen, new owners will probably want to do it their way, anyway.
This is my current kitchen: https://imgur.com/a/w2UOWqJ
Any ideas? What is a reasonable budget for new everything? Not moving any electrical or plumbing. I would love to do as much as I can on my own, cabinet installation would require more than I can lift.
“$7k in labor, including all the contingencies? So, not moving/adding any electric or plumbing, no new backsplash, no drywall or paint, etc etc etc? And are you re-using the counters?
I guess you’re doing all of the legwork on ordering the cabinets, dealing with delivery, etc, yourself, too?
At that point, yeah, sure, since you’re acting as the GC, too, to save $5-6k. But then, why not just install the cabinets yourself to save another $5k?”
Agreed pretty light over all
Mid-high End SFH
SSCT – $5k
Tile backsplash – $3k
MW – $30k SWAG
Demo & install MW – $7k
Plumbing fixtures and hook-ups – $1.5k
Misc Elect $1k
Clean/partition/etc – $2k
Paint/patch – $1.5k
Appliances- $13k
OH&P – $7.5k (more if you’re a PITA)
+ Anything not on the list is an add (No hood)
YMMV
I posted before I saw the pic. Measure the LF of countertop
My number above is high
How much additional cost should one assume when making selections at the Mart?
Which specific kitchen items are worth the splurge at the Mart? Faucets/hardware/etc?
For the Fordham kitchen, the built in coffee maker requires a water line. Adding a Subzero requires moving the plumbing down and the electrical up compared to placement for a standard fridge. The door panels and hardware are additional costs as well.
58.2 sqft of countertop in three pieces. Everything has to fit is a freight elevator.
30″ Liebherr or Bosch instead of Subzero for frig and I sadly do not have space for a build-in coffee maker
Lauren – the Mart is a great place for inspiration, but for a kitchen such as yours, you can save a ton of money going elsewhere. Take a look at Builders Cabinet https://www.buildmykitchen.com. It’s local and everything is built onsite. We purchased our new kitchen there about 7 years ago for considerably less than the mart and Studio 41. They’re semi-custom but will ultimately build whatever you want. Your space looks pretty standard and if you’re wanting flat panel white cabinets, you should be able to get them anywhere. We did purchase our faucet, garbage disposal and large ss sink at Studio 41 as their prices were great on those items. Door hardware we found online for cheaper than any showroom.
“Door hardware we found online for cheaper than any showroom.”
Having bought some very mid-grade stuff recently, Studio 41 can be competitively priced on some stuff. Ordered by phone, drop shipped to us.
Lauren – Unless you are looking to dramatically change the style of your kitchen to a contemporary look, your cabinets seem to me perfectly neutral and classic enough to have painted, rather than completely replacing. You can add interior fittings to the cabinets, soft-close drawer hardware, etc etc, to existing cabinets as well. To me, you can get the most bang for the buck by painting the cabinets (professional cabinet painting service like Ernst), changing the hardware, then really splurging on a fantastic quartz countertop and innovative backsplash and new flooring and high-end appliances.
Lauren – if the frames of your kitchen cabinets are good quality, but you don’t like the style of the doors, you can also have new doors custom-made to measure way cheaper than any other way through http://www.barkerdoor.com. I can attest they do great work.
“cabinet painting service like Ernst”
Vissi: what’s the cost like for that? Any ballpark would be great!
“Studio 41 can be competitively priced on some stuff”
totally agree with this. as someone who gut rehabbed my home, I priced out everything several places. there were items, especially plumbing fixtures (sinks, toilets, tubs) that were considerably cheaper there. Other items were way too high, mainly kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities.
Thanks for all the tips. I will have to check out Studio 41 and it looks like they are indeed open! The main purpose for the renovation is to get a gas cooktop and stream-assist oven. There is a gas hook-up behind the existing electric range. I want bake flaky crusted breads larger than the mini loafs in my steam-toaster oven.
” what’s the cost like for that? Any ballpark would be great!”
anon – it is not cheap. They come and remove all the doors and drawer fronts and take them to be painted to a factory-painted level smooth finish that just cannot be replicated by home painting. This is a multi-step painting process that involves putting layers on to make sure old stains will not seep through, and to sand everything smooth if necessary. They do all the frames on site, but they do not do the interiors of the cabinets. They fill up all the holes for new hardware if necessary, then bring back the doors/drawers and rehang them. For a kitchen about the size of Lauren’s it would probably cost around $2,500. For cabinet styles that are outdated, I don’t think this is worth the cost. But Lauren’s kitchen cabinets do not look at all dated to me, so unless she just wants a different look altogether, it is a really worthwhile option, not just for the savings in price, but the amount of trouble and mess of the removal and disposal of all the cabinets that could be avoided. FYI – I once asked my regular house painter (who is very skilled) if he could do this work, as he charges me only $25/hour and I thought he would be way cheaper, but he told me he cannot do it to the level I described that Ernst does, so it really must be specialized painting work.
Lauren – If you want to consider having new doors made and keeping the existing frames for your cabinets, here are photos of my old bathroom vanity and the same vanity with new doors made to measure by BarkerDoor. Having solid wood 4 doors, 3 drawer fronts, and 2 dummy drawer fronts to replace crappy particle wood with laminate covering ones cost me about $300. Better than ripping the whole 8 foot long vanity out and buying new one.
https://imgur.com/k0WrJgS
https://imgur.com/lG0ZCJA
Lauren – Here are before/after pics of my bathroom vanity with made-to-measure cabinet doors made by Barker Doors to retrofit an existing bathroom cabinet, for which it was too much work and trouble to rip out and replace the whole thing. The 4 doors and 3 drawer fronts and 4 dummy drawer fronts cost me a total of around $300.
https://imgur.com/k0WrJgS
https://imgur.com/lG0ZCJA
“For a kitchen about the size of Lauren’s it would probably cost around $2,500.”
That’s not bad at all, really. Sort of the ballpark of 10% of new cabinets, based on everyone’s guesstimates for her kitchen. AND you don’t have to replace counters, either.
Thanks!
Reduced to 1.59m
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/900-W-Webster-Ave-60614/unit-2/home/13353911
“Owners did a pretty tasteful remodel, too bad they’re going to lose $”
a *lot* of money.
There are now three 4/3.5 homes for sale on that block, this one, 918 also featured on CC, and a duplex down for $1.3:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/912-W-Webster-Ave-60614/unit-1E/home/171147900