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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
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Courtesy of Moore Construction Group and Christine Sennott
In the spring of 2018, Keller Williams Realtor Christine Sennott and her husband, Fred Theobald, were living in a small condo in Old Town. Then Christine stumbled across her dream home – or the first story of it, at least.
The home, built the early 1900s, was built as a business and later became a rental residence. The one-story studio (complete with a Murphy bed) had an interesting history and Christine saw nothing but potential. (Here's the home as it originally appeared from the outside.)
The current front of 210 N. Payne St. in the Parker Grey neighborhood. The home is being renovated this spring.
By the end of October, Christine and Fred moved into a brand new, renovated ‘tiny living’ two-story home that honored and preserved the property’s history.
Alexandria Living Magazine followed the home’s journey from “unique listing” to a unique and gorgeous small home in Alexandria’s historic Parker-Gray neighborhood. (Read the series here.)
Here are some of the things Christine can tell Alexandria homeowners now that she’s been through this process:
Establishing the Principles
Moving to a home that was larger than their condo but still quite small was a lifestyle choice for Christine and her husband, who decided that they didn’t need a ton of space to be happy. They wanted an open floor plan and indoor-outdoor living, and sticking with those principles throughout the build prevented them from going down costly and complicated rabbit holes in the design process. “Everything we did, we were evaluating our lifestyle,” Christine said.
When building a home (or gut-renovating and added on, as Christine did), the options for finishes and upgrades are endless.
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A rendering of the planned front of 210 N. Payne St. from Kulinski Group Architects.
In our build, what we did that really helped control the cost is that we had our plan – we knew generally what we wanted the house to look like – but the key factors were maximizing tiny space and not going too far in any one design direction,” Christine said. Having a system of design principles lets the homeowner do checks and balances against features and products.
“Our key design element was repurposing the wood. Everything else had to be kind of neutral, and because we had that as part of our goals and objectives, that stopped us from going crazy and spending money.”
Paying for the Home and Renovation Together
Instead of getting a conventional mortgage, Christine opted for a Homestyle loan (or renovation loan) that would cover both the purchase and renovation of the property. The paperwork required to get this done properly and quickly can be daunting, so on the advice of her contractor, she hired a HUD (Housing and Urban Development) consultant from Dragon Ridge Home Inspector.
That consultant was well worth the cost, Christine said, acting as a liaison between the lender and contractor and ensuring there were no delays in payment processing. Lending programs that pay for the property and needed renovations can help homeowners find a home they like and turn it into a home they love, Christine said – that’s important when Alexandria residents are looking at a low inventory of homes on the market. (Read more about the loan and process here.)
Finding a Dream Team
Christine worked with Moore Construction Group and with Kulinski Group Architects, both based in Old Town Alexandria. Moore Construction Group, though they had an in-house architect, recommended Kulinski Group Architects because of the history and uniqueness of the home. Working with architects who were truly well-versed in working with the City and historic properties proved to be a smart move.
It was Steve Kulinski who recommended getting the City involved before they did anything, which made the process go smoothly. When Christine told the City that she wanted to honor the building’s heritage, City officials got excited about that. They were also able to work with her on the design, allowing her to add a second story to the home while still preserving the one-story façade.
Sometimes, home contractors sugarcoat things — but that wasn’t what Christine wanted. Nate Moore, of Moore Construction Group, gave realistic ideas – and warnings – about the process and potential pitfalls, eliminating unpleasant surprises and helping Christine plan ahead.
“In my business, I believe people can handle anything if they know what to expect,” Christine said.
Further, Christine didn’t want a contractor who would just blindly follow the plans without thinking about them. Moore’s suggestions about lighting, the way floors lined up, moving ducts and more were helpful and saved money in the long run. Moore’s in-house team of designers were also able to help Christine envision the entire project, provide second opinions on her choices and help her make selections quickly.
“Don’t try to involve too many people,” Christine said. “Taking advantage of the team you have made this a lot easier. Using that team, the communication was very concise.”
Because Christine chose the right team for her project, a home renovation process that could have taken a year was completed in just 5 months.
Read the entire 210 N. Payne Street series here and follow the renovation of this historic property in the Parker-Gray neighborhood.
Part 1: 210 N. Payne Street: A Historic Renovation Diary
Part 2: ‘The Before’
Part 3: Strategy, Structure and Soil
Part 4: Onward and Upward
Part 5: Historic Elements, Tiny Living
