As some of you might recall, 7 months ago, my husband and I moved into a loft in Kansas City. Now this wasn't a typical loft, it was a true, dare we say "rustic and as-is" artist space. It was 2,500+ sqft of awesomeness near an airport, a train yard and two freeways, but bucking up and being ok with the noise and spacial oddities made it all the more fantastic. That was until...
... the roof opened up, the leaks started pouring in, we had birds, bats, bugs, heat that literally almost melted our faces right off!
Its amazing the things you'll overlook when you first fall in love with a space. We knew going into the lease that it was an as-is space and there would be things to overcome. We were ok with all the noise, the brick that needed to be re-grouted (and got mortar on everything on a daily basis), the slanting, unsealed concrete floors and the 100% square space with only two walls closing off the bathroom in one corner, that was the biggest design challenge we've ever had. It was however, ridiculously well priced for it's square footage and allowed us to run power tools for art projects inside without problem. Plus, it didn't hurt that all utilities were paid and we could run the heat or ac as much as we wanted (although the circuits would only handle the one ac unit without blowing... nice right?).
We did some great projects in the space, such as putting up hanging wooden walls and installing 30' of curtains, for right at $40!
The second we signed the lease we started looking for renters insurance, from the looks of the building, we figured we'd need it and we were right! But because the building had been known for problems, 9 different insurance companies wanted close to $400 a month ( I wish I were kidding) to cover a small basic amount of items and not from any of the things we were worried about (the ceiling flying off and water damage).
So we did what most would do and asked the landlord to fix the leaks in the roof (we knew about two super small pin hole drips that didn't really effect us, but like I said, you can be willing to overlook a great deal for a great space!). He agreed and for the next several months we had "repair" crews in and out of our loft and on the roof (which drove our dogs crazy). The small leaks became worse and at one point in time, an unexpected rain left us floating in our own gear as water poured in like a water fall, right on top of our computer equipment. Plus, in the photo above of our bed and a ladder next to it, the ladder isn't for added rustic charm, it's because the roof access panel above it leaked and rained like a water fall on us while we slept one night. Extra awesome.
Our frustrations with being water logged, were still being outdone by our ability to craft and cook and seat 30 people at our dining table at one time (which sadly we never obtained a real picture of, but it was great!), we even had a 8' workbench in our kitchen! Once the heat of the summer started, temperatures inside our space, with the air conditioners on went up over 100, topping out at 115 during the times the sun was setting. Life was unbearable and so 7 small months after we had moved in... we moved out.
We packed it all back up, donated and thrifted what wouldn't fit into the new space we found and moved. Family and friends pitched in, we've never been one to hire a moving crew and it seemed like the boxes we had just broken down and saved, were all filled again and relocated.
Over this past week I've finally unpacked the last few boxes from the move and am ready to enjoy a little rest and relaxation. There were a few things we'd like to pass along to those who are interested in a rough artist loft. They look amazing in magazines, people ooh and ahh over them and wish they could live in a space like that, but there are things to look for before signing the lease. Here's what we wish we would have stuck to our guns on before all the crazy drama and drips from the ceiling started.
• Check for previous water damage: Even if your landlord says it's fixed, if it's dark, stained or obviously had damage in the past... run. Run for your life. We later learned that the nails used to secure a new roof that was laid weren't long enough and lifted right up and out, allowing the water to run under the tar and soaking all that we owned.
• Check For Renter's Insurance Availability: And make sure to do so prior to moving in. In a raw space, it may not be an option and you never know what will happen. It was a lesson learned the hard way. The extra plus double suck, hard way.
• Come Back Without Your Landlord and Ask Around: Wait in the parking lot if you have to. Usually the folk who live in artist spaces will be quite honest about the type of space they live in and the problems they face. If there are challenges, they'll usually be open and sharing about it, because 9/10 times it will be an annoyance and who doesn't like to share those?
• Check the Windows and Walls: We faced a great deal of climate change in our space and even though we didn't pay any utilities, the drafts that came in, be it hot or cold, made the space almost unlivable. We were unable to keep artwork from curling right up with humidity and even with the help of dehumidifiers, we still couldn't keep things safe. For us, our artwork is usually the most important pieces we own. Furniture may come and go (thanks to Craigslist and a strong DIY spirit), but our collection of original artwork is for the most part, priceless.
• Don't Sign A Big Lease: Many spaces will let you sign a 6mo lease now, even if it's a little extra, this is a great option if you want to try a space on for size. Another option would be to talk with your new landlord about options for vacating the space, if the "as-is" issues become significantly worse. Most will know the problems their building has and even though they won't always be upfront about it, are usually willing to work with you.
It was a long 7 months, there was a great deal of unpacking, repacking, Craigslisting of furniture and things being up in the air, but what we did learn is that life is too short to deal with things that make you unhappy. Even though our new place is 1/3 of the size of the old, it doesn't leak, smell like the neighbors ashtray, or shake in the wind during a storm.
Please forgive the lack of styled photos of our space, or the lack of photos in general, we spent most our time moving things away from water and drips and didn't get the chance to do a real tour of our space before leaving.
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the asking around w/out the landlord is a great idea. as a couple of foolish 19 year olds, my friend and I were ready to sign a lease on a total dump when the current tenants chased us to down the street to tell us not to move in.
what a shame. That place looked awesome the way you had it all fixed up. Fortunately here in Idaho we don't have a lot of, uh, artists lofts.
how about photos of the new place!? :D
Is the red cabinet ikea? Which one?
In one loft space we had to have our sofa reupholstered 3 times in less than a year because of the horrible leaks all over the loft. The space was visually impressive but living in it on a daily basis was a challenge that I hope never to revisit.
i have no faith in fixed roof leaks. years back my building had a new roof put on. maybe a year or two later we had a week of nonstop rain. at 7am saturday morning, drips in my face woke me up. by the time i managed to move all of my stuff out of the way, the drip had turned to a trickle to a stream to a fountain. i couldn't stay on the phone with the super because it was filling the waste basket so fast. there was a waterfall in my livingroom because newspaper was blocking the roof drains and the water had built up.
he fixed the ceiling but the next year i saw little yellow spots again and opted to move on.
it's not even worth the stress of worrying it might happen again.
Photos of the new place are in the near future, no worries itsamandal!
The Orange Cabinet we used for our entertainment center (and we had a sideboard piece that was mounted on our wall as well) can be read about here and here.! I forgot to include that, thanks for the reminder AZkathy!
I once moved into a place in LA for less than 2 weeks. It looked charming--a Spanish style stucco duplex, my space was the upper floor with arched doorways, a huge kitchen, and two bedrooms and wood floors. I moved in Feb 1 and started having problems immediately. First the gas stove and gas heaters would not work. Landlord said to turn the pilot lights on. I called the gas company instead and they said they were not to code and I should get the landlord to fix them. Landlord said light the pilot lights. The next day it began to rain, and rain, and rain (one of the coldest rainiest winters on LA's record books). The water began running down the walls. I told the landlord. He said he'd come fix it while I was at work. Meanwhile, I called a friend who was a real handyman type guy. The landlord told me the problem with leaks was solved. My friend went up into the crawlspace of the attic and reported to me that the "landlord's solution" was to put 11 buckets under the eaves where water was leaking in from the roof. I was getting phone call messages from my landlord at work that were long creepy messages hitting on me and then that night I got home and he showed up at 10PM with a bottle of wine!!! I managed to keep him from entering (or from suspecting I was not with his agenda) so he would leave and then I immediately called the 24 hr locksmith to change all my locks. I got a call the next day from landlord saying my lease said I couldn't change the locks (hmmm...were you trying to get into my apartment without notifying me???). I found out from my neighbors downstairs that the previous tenants who lived in my unit were two young girls. The landlord would sneak into their apt when they were at work and go through their things and their underwear drawers etc. They knew it for a fact because they set up some traps so they could tell if things had been tampered with.Plus the downstairs tenants saw the landlord enter their space. That was all I needed to hear. I got my handyman friend to help me pack up and leave that very day.
Fortunately for me, the time I moved into a true artist's raw space loft I found a real gem. It was my dream space until I feng shui'ed myself out of it to move cross country with my b.f. But I digress...When I found this loft, it was a total dump. There were petrified cat poops and litter on the floor (no cat had lived there in 10 years) and the walls were totally covered in grease and had to be cleaned before we could paint them. I had to find all my fixtures myself and I was on a very tight artist's budget. Luckily, I scored several cool kitchen cabinets that someone was tossing out,,,lots of lucky things like that happened.
Once I had it all fixed up and I was living there, the glass breaking incidents started happening. Myself and guests would knock glasses over in the kitchen (I had never broken more than one or two glasses in my life, so this was very odd), it ended up being over a dozen in the first 2 months. The final time it happened, I felt an invisible hand pushing my arm to knock the glass off the counter. (I know, it sounds crazy). Well, it was then I realized I was dealing with some residual psychic energy and needed to do a more complicated space clearing cure on this loft. It took some time and while I was in this process, we found out in synchronicitous ways that this space had originally been a speakeasy bar in downtown LA where brawls had likely taken place. It made sense. Once I had the history of the building, I was able to make my feng shui cure stick and never had a problem again.
Katy
http://fengshuibyfishgirl.com
sarah, the same thing happened to me in LA about 5 years ago! three friends and I moved into an old paint warehouse, built a loft out of scaffolding, rooms out of hollow-core doors, installed an Ikea kitchen, a salvaged bathroom, new track lighting...and then it leaked. and then the gangs came and tried to burn us out of the neighborhood (couch on fire pushed up against our door = cant get out!). and then the AC broke. and then, and then, and then. so many "and then's".
we'd signed a 3 year lease (DOH!) and in the end we had to basically GIVE all of the things we'd put in the space to our skeezy landlord, including our blood, sweat, and tears (so many angry tears). we lasted a year. and it was the best year I can remember...
but yeah, when people fantasize about living in a warehouse, they don't think about how the walls (brick or concrete) are constantly settling and if you have your bed against said wall, you'll wake up each morning with sheets full of tiny rubble. we didn't have any windows, only skylights and it threw off our entire sense of time. you start to long for a front yard, a back yard, ANY KIND OF YARD. noises carry differently, building codes are way different, and privacy is virtually impossible. also, you have to be very comfortable on tall ladders.
thanks for sharing your story...it brought back a flood (no pun intended!) of memories!
There's alot to be said for sticking to renting spaces in buildings that were originally intended as living spaces...
...chances are, if it's an industrial space-turned-living-space that Really IS wonderful ("Conversions" are often done my unscrupulous landlords to extract higher rents than they could for industrial purposes) it would have been snapped up by someone else already.
hi sarahrae , it would be great if you could spare more info on the Credenza --i have chekced both of your posts but couldn't find where you got the orange Credenza from.
thanks
stava,
Both the leaking water and temperature issues are reasons that I will never again rent a space on the top floor of a building.
Good reality check against romantic notions of living in a warehouse!!
I'm sorry to hear about all your troubles. Where was the loft? West Bottoms or Rivermarket? Did you rent from a rental company or individual?
I am just asking because I live near by, Atriums @ Soho in the Garment District. I'm not looking, but I have friends who are in the market.
I am so sorry for your horrible experience!
Thank you for sharing those tips.
I hope everything is looking so much brighter now and your furry friends are able to relax, too.
We had a Toronto as-is loft like that: cool, industrial, huge, and cheap BUT it was not zoned for residential use, so when the inspector came (twice in the 16 months we were there), us and all of our neighbours had to pack up our beds and stash them in the basement so that we wouldn't get caught. Our next-door neighbour was a dominatrix, and our houseguests would OFTEN get woken up to whipping and screaming. It was also freezing cold (1700 sq. ft with one small radiator to heat it?) and we threw a ton of money at it, which wasn't so smart in retrospect! $10 000 for a place you don't own? Not something I'll repeat. We moved out when some kids rented the space below ours and started throwing weekly, paid-entry raves. The noise and smoke drove us out, but we had people actually fighting to sublet the place from us until our long lease ran out!
... Not to mention warehouses and live/work places are often in run-down or industrial 'hoods, so everything has fences and gates and you feel like you're living in a compound.
I really dug my year in a former furniture factory in Oakland, but whenever I start to miss all that space, I sweep the hardwood floor in my room in a 1913 Craftsman, listen to the finches in the honeysuckle outside and remember how the freight trains ran just a couple hundred feet behind my old building.
I live in a converted warehouse/lofted space, and my BFFs live in a similar space closer to Wicker Park -- so, different buildings, different neighborhoods, different landlords, natch.
And... we all have leaks.
Incredible, amazing, spectacular leaks, mostly in the ceilings, but some in the walls and in skylights. And, surprise, no one is too willing to repair them.
So, as another commenter urged, put aside your romantic notions of lofted, artsy spaces. They will have leaks. And, very possibly, a rodent infestation (or birds in the walls, I'm not positive yet).
And, as Katy the feng shui fan points out, watch out for ghosts and hauntings and bad chi. (I'm half-kidding, but to put it more plainly, some lofts can be kind of creepy, probably because of the open layouts.)
P.S. I'm new to loft living, too. How do the Chicagoans here heat their huge open spaces at reasonable prices? I already picked up thermal blackout curtains to prepare for fall, but I'm nervous about attempting to shrinkwrap the (enormous!) windows, etc.
Similar situation to be filed under "if it's too good to be true...". We rented a house, complete with garage, laundry, and backyard in an ok Chicago neightborhood close to the el and highway, for only $650. The owner was a friend of a friend who we knew would be an absentee landlord, but would also allow us to deduct the cost of improvements from the rent. After deducting the cost of replacing the rotting wood front staircase (after my foot went through one of the treads) and half of the cost of clearing and sodding the overgrown trash filled backyard, our absentee landlord declared no more rent deductions for improvements. We didn't even charge him for tearing out the disgusting moldy carpet and sanding the wood floors. So why did we agree to even renting a place with moldy carpet? Well...cheap rent, a large-ish green space, and grand illusions of turning the partially finished pine paneled attic into a northwoods tiki longe (high concept I know) clouded our common sense. $650 a month turned into $1000/month with gas and electric during most of the year and $1300/month during the winter due to drafty windows, outdated electric and furnace, and having to run space heaters so we didn't freeze. The electric was so outdated that I had to turn off everything including lights if I wanted to use the hairdryer in the bathroom. The attic tiki lounge never took off because the roof leaked and it was either 100 degrees or 30 degrees up there. The walls of the super small bathroom were full of mold and rot to the point where the tiles around the shower and tub were caving in, plus the smell was horrible and the toilet didn't always flush. We stuck it out for almost a year but I hit my breaking point when I tripped over a rat in the basement laundry room. I did a little investigation to find that said rat and it's little buddies had chewed through the rotting foundation in the corner of the basement and made their way up to the first floor pantry. I had nightmares of rats attacking our dog when we were at work or myself being attacked if I interupted a midnight feast on my way through the kitchen to the bathroom in the middle of the night. After that, we were packed and in a new place within 2 weeks.
stava - We purchased it from a local discount Danish furniture dealer. They can be found at 31st and Baltimore if you ever happen to visit the area, but they don't have a website and I have been unable to since track down the piece online. I do know the model was also made in yellow if that helps your google searches any.
downtown_gal - We were in the Columbia Burlap building in the West Bottoms. Other floors have similar issues, but most spaces below level 3 are just fine as long as you don't mind a few parties and electrical issues.
I'm so sorry you had to leave such an amazing space, I was so looking forward to seeing more of what you did with it, the little glimpses were terrific. But you obviously fought the good fight and tried as hard as you could to live there. Sometimes there's only so much you can do, you have to cut your losses and treat it as a good story for around the dinner-table of your new, leak-free, affordably insured, optimum temperatured pad - which you so deserve!
My guess was right, it was located in the West Bottoms. Every since I moved to KC 10 years ago, and then moved away 4 years ago, the West Bottom have not changed. Last time I was in town, a couple of months ago, I think that it actually looked worse.
I had a spider infestation.
The thing is.. I saw 2 spiders when I was viewing the apartment. My judgment was extremely clouded because I couldn't wait to move out of my parents house.
And I managed to completely overlook the monstrous spider with a huge nest in the window sill.
I killed about 10 of them within the first 2 months.
Finally, I was pushed to my limit when I got out of the shower and huge one speed out from under my towel and into my bedroom. Crying, I quickly dressed and fled the apartment for the safety of my best friend's. He came over and killed the mofo - which by the way was the size of my hand and we identified it as a Huntsman Spider.
About a week later, I noticed about 20 little black spots along the ceiling of my bedroom wall.
Upon closer inspection there were lots and lots of baby spiders.
I moved out 5 days later for other reasons but didn't think twice about breaking my lease because of that.
LITERALLY almost melted your faces right off? Was it by any chance a radiation leak?
I've been in my warehouse since April, and as much as I enjoy having my own space, and not feeling enclosed on all sides by neighbors that would just end up getting on my nerves.....it's definitely got its challenges.
Speaking of spiders, the back tilt-up door has in it a regular door, and all the framework in both is a haven for spiders. I just did away with a black widow about a week ago, only to open up the walk-thru door a couple nights later to be greeted by dozens of spider hatchlings. I grabbed a can of compressed air (for cleaning computers and such) and gave them all a nice breeze to float away on. Speaking of that, there's a lovely cross-breeze, when I leave the front office door open as well as the back walk-thru. The downside of that is...well, I got up at 2:30 am one night, turned on the bathroom light to be greeted by a baby possum (about the size of a full-grown rat), sitting on the edge of the toilet, soaking wet and shivering. Obviously he was thirsty and fell in, and had hard time getting out, he just sat there in a daze, even as I stood there trying to figure out what to do next. I eventually scooped him into a small trashcan and took him outside and let him go in some landscaping several hundred feet away. Just last Sunday, I see the same guy toodling around the warehouse again, so I conered him into a trash can once more, took him for a ride to wooded area, and let him go. Now, if he shows up again, I know I've got a homing possum. ;^)
That's been the worst of it so far, but I'm a little torn on how I really feel about being in a place like this. I can say, though, it beats the hell out of living in an apartment tract or even a cookie cutter home.
And while I miss having a nice outdoor spot, the quietness of the industrial area at nighttime has a surrealism to it that is intoxicating.
Oh, another thing that's a bit of a hassle is the dust. It's an industrial area, so there's dust to deal with, more than you'd usually experience.
Oh, and in regards to your paying 400 dollars a month for renters insurance...OUCH! I'm pretty fortunate, my renter's insurance is pretty low, but ultimately, I'm leasing a warehouse, and I've been against putting in any kind of major improvements.
I think before my lease is up, I'll be exploring other options....that could mean anything from renting a larger standalone building with a yard area, to ...well, I'm just not sure yet.
I do enjoy carving littler spaces out of the one large one, though....this is an early pic of my bedroom area, when I just moved in, so there's still boxes stacked, but the umbrella takes the edge off of looking up at a ceiling 14 feet high.
http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs005.snc1/2808_194702335174_533695174_7039153_7869269_n.jpg
Where I work we've had leaks, a window fell in (luckily when the person who sat next to it was not at his desk), weirdos off the street have snuck in and hid in a dark corner waiting for us all to leave...
...but btoddster's baby possum falling in a toilet takes the cake. Love it!
Thank you, really, thank all of you for the roll-on-the-floor, gave-myself-a-stomach ache laughter. Some of you should be comics. Melting faces, spiders, soaked possums, burning couches, spirits...I will never complain about my rental again. Thank you.
birdablaze -- I completely agree with you - that kind of spider situation would push me over the edge. I had a pretty similar experience housesitting for a family friend for three weeks, and those three weeks drove me nearly insane. I was so jittery from the rush of fear each time I saw another spider that I would wince and jump if a piece of dust moved in the breeze...
This post is very well timed for me - I'm helping with a project to convert a warehouse into a large community living space, and we're meeting with architects and builders right now. This post made me put "heating/ventilation" high on the list of concerns to bring up. (We're in SF where heat and cooling are not a big deal, but what works fine in a small apartment might not do so well in a 6000 sq ft space.)
I'm coming into Chicago in a week and I think this is a building we were going to look at! The picture of the completely open space looks so familiar. Would you mind telling me what this building is called or it's address so I can avoid it? If you're not supposed to post it on here maybe you could e-mail it to me? chelseamcgorisk@gmail.com
Liana - Aside from heating, the repointing or regrouting of the brick was the biggest problem. We had issues with dust and sand falling into wet screen prints, clogging up computer gear, all sorts of fun stuff! Make sure to send us pictures when you're done!!
landbirds - Our loft was in Kansas City, so you're in the clear! Open loft spaces do look a lot alike and can have the same problems, so make sure to check for some of the problems we ran into!
This post has been good for me, as my girlfriend and I have been hardcore coveting loft spaces lately, but in reality could never put in the kind of blood, sweat, and tears necessary to make it work (nor afford a space that has been updated)....little bit of reality is good for us!
If it sounds too good (huge space, small pricetag) to be true, it probably is...or isn't. Sorry you were burned, but clearly the lesson was a valuable one.
Rustic:
1 : of, relating to, or suitable for the country : rural
2 a : made of the rough limbs of trees b : finished by rusticating <a rustic joint in masonry><br>3 a : characteristic of or resembling country people b : lacking in social graces or polish<br>4 : appropriate to the country (as in plainness or sturdiness)<br><br>The misuse of this word really bothered me. There's nothing countrified about an industrial loft. It's pretty much the exact opposite.</a>
tuttifrutti:
2a: many lofts have rough timbered ceilings
3b and 4: I'd say "plainness" or "lacking in polish" could work pretty well in a description of an open loft space
I get nostalgic for my awesome loft space that I lived in for 5 years and moved out of 5 months ago but I don't miss the constant leaks. I remember spending Christmas 08 by myself because I couldn't leave my place to see my family since the waterfall coming out of my ceiling had me emptying huge buckets of water every 15 minutes.
I also don't miss: running 5 space heaters in the winters and still being cold, the sweltering heat in the summers, the mice (and the ones that died in the walls that stunk for weeks), the raw sewage that came up my shower stall that made my place literally smell like crap for two months, my loud neighbors, heating my place with the oven and sleeping in my winter coat when the pipes froze, the obnoxious people who smoked in front of my door, the dust, not being able to run some appliances at the same time, not being able to change my light bulbs because the ceilings were so high, the steep stairs with no railing, the always drunk superintendent, the greedy landlord that everyone in the building hated... but it was such a cool space especially after I fixed it up. One of the things that kept me there so long was knowing all of the work that I had put in to it. The thing is...where else can you do photo shoots, big DIY projects, and ride your bike around in circles inside? Not in the 1 bedroom I live in now.
Ah, spiders! My mini-loft condo is right by the river, and is a breeding ground for spiders. I had a bunch of wolf spiders ( I think) the first year I moved in- the place had been vacant for a while and had lots of drafty cracks- but after I killed most of them- or my cats did- and I caulked the heck out of the woodwork and window frames- now I mainly just have spiders (orb spinners maybe- they are fairly large) on the outside of my two 10 foot high windows. Yesterday I counted about 25 just on one window. As long as they stay outside, I'm ok.
This is great advice! I think it is so important to fully read the lease before signing it and to completely inspect the place before you commit to it. Making water damage repairs on your own can be frustrating, so it's important to have all of your questions answered before disaster strikes!