Is it common in NYC for renters to do renovations to apartments on their own dime? I've never really understood this. Does the landlord offer compensation through free rent etc. to cover the costs? Or...in some cases do the tenants actually own the unit and just refer to it as an "apartment"? I've always thought of "apartments" as rentals - but I read on this site often about how people renovate their apartments and it doesn't make sense to me why you would use your own money to improve someone else's property. Just one of those things that has always made me go, "hmmm?", and I figured this was probably the best place to get an answer.

Quote from the first article in the series: "The landlord gave me one month of free rent to put money and time into fixing it up..."

I don't see why you couldn't own an apartment. It is just a 'type' of house like a bungalow or a town house. If it is a rental I guess you have to make arrangements with your landlord, but it is not uncommon that they compensate you if you ask for permission first, since you are upgrading and thus raising the value of their property.

Milosmom, I've often wondered the same thing! I've never lived in apartments in big cities, just military housing overseas (they used to be apartments) where you couldn't do anything. I mean there were even restrictions on the number of nail holes as well as the size of the nails you could use on any wall. Thanks for the enlightenment!

I've often wondered the same thing as milosmom. My experience with rentals and landlords (in a rural western state) was an absolute "hands off" of any re-doing. Even painting. Sometimes they won't even let you hang stuff on the walls. Is this just a different set of rules in big cities?

Hi- I was hoping to get a little insight on how to regrout. The "after" looks wonderful, but I'm not sure how to go about doing it. Do I have to take out all the fixtures, do I have to do the while floor or can I just do a section (I have crumbling grout in one section and I'm not sure if I have to do the whole thing or just that part- I do have the original grout that was used), etc.? Could someone give me some tips you have used? I have looked at websites and what I found wasn't super helpful, such as : "use a grout saw...." HOW do I use it? Do I cut straight down, on an angle...? I have zero experience in this and can't afford to contract the project out. Thanks for any help. Nicki

Wow... i just realized the answer is in the first post! The apartment is owned by a friend and an arrangement was made where one month's rent would be exchanged for the work and some of the materials. The owner is purchasing some of the materials as well. My in-laws did this with the house they currently own. The house was in terrible condition (i.e tiles falling off in bathroom, hole in floor to basement, basement filled with trash, etc!) He "paid" them to do the work in lieu of rent. My father-in-law did all the work and ended up purchasing the house a few years later.

Yes, some NYC renters do renovations to properties in which they are tenants, not owners. The landlords will sometimes give a break on rent (like Maxwell's), buy materials or pay for labor. For the owners, they're getting a tenant who obviously cares for the property and an upgrade. The tenants are getting to personalize their space.

I understand it's difficult for some folks to wrap their heads around - a good friend couldn't believe that I even wanted to paint a wall of a rental. To her, only ownership demands personalizing a space. I disagree (see: Apartment Therapy), but different strokes for different folks.

Love the remodeling of your apartment. I have to agree with what Annemie said.

New Yorkers often own their apartments. When we don't we often live the same apartment for years and years because there aren't really houses here like there are in the suburbs. If you love your neighborhood, why move? It is definitely a lifestyle unique to large older cities.

LOVE watching this....my favorite thing in the world is designing spaces!
I really want to know about the grout as well.....how to do?
So MUCH FUN to see all this!
Thank you!
Just moved into a studio and slowly working on it so I find this so inspiring!

milosmom: an apartment can be a rental or owned/condo, just like a house can be a rental or owned.

In this case, Maxwell has specified that it's a rental apartment.

Oh please, please, please tell us more about how you regrouted the bathroom. I desperately need to do this and need direction! This is a great post and you and Ursula are going to buil a great life here.

I want to hear about the regrouting also. Separate post? Sounds like a tremendous amount of work.

I live in NYC, and though I plan to buy in the next year, I've had NO problems fixing up the rentals I've lived in. I've found that most landlords I've dealt with or who my friends have dealt with are open to you making improvements and usually help out in some way. I truly believe in living in the moment as well as you can, so I always create homes I'm excited to come home to in the evening. Most of the changes I make are affordable ones, like painting walls or changing light fixtures and faucets. I can take those with me when I move if I've bought them on my own, and I just put back the originals. For bigger things, like a new stove, the landlord kicks in. My last landlord was going to buy a new gas range for $700, but I added in $200 more and got a kickass used model that I adored. It was gorgeous, worked like a dream, and it was totally worth it to me.

Apartments can either be rented or owned. It is true that folks in NYC tend to renovate places they are only renting. That is usually because they plan on being there for a while and theey want the space to be what they want it to be.

The re-grouting in the bathroom made a huge difference, good idea to do that. Also, really like what you're doing in the kitchen. So interesting to follow this project....will stay tuned.

Here's something on regrouting:
http://www.marthastewart.com/336164/how-to-regrout-tile

or I've seen some mention of re-coloring grout here and there:

http://homerenovations.about.com/od/tiling/a/Change-Grout-Color.htm

Re-grouting is when you "saw" the old grout out with a grout saw (hand tool) or grout saw blade attachment on a Dremel (power tool), then re-grout as with new tile. You have to be really careful not to damage the tiles. Then you just re-grout. It's labour intense but worth it. I've done it in small patches on shower tile in a rental.

And btw, this is NOT the same as cutting or removing the silicone sealant that many showers have between the tub and wall.

For anyone that has grout that's in good/OK condition but stained -- GROUT PAINT. Under $10 and saved my last rental floor.

wow. Very smart upgrades. Opening up the pass through all the way so it looks like the original plan rather than a cut out - I wish more people would do this. Huge difference. Lighting looks great too - I'm a huge fan of track lights as well (except the Ikea ones).

I cannot believe how much better that bathroom looks with the new grout. Now if only you would put some gorgeous new tile over the apron of the tub in a rich color/texture, it would really take the space over the top.

I am so not a fan of open shelving in the kitchen but I love love it with the sliding glass doors. The glass (?) doors preserve the openness while still providing a covering and provide a less industrial appearance. I really like the way you expanded the kitchen pass-through, re-grouted the bathroom ( a world of difference!) and added track lighting in the living room. Can't wait to see the rest!!

I cannot wait to see the marble counter tops. I adore marble and hope he includes cost details so I can see if it is within reach for me too.

Thorndale, why not just call local countertop companies for an estimate? Marble is going to cost a lot more or a lot less depending on area. NYC is usually more expensive than other major cities.

Never thought of grout paint before, great idea! Would make our rental look a ton better.

in New York if you want a something updated they will add the cost to your rent...not a side expense to be paid off....it's cheaper to pay for it yourself if you plan to stay...

I get the open shelving in the kitchen, but the next renter may hate you for taking our the bedroom closet. Personally I have no desire to sleep next to my clothes on shelves.

looking good. dont forget to seal your grout. nice big area rug would help to bring in some color & different asthetic. world market has some great out door carpets that would hold up well.

Does anyone have suggestions for how to determine if the closet structure is actually supporting weight? My one-story war-era ranch has a poorly laid out closet in its 1960s addition...but the framing is so sturdy I am reluctant to gut and re-do.

Shazz is right, Milosmom. Most often, if you renovate the one who benefits the most is the landlord if the renovation is considered to be an improvement. You have to check with the landlord because it is his property. Of course, you may consider it to be worth it, as some have commented, because you want your space to work for you long term. I lived in an apartment that had uneven walls and they looked better with color paint than stark white, and I painted them, then painted them white again before moving. Apartment is just a separate living space within a anger building, by definition, and can rented or bought.

I want to see more of the apartment. The decorating phase should be up next, yes?

Larger, not anger. Damn that autocorrect.

I love how open shelves look, but way too dusty/grimy for me. I live in an urban area and dust and grime get onto everything. I like nice, clean dishes behind a door that I don't have to wash before I use.

Renovating a rental is only worthwhile if you think you will be living there. If it's not a home for you then perhaps you're better off keeping your eyes closed or wearing dark glasses when you are there. The changes Maxwell is making are fantastic. Of course, renovations such as this should only be done with the landlord's permission, as in this case. Some of my prior landlords wouldn't allow major changes but would permit me to paint so long as the apartment was returned to Navajo White or its equivalent when I moved.

Opening the kitchen pass-through makes the entire space more vibrant. Can hardly wait to see the finished product. And please tell us how to do the re-grouting.

I think you are going to have a lovely place for you and Ursula. I cannot quite figure out the bedroom by the pics shown but I am sure I will when it is furnished. I love the open cupboards in the kitchen as long as they are kept neat. Floors are beautiful. Good luck to yo and Ursula Maxwell. Looking forward to the next pics.

Renovating a rental at the tenant's expense would be very unusual in London. Rents are sky high, even in the suburbs, and, because tenants get such a raw deal, people prefer to save for a deposit on their own property rather than invest in a place that belongs to someone else (their rent is already paying the landlord's mortgage in most cases!) Maybe it's different in New York, with fairer rents?

I saw the post last year where you mentioned something unexpected happened & I was so worried. Then I saw the first post in this series and understood. I'm glad you're moving on and the new apartment looks wonderful. And you're spot on about the grout in the bathroom. Wow, what a difference!

I can't wait for the final reveal. We just had a minor reno in my apartment (old iron waterpipe broke, all old lines replaced with copper) last month. Sadly, the plumbers did the new sink cabinet/countertop installation. Plumbers they are, finish carpenters they are not. And the new cabinets offer less drawer space thanks to the "new" drawer glides. The old drawers were redwood with tongue and groove slides, so my drawer space was full width. Add in countertops that don't match, and a dark granite pattern that hides any food on it's surface. Sigh, I wish I could have just done the work myself.

Well to re-grout you have to remove the existing grout. Now normally you scrape it out or use special tools to dig it out with or some sort of power tool.I have seen my father in law use a few different tools but I do not know what they are called. When you do this you do run the chance of damaging your tile. Since you do not have a good idea of what to do, go down to your local hard ware store and start asking questions. Even go talk to a company that does tiling professionally and ask (you dont have to buy). Find out if there are things that you can do. Tell them the situation and just ask what they would recommend doing. DO NOT re-grout over the old grout. And here how to use a grout saw . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzmOVjipyeE
You are not actually going after the tile.

I love this series and a good demo! Things are really shaping up Maxwell. It's so fun to see it all come together.

We have successfully re-grouted over existing grout. Our house is 60 years old. We simply clean the tiles well (use TSP or other de-greaser) first. If you have crumbling grout you will have to dig that out, though. You can get the proper digger-outter-tool at Home Depot for about $5. We then re-grouted our entire bathroom (incl. inside the bathtub). Its still up there and we've had no problems at all. A nice thin coat is all you need. Wipe it down afterwards with a big sponge and warm water. You'll need to do this about 4-5 x and let it dry between washings. For us, it was easy-peasy and makes your bathroom look a million times better.

I wasn't aware that rentals could have items torn out and new stuff put in? Does it have to stay there when you leave or do you put it back the way it was?

Every rental I was ever in we couldn't change much without the owner deciding to do it, except for painting of course. Seems as if you have changed a lot of the structure of the building. I guess I come from a different world where living in a rental is a temporary fix.

This looks like more than a "light" renovation to me!

I'm flattered that my work and my kitchen are an inspiration to Maxwell & Ursula (Image #2 with Lambertson Industries bulnose stainless shelving). Would you please credit my firm (Dehn Bloom Design www.dehnbloomdesign.com) for the inspiration, as well as Remodelista, where the image first appeared with the sourcing information for Lamberston Industries, and the photographer, John Merkl. Thanks very much.

Wow, what a difference it made to open up the kitchen pass-through! It does make the whole apartment look bigger and brighter. Now that I live in a small space I totally understand wanting the upper cabinets to be open. You can't have as many dishes, so you rotate and use them enough not to worry about dust and grime. Good excuse to buy pretty dishes, too :)

How did you talk your landlord into allowing you to do this?

Opening up the pass-through is a genius idea, and add me to the camp of people who are impressed by the huge transformation from just regrouting the bathroom.

Thanks for the detailed process photos and explanations. I love this kind of post.

The shelves in those pics are practical because they are deep, and/or encased. Some open shelves look as if they are for display only, and pretty items precariously placed are incongruous in a working kitchen. I had originally expressed a wish for open shelving when we remodeled our kitchen, and the architect came up with a design similar to this:

http://www.hansenkitchen.com/inspiration/kitchen_teak.html#

I like the track lighting. Again, they are functional, good-looking, and unify the space.

The grouting looks great.

I'm looking forward to the reveal, too!

What are "legacy" closets?

Looks like you have concrete ceiling, like mine. How did you install your track lights?

Badevilbunny, this was a great video. I'm going to get one of those grout grabbers and an inexpensive reciprocating saw- I have a bigger area of the bathroom floor to do, so I think it's a worthwhile investment. I'd love to redo the whole floor because it has a really dark gray grout on ivory color tiles, but I don't want to remove the sink and toilet first. I'm really afraid that if I start doing that I'll run into problems. As long as the grout that's there is clean and not crumbling, it's good enough for me. Thanks for posting the link.

Nicki

The NYC real estate market is unique (OK strange/awful) in many ways. It's so hard to buy (you need a minimum 20% downpayment and can spend $1million on a nice studio apartment; you'll still be outbid by people making all-cash offers. Renting is also very, very competitive. I get the sense that Marshall's hunt was limited to SoHo for child custody reasons. That's a pricey neighborhood with little availability. As a result, landlords don't have much motivation to update or upgrade apartments: they will rent for a premium anyway.

I suspect Marshall's credentials (as well as the personal ties to the previous tenant) helped him swing such a deal of trading a month's rent for labor. Financially, not such a great transaction but to make a place feel more like home...it makes sense to me.

In case you're curious, I blogged about my own NYC apt search:
http://onechicklette.com/?s=apartment&submit=Search

Hm, this feels a bit like bringing the blog back to its roots (which I only witnessed retroactively when I went all the way to the beginning/end of the house tour tag). The tours then were all, like, constructions in progress, usually of Maxwell's design....

I love the open shelving, but I couldn't ever live with constantly dusting and cleaning it. Sometimes I wonder what people are cooking! Do people with open shelving right next to their stovetops never cook bacon, or cook with oil?

Maybe I am just a much lazier cleaner.

Wow - those Hansen Kitchens are gorgeous!!!!!!