The Before

I guess its time to start documenting what our old frame house looks like now. Without further ado: the outside!

The waiting game

Once you have your architect and contractor all set up it's time to start filing for your permits. Put on your comfy pants, because you're in for a wait. Here is the order of things for our project:

1) Historic Preservation/Division of City Planning (30 Montgomery Street, 14th Floor, Jersey City 07302)
* Timing: 45 day window (this might take a while)

2) JC Municipal Utility Authority (555 Route 440, Jersey City, NJ 07305)
* Timing: 45 day window (turn around usually faster)

3) City of JC Zoning (30 Montgomery Street, 4th Floor, Jersey City 07302)
* Timing: 45 day window (turn around usually faster)

4) Passaic Valley Sewage (30 Montgomery Street, 4th Floor, Jersey City 07302)
* Office Hours: Monday 10-12; Friday 10-12
* Timing: They should review on the spot and sign off. They will let you knowi f additional information is needed on your forms.

5) JC Building Department (30 Montgomery Street, 4th Floor, Jersey City 07302)
* Timing: I don't know yet.


Attribution:
Image: 'A Very Long Wait'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26312642@N00/5902685774

Architects and Contractors and Engineers OH MY! (Or, the clock is ticking ... tick tock tick tock)

It turns out that we can't do anything with our house until we've found an architect and a contractor. The reason for this is that in order to get permits for any of our work, architectural plans must be submitted to the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission, the Jersey City Municipal Utility Authority, the City of Jersey City Zoning office, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority, and the Jersey City Building Department.

And we've decided that before we get a contractor, we want to work with an architect to put together plans so that we can have a few different contractors bid on the job. So first thing to do is find an architect... which is easier said than done. We've asked our friends for recommendations, talked to homeowners of local open houses that had nice looking recent renovations, and scoured the discussion boards of http://jclist.com/.

Ultimately, our architect was recommended by the contractors that did a beautiful renovation a few doors down from our house.

Our lease on our renter ends soon. We'd love to get our house renovated by the time it ends, but right now that hope doesn't seem realistic. The clocks ticking....

Attribution:

Image: 'Eternal Clock II'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21046489@N06/5925546380