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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Funeral Home Report from Oil City

So we've been looking for a new place to live and work, our little cottage home is just too little. We need more space, we need the studio out of the basement and we need an affordable place with a low mortgage , so we looked into this Artist Relocation Program in Oil City, PA

We've been ramping ourselves up a little bit with the possibilities because the homes are all very reasonably priced and we kind of set our hearts on this crazy old Victorian built in 1890 that spent it's last few years as a funeral home. Yep a funeral home. We figured the downstairs would be all set up for viewings..and the upstairs would be nice since that is where the family lived. We also figured that the outbuilding in the back would be a great studio. We were so disappointed. I noticed right away the paint job was peeling off..all of it. The inside was just as bad..the wallpaper (shudder ewwww) was also damaged, bubbled and wrinkly and it never stopped feeling like an industrial building, even in the living area. There was no real kitchen..there was no real flow to the place. It was a huge rat warren and the basement..was wet..really wet walking on boards wet.The electrical was updated on the bottom floor, but upstairs, there was a fusebox in the hallway. Yep. A Fusebox. Live.

So I'm going to upload a few choice photos here, so you can see the place and it's problems in all their glory.We're pretty sad about this, but I am sure there will be others to see.






Massive hallway downstairs

not bad..workable

This area was lovely






damaged ceiling


This was a nice room


This was the kitchen

More Damage



The Embalming Room..next to the kitchen







UGH Paneling from HELL


The very wet basement

Yucky wet moldy basement










One Garage Here, two up the hill. No contiguous workspace.



4 comments:

  1. You do realize the downs are ALL bargaining chip for a really low price?.. Rewiring can be tedious, but it is real easy....sweat equity one room at a time....the basement needs a new sump pump.....look at a few others. You will find the one when you walk in the door and see the possibilties, despite the flaws. Good luck

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  2. the ceiling damage is what would scare me, frankly. roof leaks are a pain. Keep looking! You'll find the perfect place! Also... the embalming room right off the kitchen is a bit creepy.

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  3. Shades of Six Feet Under! It's a shame to see a great old house dieing of neglect. Most looks fixable but the ceilings indicate major roof problems. You could open the roof and find the cost of the repair close to the cost of the building.
    Stick to it, you will find the right house...or it will find you.

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  4. big house=big money=big problems.
    There is better out there.

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