Status: Closed
MLS#: PAPH953366
Type: Residential - Townhouse
Subdivision: Olde Kensington
County: PHILADELPHIA
This large 3-story, 7-bedroom row-home is being sold âas-is.â It is zoned as RM-1 and has been partially renovated. The adjoining property at 626 Diamond Street is also for sale by the same owner, and these properties share a party wall, rooftops, and a large backyard, so there is the possibility to combine both properties together into a much larger one, including the backyards and roof spaces. In 2012 the property had been vandalized and the water pipes, heating ducts, and electrical wires had been removed. The original hot water heater and washing machine are still present and may still work, but it needs a new furnace. The basement now has a new electrical service, new 200 amp electrical panel, new hot and cold water manifolds, a new stack has been put in after fixing the crumbling brick from the original stack, and the soil line has been replaced out to the sidewalk. A gas meter is present but turned off, and a water meter needs to be connected once the property is ready for the water from the street to be turned back on. Starting from the basement, the house has been leveled floor by floor, with solid iron lolly-columns installed in the basement to hold up the first floor along the stairwell, and a structural bookshelf to hold up the second floor, and a structural wall to hold up the third floor. This is an area where almost all row homes tend to settle and sag over time, so the structure of this house is solid. Also, throughout the house, damaged joists have been strengthened or replaced, and damaged or missing sub-flooring has been replaced. The entire house has had most of the old plaster removed and the brick exposed, so most traces of possible lead paint have been removed. After removing the collapsing back addition, any collapsing sections of the original back wall have been rebuilt, and a new metal security door installed. The back wall of the second floor has also been rebuilt with a giant bullet-proof glass window. The back wall of the third floor has also been replaced with a new wall, including new windows and a door to access the roof. The second floor of the house has three bedrooms and a bathroom, which are mostly framed and insulated with closed-cell foam insulation to prevent drafts, and the wiring has been partially replaced. The drain pipes for the bathroom and hall laundry hookup are in place. Two of the bedrooms and the bathroom have had reinforced concrete heated floors poured. Two of the bedrooms have loft-bed spaces, and all three rooms have closets. The third floor is one giant room, which has been fully framed and insulated with closed-cell foam insulation as well as an additional layer of fiberglass insulation for both draft-protection and thermal barrier. The room is wired with ample electrical outlets and Internet connections, and the room has already been drywalled. The third floor ceiling is very high, so there is room as well as lumber to build a large loft there and effectively add an additional floor to the house. There are also drain pipes and hot and cold hookups for a small bathroom and kitchenette. There is concrete, pipe, remesh, and rebar in place to install heated flooring for this room. For both the second floor and third floor roofs, the old layers of roofing have been removed and disposed of right down to the decking, new decking has been installed, and a new layer of bitumen has been laid. The roof has also been silver-coated for energy efficiency and further durability. Cedar siding has also been installed on the back wall. The backyard has peach and Asian pear trees growing, a fish pond, fruiting grape vines, blueberries, strawberries, asparagus, and mint. All trash and layers of old concrete have been removed from the backyard, including anything that could be found under the ground. A collapsing addition has been removed and reverted back to yard space and the original perimeter wall has been rebuilt with a reinforced foundation going down to a depth of 4 feet