There is probably a market for this type of thing, but only among a certain few creative individuals. It seems like most of the people buying into loft-style living these days don’t have the time or the creative side to really make a space out of nothing.

This type of thing is very common in Europe. Many flats and homes do not come with basic appliances, sinks, showers or bathtubs, so you have to bring your own. Of course, their value systems place much less emphasis on material possessions than us Americans.

You either have time or money. Rarely do you have both.

I have seen many apartment buildings for sale that are above what makes sense for a developer to pick up, do a quick rehab, and turn-around (with a nice profit, thank you very much).

I think this might be a new form of the elusive “affordable housing” that everyone seems so concerned about.

Of course, the finance system, City permit system, etc are not geared for this to easily happen. But, as noted above, they do this in Europe. And considering we are only 100 years behind here, there is room for trend setters.

An example came up today:
the Baywatch Apartment building, located in the hub of Urban Living that is downtown Tacoma, 702 S Fawcett Avenue, is on the market for $2,050,000.

This may or may not appeal to developers. It is a brick structure built in 1919 with 33 rooms with the average size coming in around 742 square feet. Not tiny, but cozy. This works out to about $62,000 per unit or about $84/ft. I would call this very affordable by any standard. You can get an idea of what this same unit would go for if it were touched by a developer: square foot prices ranging from $200-$300 are not uncommon.

There are many other examples out there. I have a favorite that I would love to do something like this with. But I’m not telling where!

...plus I really am not a fan of stainless – fingerprints show up too easily! ...and I prefer older bathroom & lighting fixtures..