After living in a one-bedroom apartment in the quaint city of Hoboken, New Jersey — situated on the Hudson River across from New York City — for several years, Maggie and Ryan were on the hunt for a place with more space to grow their family. They had considered moving to the suburbs but were never really convinced. "We liked having a place to escape the tall buildings of the city, but not so far out that our commute was consuming," says Maggie. "We would often walk down the side streets in Hoboken remarking on the beautiful brownstones. One day during lockdown, we passed a fully renovated home for sale. Out of curiosity, we looked it up and although it was out of our price range, we couldn’t believe how much lower prices were than pre-pandemic days."
Inspired by this to start looking for houses, when they spotted this property. Not so much a modern home ready to move into, but they knew it was a great opportunity despite its bad shape, so took their chance. "We wanted to invest in finishes that would accentuate the unique character of a brownstone, such as beautiful moldings and interesting finishes, while making the home function – with plenty of storage, for example," remembers Maggie.
