Virginia Beach, Va. – Virginia Beach, Virginia – For the developer Katie Denton, the heart is where the heart is, especially when it comes to preserving the charm of historical houses in Virginia Beach. With a focus on the restoration, Denton believes that many of these houses have robust “bones”, but it can be an expensive undertaking.
Denton claims that every house has its own story. “Every house has its own story. I have the feeling that it is a curation process,” she said. Part of this process is to build a deep understanding of the property.
“I think a property, I study it. I live and breathe the property and spend a lot of time to learn the house,” she said.
Your work includes preservation, restoration, construction and design. The latest project by Denton is a two -story brick colonial house that was built in 1965 in the North End district and is only a block from the Cavalier Hotel and on the beach.
“We had to repair the creeping room, and then we opened some walls, which meant that we had to use three steel rays,” said Denton.
The renovation work goes beyond structural repairs. “This house will have all the brand new windows, the HLK is brand new, we take two new hot water from, and the kitchen will be brand new with new cupboards and devices and a brand new roof,” she added.
The organization of Denton, Bees Nees, aims to give every house a second chance by receiving and protecting assets that would be difficult to replace if the house would be bulldozed.
“The bones are incredible: the original wooden floors, the brick walls, the two original fireplaces,” she noticed.
Denton pointed out that many characteristics from 1965 are almost impossible to be found or are very expensive to replace. “Many of these products that were installed in 1965 are almost impossible to find them, or it is very, very expensive to check them again. For example, the original slate. Another example is the original copper pipes in the installation. It is very expensive to replace this so that we can save these parts.”
Bernice Pope, in the neighborhood and member of the Historic Review Board for 45 years, emphasizes the advantages of preservation.
“In this neighborhood in particular, the preservation of these houses have advantages. We are listed in the national and state registers of historical places. This does not mean that they cannot tear down the house because it is a historical goal, but the city offers tax injury programs and they can always qualify if they apply,” said Pope.
Denton assumes that the renovation work will be completed by mid -May and is looking forward to presenting the end product.
“It is not only important for the house, but also for the neighborhood,” she said.
To learn more about Bees Nees, click the link here.