BrickUnderground

Photo Credit / Alkiol

Radiant heat, dull details, and some serious space makeovers. Six New Yorkers have a smorgasbord of home improvements wants and needs.

• Warmer floors: I’ve always wanted radiant floor heating. I have been dreaming of having this incredibly amazing, toe-warming feature, ever since I stayed at a friend’s home who had heated floors -Brad, Brooklyn Heights
• Moldings without layers of paint: I wish my apartment didn't have layers and layers of paint caked onto the molding which really shows and takes away any detail -- I can paint over the walls but the moulding (and light switches! and electrical outlets!) is hard to fix and looks amateur. -Brian, Murray Hill
• An unbricked window: I would change the bathrooms…the former owner bricked in bathroom windows that looked into an unattractive courtyard, at the same time causing the apartment to lose light.  -Patricia, Upper East Side

What to do about rough seams and obvious fillings in this granite kitchen countertop?

Q. My kitchen renovation is done.  One of the problems is a less-than-perfect granite countertop, which in essence runs through the whole kitchen and pantry areas -- 35 linear feet of granite, and then some.  

Some of the seams are rough to the touch, with obvious fillings that are not well disguised. On another counter, there is a 1/4-inch gap between the wall and the counter. The contractor keeps bringing the fabricator to correct these problems, but I think the fabricator did a very shoddy job.  

What can I expect the contractor to correct? Should I insist on replacement, or a discount?

A. Without seeing your kitchen, it’s tough to determine where the blame lies. It’s possible your countertop template (the exact measurements and a pattern made after your cabinets were installed and before your tops were fabricated) wasn’t done correctly, or it’s possible the stone wasn’t cut to the template’s specification.

Photo Credit / alamodestuff

When I first came to New York 2009, I rented a studio apartment in Auberndale, Queens, that I found on Craigslist for $750 per month. Well, actually it was the basement of a house belonging to this older couple from the old country and by old country I mean Greece.

They thought it was just ever-so-sweet that a Greek Australian comedian was going to be their tenant. It wasn't.

Being a landlord myself (I own an apartment in Perth, Australia), I would say that I'm a landlord's dream. I'm extremely clean, efficient and respectful of where I'm living. I don't smoke, drink or have really crazy loud parties.

On my second night, the cheap, wood paneled walls began to snap, crackle and pop whenever the boiler would kick in. When I notified my landlords about it, they told me that it was nothing to worry about, it's just the boiler and the steam and that eventually, I'll get so used to it, it'll put me to sleep. Really?

Lack of views helped nix this one-bedroom Hudson Heights co-op, now listed at $265,000.

Within a couple of months after the Brooklyn apartment fiasco, I decided to stop pouting and start looking for a new place.

In truth, it wasn’t so much an act of revitalization as desperation: I wanted to get the deal done before I had to file income taxes. As a freelancer, my lender required I show maximize income, which meant minimizing my deductions—a business decision that in 2011 cost me an extra $12,000, and nearly sent my teeth-gritting accountant to the dentist.

Online, I checked out a two-bedroom HDFC (income-restricted) co-op in Washington Heights. At $250,000 and with a maintenance of $508, it seemed too good to be true.

The broker arranged an appointment the next week. He was upfront: The building would have to be approved by a lender and I would have to go through additional rigorous financial reviews to ensure I did not exceed the income cap for HDFC.

This $4,100 two-bedroom apartment at 1501 Lexington Avenue is a tad on the small side, but the luxury building amenities -- like a roof garden and gym--might make up for it.

 

This $4,100 two-bedroom apartment at 1501 Lexington Avenue, at 97th Street, is available May 1.

Pros: The apartment is in a full-service building (gym, roofdeck, doorman) and on the same block as the 6 train. The kitchen and bathrooms have recently been renovated. The master bedroom has an en suite bathroom.

Cons: The apartment seems to be on the smaller side (particularly the second bedroom). 

No-Fee Rental of the Week showcases an apartment that’s currently on the market and is being offered with no broker fee (otherwise known as the holy grail of New York City rentals). For tips on how to find more no-fee apartments, check out the The 8 best websites for finding a no-fee apartment in NYC and our Guerrilla Guide series.