Renovating a Beloved Linden Family Home
When Regina Barnett’s parents bought their North Linden home in 1976, she was only 1 year old. The Barnetts’ cozy bungalow with its generous front porch quickly became a destination for family, friends and neighbors.
Her parents lived there for the rest of their lives. After her father passed, Ms. Barnett acquired the home in 2017. But time – and Ohio weather – can be hard on a house. After all, it was built in 1955. While the Barnetts had replaced the roof and added security doors at some point, those changes were completed long ago.
Ms. Barnett said, “The exterior wasn’t in too bad a shape, but it was older. The roof needed done, and the shingles needed painted.” Ms. Barnett and her brother had been updating the interior, but extensive projects like installing a new roof and windows weren’t in the cards.
Then a friend told Ms. Barnett about the Healthy Homes’ home repair program through Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Ms. Barnett already knew and trusted Nationwide Children’s, as she once took her goddaughter to the hospital. She signed up for the program and received an acceptance letter.
“Healthy Homes came along,” Ms. Barnett said, “and they were a blessing.”
After Ms. Barnett indicated which projects were most important to her, Healthy Homes performed an inspection of her house. They agreed that the exterior needed a full face-lift. In addition to a new roof, windows, doors and porch railings, they replaced the old wood siding with modern siding.
Despite all the work involved, the renovations only took about a month. Ms. Barnett was very happy with the pace of the contractors’ progress and said each crew member was excellent. In fact, some of the work was done by people very close to home. Ms. Barnett said, “When they were doing the siding, my partner called me at work and said, ‘I think it’s our neighbors!’” Sure enough, Ms. Barnett’s neighbor had been hired for the job by Healthy Homes. Soon, the weathered wood was replaced with clean beige siding and sharp white trim.
Many of Ms. Barnett’s neighbors are long-time community members. They had watched her grow up and were glad when she moved back into the family home. They were also delighted to see the house transform over the course of the renovations. “They brought me wine,” Ms. Barnett said. “They told me, ‘Your mother and father would be so proud of you.’”
Ms. Barnett couldn’t be happier with the home repair program. “I am forever grateful. They did everything I wanted,” she said. Now she’s paying it forward by recommending the program to her friends and neighbors. A friend’s mother already received a new roof and windows, and other community members have signed up.
By taking a chance on the Healthy Homes program, Ms. Barnett has helped her neighbors and has ensured her home remains a destination for her family. This summer, she and her partner are planning to invite friends for a hibachi-style dinner. After that? “Now I have to work on my garage,” she said with a laugh.
