Her property remained vacant for years, until she met a new love — who just happened to be a contractor.
N.J. Home Makeover is a new feature on NJ.com. To submit your renovation for consideration, email home@starledger.com with your full name, email address, phone number and town/city. Attach "before" and "after" photos of what you renovated.
Sandy Cassio and Jimmy Patti looked at homes in "active adult" communities in so many parts of New Jersey.
Each had its appealing features: huge windows that made a place feel cheerful and bright; open-floor-plan layouts with kitchens that wouldn't isolate the cook; space-saving bathroom designs; and bedroom sizes that seemed just right.
"I had a ruler and paper and pencil," Sandy said. "I measured windows, I measured rooms." She made note of every feature they liked, and they kept looking for a place that would feel like home.
But they never seriously considered living in any of those places, many of which were in Monmouth County. "I just couldn't bring myself to be that far away from home, from my kids and everything," said Sandy, who is an owner of a South Plainfield drug store opened by her father and uncle in 1972. She has worked at Twin City Pharmacy & Surgical since she was 11 years old.
Sandy and Jimmy both grew up in South Plainfield, and, ultimately, they would remain there, setting themselves to the major task of sweetening land that held the lemons of Sandy's past.
The renovation
The awkward little 1940's house west of Memorial Park had been purchased as an investment property nearly 10 years earlier, when Sandy and Jimmy were married to other people. The bungalow was to be replaced by a rental duplex.
"It was not passed," Sandy said, of the plan she and her then-husband had proposed to redevelop the lot.
Without the needed permits, the house sat vacant for three years. When her 28-year marriage began to crumble, Sandy had the little house knocked down to reduce the property taxes. In a divorce agreement, she bought out her ex-husband's interest in the property.
Her son and daughter were grown, and during the separation, Sandy had moved to a rented Lavallette beach house. When it was ruined by the hurricane that shares her name, Sandy returned for a few months to her mother and her childhood home in South Plainfield. She began to look for condos, and in the process reunited with Jim, also recently divorced. He was a childhood friend whom she had known since middle school. They decided her South Plainfield land would become the site of their future home.
Jim, a contractor, would contribute his considerable masonry skills, constructing their home's brick and stone facade as well as building their basement wine cellar, installing a backyard pond and more. The couple worked with an architect to design the house, but they managed all phases of the construction themselves.
Features from several of the houses they had visited previously are now blended harmoniously in the three-bedroom, two bathroom house.
Guest Room, the Cassio residence, South Plainfield, NJ. 05/04/2016 (Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media)Steve Hockstein/Harvard Studio.c
Her favorite part of their 2,140-square-foot home is what she describes as "the belly" of the open-floor-plan house, including its kitchen, great room, dining room and foyer.
She wanted the kitchen to function as the heart of this main living area. Varied ceiling heights contribute to the architectural appeal of a house with nearly floor to ceiling windows that maximize natural light.
The couple had several goals for the house. Everything had to be on one floor. It needed to be spacious but also affordable and manageable. It needed to exhibit character and warmth. "We wanted a house that was modest in scale but customized to our needs and preferences," Sandy said.
Wide-plank hickory floors milled for a rustic, aged look, add character throughout the house. Beneath the floors is an investment in energy-efficient radiant heating. The couple selected a large slab of quartzite that was cut for the kitchen island and counters.
The master bath includes large and luxurious marble tiles, which Sandy considered a bargain find at Home Depot. For a reasonable price at Lowe's, she found a sparkling chandelier that complements the tile. Her own custom work adorns a window. She used spray adhesive to cover a rattan shade with water-proof white cloth and trimmed it with a geometric border of black ribbon inspired by the Greek key pattern on the shower's accent tiles.
Outside the home, Jim says he selected exterior materials of brick and stone for endurance. "The number one priority for the whole project was no maintenance," he said.
Sandy and Jimmy have each added numerous personal touches to the house, completed in February 2015. They hand-finished custom cabinetry beside the fireplace in pale blue Annie Sloane chalk paint and gave it an aged effect with their own blend of the brand's dark and light waxes. Jimmy hung his antique skies, forming an "X" above the hearth in the finished room.
In a small office near their front door, one wall is inscribed with a quote that sums up their process: "By wisdom a house is built, through love its rooms are filled with beautiful treasures."
What they renovated
They built a custom home in South Plainfield
Who did the work
James Roan Construction of Bridgewater, framing and windows; Jaeger Lumber windows, wood, supplies; Engineered Comfort Systems of Manalapan, radiant heat; D&D Prestige Flooring, floors and tile; Steve McDougall Contracting of South Plainfield, built and installed cabinetry
What they did themselves
Jimmy, who owns Patti Construction, did the excavation,block basement, brick and stone work. He also built racks for wine room.
How long it took
They worked on plans with Bridgewater architect Mark Yarrington and secured permits from June to October 2013. They broke ground in January 2014 and the certificate of occupancy was issued in February 2015.
How much it cost
The property was purchased for $180,000; Construction, including excavation, plans and permits totaled $350,000
How they saved
"Sweat equity," says Sandy. "Jimmy did all masonry work, and we were the general contractors for the project, scheduling and choosing all contractors and doing all prep and clean up. We also shopped for discount appliance packages (free microwave with purchase), discount lighting (floor sale from Ethan Allan), wholesale tiles and cabinets along with big box store purchases."
Where they splurged
Hickory wide plank hardwood floors throughout the house, ceiling to floor quality windows, a 10- by 5-foot slab of Nacarado quartzite for kitchen island and counters, Thermador 6-burner stove top
What they'd have done differently
"We probably would have extended the length of the house a few feet so we could have made the garage a bit larger to accommodate a separate stairway," Sandy said.
Kimberly L. Jackson may be reached at home@starledger.com. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.