Jeremy Miller had been renting in Franklinton for about four years when he started thinking about buying a home in the neighborhood.
“I grew to like living there,” he said. “It’s an interesting place to be, and I was looking to stop renting.”
As an estimator and drafter for Compton Construction, he knew firsthand the work and expense that went into rehabbing old homes. So, after discovering that the Columbus Land Bank didn’t just sell houses in need of repair — they also have a large inventory of vacant lots for sale — he looked into buying a lot and building new on it.
“I started to think I could design my own house, which is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid,” said Miller. “I thought, well, I do drawings, I work for a construction company — I could actually do this.”
Compton Construction built the house, pouring the slab in December of last year and putting the finishing touches on it in March. It was a process that was well-documented on the company’s website, complete with a time-lapse video.
The three-bedroom, 1,500 square foot house features a sloping roof designed to eventually hold solar panels.
While Miller’s connections in the industry and knowledge of the construction process helped to ease some of the anxieties he might have had about taking on such a project, it was still a big step. He said he was inspired by the many entrepreneurs that Compton has worked with through the years. Seeing them take risks and pursue projects they were passionate about made him realize that he could do the same thing.
“We work with a lot of small businesses, and we see a lot of great ideas come to life, and that has been inspiring,” he said.
Miller looked at a building in East Franklinton, but quickly found that the land in that part of the neighborhood is largely spoken for — Nationwide Realty Investors owns 74 parcels, including the former Byers Chevrolet site, and other land owners are not interested in selling.
(CU wrote about a new single family home proposed for East Franklinton in 2015 — that project has been revised and delayed, but the owners still hope to break ground soon.)
Miller is happy with his new home’s location in West Franklinton.
“It’s a strong block. There are a lot of homeowners. Some of them have been there for 30 years,” he said. “There’s been some nice renovations, and the Franklinton Development Association (now called FUEL) also built some homes on the street.”
And though the new house stands out somewhat from its neighbors with its contemporary design, Miller said that he has been welcomed with open arms.
“Getting approval from the area commission, that whole process went really smoothly,” he said. “They have been super supportive for the most part, and I’ve become friends with some of the commissioners. They were excited about a young guy building a new home in the neighborhood.”
“Jeremy did a nice job with his home,” said Judy Box, chair of the Franklinton Area Commission, adding that residents are definitely happy to see new, private investment in the neighborhood. Box said that she and fellow commissioner Bruce Warner hope to build a new home on Guilford Avenue this fall.
Miller said he thinks that others could follow in his footsteps, even if they don’t have a background in architecture or a job at a construction company. All told, he estimates the total cost for his house was well under $200,000, and his ongoing expenses will be less than many of his neighbors — it is tax abated for 15 years, and new construction methods and insulation make for a very energy efficient home.
Getting the city to sign off on permits was surprisingly straight-forward, he added, although it did take longer than expected to work through the Land Bank’s process for buying the lot.
“The upfront costs are more, but there are a lot of savings there long-term. I think it’s definitely obtainable for other people,” he said, adding, “I’m happy to help them if they are interested.”
