long term

Many people who buy a home that hasn’t been updated since the 1950s would want to do a major renovation before moving in. However, Belmont residents Rita and Sarkis Chekijian did the reverse. They purchased a home and decided to live in it first with their three children before making any decisions about the renovation.

After selling their Watertown home, they moved in with Sarkis’s parents on Woodfall Road in Belmont while looking for a place to live. What was supposed to be a few months turned into 18 months before they learned about a home just a few doors down the street.

The owner had died and the Chekijians were able to purchase 56 Woodfall Road in 2014 for $850,000 through a private sale. It’s a ranch-style home built in 1956 with four bedrooms, a two-car garage, living room, dining room, kitchen and three full bathrooms.

Now, eight years later and a little longer than they originally planned, they have temporarily moved out of their home while it is partially gutted for updated electrical wiring, a major renovation of the kitchen and bathrooms and the addition of a new half bathroom, family room, four-season sun room, exercise room, storage closets and a farmer’s porch. 

Why they waited

It was not their dream house, but the Chekijians said they loved the neighborhood and location down the street from Sarkis’s parents, who bought their home in 1989.

They knew they wanted to make changes to the house, but felt it was important to get a feel for the space first. 

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While they would