Soccer Player Warner Hahn Makes a Real-Estate Goal

Herman Van Heusden for The Wall Street Journal

Warner Hahn, goalkeeper for Dutch soccer team S.B.V. Excelsior, found himself sidelined with a torn knee ligament at the start of 2016. The Rotterdam-based athlete used the period that followed not only to recover from his injury but to find and create the home of his dreams.

In March 2016, Mr. Hahn bought a 1,690-square-foot duplex, located on the top two floors of a four-story, 1930s apartment house in Kralingen, a quaint, upscale area just east of Rotterdam’s city center. He paid $539,000 for the apartment, then spent about $272,000 on a makeover, reversing color schemes and knocking down walls. Once a cramped, white-on-white home for a family of five, the duplex became a spacious two-bedroom, one-bathroom, for Mr. Hahn, now 24, and his girlfriend, professional dancer Marrit Nicolai.

Exterior shot of Hahn’s building.

Herman Van Heusden for The Wall Street Journal

Working with Mariska Jagt, an interior architect based near Wassenaar, Mr. Hahn threw out the lower floor’s various whites in favor of black and gray, while creating an open-plan kitchen and dining area.

Upstairs, the couple converted a small bedroom into a walk-in closet, and set up a guest bedroom to exhibit Mr. Hahn’s cache of athletic shoes, currently numbering more than 100 pairs.

Mr. Hahn used his time convalescing to perfect the new interior. “Every day he was on Pinterest,” says Ms. Nicolai, 27.

To make the most of the new open plan, Ms. Jagt suggested a kitchen from Leicht, an Amsterdam-based design company, with an inductive stove and sleek cabinets outfitted with push latches. Mr. Hahn had budgeted about $22,000 for the kitchen, but ended up spending $33,000, which he regards as his primary splurge.

“At first I thought, ‘Who cares about a kitchen?’ ” says Mr. Hahn, a Rotterdam native, whose parents live nearby. “But now I am really glad I chose this one. When family and friends come over, most of the time we are in here.”

Many of his teammates are still living in the heart of Rotterdam, with its high-rise living and pulsing nightlife. Mr. Hahn chose the more sedate area of Kralingen, known for its low-rise, redbrick houses, as well as its peace and quite. “I can focus here,” he says.

A view of the kitchen.

Herman Van Heusden for The Wall Street Journal

Much of central Rotterdam was destroyed in World War II, but whole stretches of Kralingen survived intact, and Mr. Hahn’s new home is rich in historic touches, such as geometric stained-glass windows typical of the 1930s, and nickel-trimmed railings and doorknobs.

“I wanted a new house,” says Mr. Hahn, “but I wanted to keep all the old details.”

Mr. Hahn may be young, says Ms. Jagt, “but he has a lot of experience in the world, and he knows what he wants.”

When it came to the lone bathroom, Mr. Hahn wanted a shower and a tub, requiring Ms. Jagt to push out the original bathroom into the master bedroom. The new space—featuring a custom tub designed by Ms. Jagt—cost $32,400.

He also found something appealing on Pinterest: windowsills doing double duty as benches. Ms. Jagt created a cushioned area—at a cost of $5,500—for a living-room window, providing needed space on Sundays, when Mr. Hahn and his friends gather to watch soccer on his big-screen TV.

The couple’s go-to spot is the living room’s big beanbag chair, a gift from Mr. Hahn’s mother that predates his home purchase. But the new home also has more than $65,000 in new furniture.

Mr. Hahn kept the original wood floors, but spruced them up with a new oiled finish, and he was able to maintain the previous heating system. But the lavish new kitchen meant an upgrade of the apartment’s wiring, costing $10,660.

The couple, who moved into the finished apartment in December, still have a long to-do list. They plan to buy art for the lower floor, and they will focus on their roof deck, which has views of Rotterdam’s inner harbor. Mr. Hahn is planning to put in a new barbecue and maybe even a Jacuzzi.

Mr. Hahn knocked down a wall between the two windows to open up the living room.

Herman Van Heusden for The Wall Street Journal

The wide-open deck offers a contrast to the rooms of the apartment below, which is finished in hushed tones. “I really like that it’s dark,” says Ms. Nicolai. “It peaceful and cozy.”

Mr. Hahn, who took out a 10-year mortgage to pay off the apartment as soon as possible, already is thinking about new properties.

“Soccer players’ careers end at 35 — or 40, if you’re a goalkeeper, like me,” says Mr. Hahn, who returned to play in November. “I will probably invest in real estate.”

Key costs

Purchase price: $539,000

Kitchen: $33,000

Electrical work: $10,660

Wood floors: $8,680

Carpeting: $4,070

Construction/demolition: $57,200

Bathroom: $32,400

Plaster/painting/skylight: $40,000

Furniture: $65,300

Architect’s fee: $16,300

Fireplace work: $10,900

The post Soccer Player Warner Hahn Makes a Real-Estate Goal appeared first on Real Estate News & Advice | realtor.com®.

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qBifRE