O'Hare sits on Chicago's far northwest side, roughly bordered by the expressways and forest preserves that separate the city from the suburbs. The residential pockets here, including areas around Higgins Road and the streets feeding into the Norwood Park Township boundary, tend to feature mid-century brick bungalows and ranch-style homes built in the postwar decades. Many of those homes are well-built but overdue for updates. Kitchens still have original cabinetry from the 1960s. Bathrooms are tight and dated. Basements sit unfinished because nobody got around to it yet.
The Chicago climate hits O'Hare hard. O'Hare International Airport is actually one of the official weather-recording stations for the region, so when forecasters say Chicago got 12 inches of snow, they often mean O'Hare specifically. Winters here are long and brutal, and the freeze-thaw cycle does real damage to older homes. Basement moisture issues are common. Aging bathrooms crack and peel. If you've been putting off a remodel, the weather isn't going to wait for you.