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Thursday, January 2, 2014

409 Grinnell Street - Key West - Price Reduction

The two story Conch house at 409 Grinnell Street has been lovingly updated and looks picture perfect  The house first appeared in the 1889 Sanborn Fire Maps for Key West. I was surprised to learn that the adjacent Elgin Lane was named "Hidalgo Alley" in 1889.  As I looked through the old shoe box for photos of the property, I found a photo of a former resident that was taken in about 1918 - during World War I.  The photo shows Lawrence Higgs who was an inspector for the Florida East Coast Railway. The black and white photo below Mr. Higgs was taken in 1965 and shows how the house presumably looked for decades.  The color photo beneath shows the same property as it appeared in April 2011 - before the current owners purchased it. Note the metal louvers on the front and sides.  These louvers were replaced by real windows during the recent renovation. The owner told me that drywall covered two upstairs windows on the Elgin Lane side. New windows were added, the Dade County Pine walls were sanded and sealed. The floors were sanded and refinished.  Two difficult small bedrooms became one large bedroom filled with light. Little changes were made throughout the house.  Living spaces became a bit more user friendly for today's lifestyle. But the renovation kept the original character in tact.

The listing Realtor describes 409 Grinnell Street as:
"Beautifully renovated 2-story Old Town home located a few blocks from the Historic Sea Port. This grand Key West home displays Dade County Pine and a picture perfect interior. The 45' deep by 27' back yard includes an outdoor shower & plenty of room for a nice pool, decking, and garden."
When I first started selling houses in Key West in 1996, a time before almost every place had granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, and designer baths,, houses looked more like 409 Grinnell save the 1950's appliances. 
Drywall from an earlier renovation was removed. Much of the original Dade County Pine walls, ceiling, and floors remained intact and in very good condition.  The original wood walls were sanded and had a clear sealer added.  The trim was painted a crisp white to make the wood walls appear more robust.  The floors were all sanded and refinished. The house now has a uniform look throughout without having a "staged" look. Let me tell you there is a world of difference between original floors and some of the stuff retailers are passing off today. The closet under the elegant staircase became a wine storage room sans temperature control. It works - naturally.
The first floor has a bedroom which currently has an overly large bed and armoire that makes the room seem pretty small. The room is fine. It's the furniture that is perhaps too big for the room. The adjacent bath does "double duty" so to speak. The bath doubles as a guest bath. The bathroom is quite large. Notice the Dade County Pine walls and ceiling and the old style tiled floor. The bath tub hearkens bath to yesteryear as well. An opaque window provides lots of light and lots of privacy.
As soon as you enter the house your eyes are drawn through the living area then past the dining room where you see the kitchen. You see an old refrigerator and smile. Cute. Must be a gimmick - a piece of nostalgia.  Not so. When you look more closely you see the Crosley Refrigerator and the Kelvinator double oven stove with polished chrome top. Both appliances have been totally restored. The original temperature settings in the Kelvinator oven still guide the cook as the best method for making real meals (not the nuked kind so many people eat today).
The beautiful stairway leads to the second floor landing which then leads to three bedrooms on this floor. The bedroom on the Elgin Lane side was previously two small rooms where drywall covered the window at the rear. An interior wall was removed to create a larger bedroom.  The front covered balcony is adjacent. You might have your morning coffee while watching tourists and locals stop by the Old Town Bakery just across the street and down on the corner. If I lived here I'd be ever so fat. That bakery ought to be declared a sin for the pastries are sinfully delicious.
A second bedroom is located on the south side.  The third bedroom is located at the rear. It is smallish and makes a good den for the current owners. There is but one second floor bath. It is, however, quite large.
The rear of this property is still pretty much a blank canvas where a new owner could create his or her or their vision of the idyllic Key West back yard with pool or whatever. The space is quite large and provides adequate room for a pool. Constructing a pool would be pretty easy because a contractor could temporarily take down the fence on Elgin Lane, dig the pool and surface it, and then restore the fence. By the way, the laundry and a cute outdoor shower are located in the backyard as well.
CLICK HERE to view more photos I took of this cute Key West home.


409 Grinnell Street is now offered for sale at $997,000 or $652 per sq ft for this 1688 sq ft four bedroom/two bath home. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to see listing photos. After you have looked at that, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

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