812 Windsor Lane - Key West - An Old Town Home with Lots of Potential

For years and years as I would drive potential buyers through Old Town someone would see 812 Windsor Lane and ask "How much is that house"?  I would always respond "It's not for sale" to which they would reply something like "We'll I want to buy it when it is for sale." The house looked pretty a bit "tired" compared to the way it looked in 1965 when the above black and white photo above was taken.The trees and foliage overwhelmed the lot and the house had not been painted in decades. All that changed about six years ago when the house was renovated.

 Today the property is available for the very first time to the buying public at the asking price of $1,560,000.  The listing Realtor describes the property thus:

"Historic Treasure in the heart of Old Town. First time on the market! Fully renovated in 2008, this historic home has been in the same family since the 1800s. 2BD/2BA main house has a beautiful mix of original Dade County and heart pine walls and floors in the bedrooms. Updates include vaulted ceilings and a modern kitchen with granite countertops and stainless appliances. A 2BD/2BA guest house is connected via a Caribbean style covered walkway. Both homes are lined with French doors that open onto a spacious deck overlooking the tropical gardens, bricked courtyard, and private waterfall swimming pool. Fully fenced with a locking gate, the property has off street parking for 2 cars. This is Key West tropical living as it was meant to be!" 

The front porch is just for show these days. The formal entry to the main house is located just beyond the fence at the end of the driveway.  You enter into the great room in the new rear addition to the historic house.  The living area is at the back of this house while the two front rooms are used as bedrooms. Both bedrooms have large bathrooms. The north bedroom has access to the old front porch which as a view of the Key West cemetery across the street.

The newly constructed guest cottage at the rear provides two large bedrooms and baths. Access to the guest cottage is protected via covered porch connected to the main house.

The two houses have a combined living space of 1892 sq ft under air conditioning. This does not include any of the covered or non-covered deck areas. The lot 5880 sq ft lot is fairly large for the Old Town area. There is bricked off street parking for 2 cars (according to the listing Realtor). CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet.

The house has been neglected just a bit. It needs a fresh coat of paint and some minor repairs which will make it all pretty again. I think a bit of fair dust would do a heck of a lot of good myself. If I bought this home I might splurge and retile the baths and replace the dark granite counter tops with quartz or some more contemporary hard surface. The color schemes are okay but I think a new owner could pick colors that are less Caribbean and more chic. The pool, rear decks, and grounds need some new plantings to make the spaces more welcoming.  None of the things I have suggested are super expensive.  I believe they would make this property show so much better. 

This home has a successful rental history as a vacation rental.  The property is located just a few short blocks to Duval Street. The historic Key West seaport is located six blocks to the north. Most of the gyms and yoga studios are within an easy walk as well.

CLICK HERE to view more photos I took.  After you've viewed the photos and the mls datasheet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to set up a showing of this Key West home with lots of potential.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.