711 Olivia Street, Key West - A Perfect Renovation

Just Listed, but not be me, 711 Olivia Street, Key West which the listing Realtor describes this way:

"Don's miss out on this incredible opportunity to own a newly restored masterpiece located in the heart of Old Town Key West. This property is nestled on quiet & quaint Olivia St., with close proximity to Duval St., many shops, restaurants and galleries just steps away. The property has been meticulously renovated with luxury finishes throughout with a key west coastal flair. Enter the main house and you will find a designer kitchen with a seamless flow to living /dining area. Space is designed with cool beach colors to create a relaxing yet luxurious ambiance. Main House features a second floor master suite with luxurious walk in shower, double vanities, stunning cabinetry and ample closet space. Find your way to the pool through double glass doors and relax in outdoor oasis. Private Patio, stunning Pool and Waterfall...what more could you ask for and if that's not enough, the newly built guest house is completely separate from the main house, perfect for guests and extended family. Designed with living and sleeping quarters, this space opens up to the pool and patio area resulting in the perfect Old Town Compound. One Off Street Parking and Located in X-Flood Zone."

 I wrote about this same property in mid October 2017 just as Key West began to recover from Hurricane Irma. This house was not damaged by the storm, but it was one of the first houses to be offered for sale as our little town started to recover. There were a couple of months where we all wondered how the folks up north would react to the misleading media reports that suggested Key West was as badly damaged by the storm as other nearby Keys. Be late December we knew visitors would be returning in bigger numbers than before.  CLICK HERE to read what I wrote then about 711 Olivia Street. Then compare what I suggested with what this new owner created and now offers for sale.

The original house was gutted on the inside. The staircase was removed and reversed going in the opposite direction. The ceiling in the sawtooth addition at the rear was vaulted.  I often tell prospective buyers that all houses are just boxes and that they need to let their imagination go and dream of what they could do with a particular box. What surprised me was the complete perfection this new owner brought to this project. They nailed it!

The original house had several one-purpose rooms, each very small. Original interior walls and floors were removed as were windows, HVAC, etc. I was stunned at how large and open the entire living space now feels. The kitchen is quite large and has a lot of upper and lower cabinet space and counter space. There is a good-sized peninsula with bar seating on the back side.  Two French doors open to the back and right rear yards.

As best as I can remember there were four rooms on the first floor. The living room was on the left and a bedroom on the right. Both were tiny. The bathroom was located right rear and the kitchen was on the left rear in the sawtooth addition. The first thing you saw upon entering the old house was a tiny stairway to the second floor which had a bedroom. Today you enter into a small foyer which immediately turns to the right and leads through the living room toward the dining area and then the kitchen. A doorway in the back of the kitchen now leads to the guest bedroom with an adjacent bath. The builder saved some of the original Dade County Pine walls in both the bedroom and the new living room. The rest of the walls are drywall painted in coastal colors. New interior floors flow from room to room giving uniformity of look and function. So many of our old houses have sagging floors and often at various heights. Just about every other item in this house has been replaced except for exterior siding, the front porch, and the roof.

The open staircase leads to the second floor master suite. I had a vague recollection of a cramped ceiling and wondered how that could have been fixed. Well I was delighted to see that the old interiors were guttered.  The windows at the front dormer were previously shuttered. The newly renovated space includes new open windows framed by closets on either side, a sitting bench with built-in drawers. A full walk-in closet is on the back side of the bedroom. The bathroom is surprisingly large and includes a double sink vanity, large shower, and separate toilet plus more built in storage under the eaves. 

If you look back up at the old black and white photo of 711 Olivia Street you will see an adjacent two story house. That photo was taken in 1965. The old house was razed and concrete block garage with interior plumbing was added. That garage created the opportunity for redevelopment. The new owner took down the garage and built a new structure that is now a surprisingly large guest cottage with living room, wet bar, sleeping area and bathroom. Wind impact resistant sliding doors open out to the pool and water feature which are surrounded by Trex decking. The whole yard is now surrounded by new fencing which also creates defined areas separating the house and cottage from the street and nearby Galveston Lane.  CLICK HERE to view the photos I took of the renovation of the eyebrow house to the rear at 845 Galveston Lane which includes many photos of 711 Olivia before it was previously offered for sale.

The original house had 1248 square feet of living space. The renovated home and guest cottage now have 1504 square feet of living space situated on a 3550 sq ft corner lot. The cottage would be the perfect place for your mother-in-law to stay when she comes to town. It's all on one level - no steps. She can keep her box of wine in the mini-fridge and watch her programs without having to go inside the main house except for meals. A gate at the side even allows her to slip away without having to make her absence known. CLICK HERE to view photos I took during the renovation. I never imagined it could look as awesome as it does. This is a really great house.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos on 711 Olivia Street, Key West now offered for sale at the sum of $1,795,000. Then please call 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.