The two story temple style home located at
1112 Virginia Street in Old Town
Key West may appeal to a variety of potential buyers because it has multiple possibilities for future use.
The black and white photo above was taken in 1965. (A notation on the back of the photo says the house was built tin 1895.) I looked at the historic Sanborn Fire Maps and found this house identified as "1202 Virginia Street" in the 1912 edition. A smaller house was shown at the same location on an earlier map but that house was smaller and faced toward Varela Street (the cross street) which leads me to conclude the smaller house was razed or moved to make way for this much larger property. Also, the lot here is quite large for this part of town. Both the old black and white and the current color photos show the big open lot space to the east of the building which is where a new owner might place a pool or parking. The
corner lot is 3587 sq ft. According to the Property Appraiser, the house is
1982 sq ft, but that does not include the third floor loft living space.
1112 Virginia Street is a
legal duplex. The property has recently been totally painted inside and outside. Two new kitchens and baths were added. There are two distinct entries, living spaces, and so on. A new owner could live in one space and rent the other. Or an investor could rent both. Alternatively, a new owner could gut the place and redo it like so many of the other grand houses in Key West. A total renovation would be a big project, because this is a really big house. This house has the quite large lot that provides more than enough room for a large pool and garden.While this house itself is not "grand", the architecture is and the outdoor space is much larger than you will likely find in the entire
Old Town area.
The listing Realtor describes this property like this:
"Recently renovated duplex on a large corner lot in Old Town. Two legal units
with new kitchens and baths-both with stainless steel appliances, new cabinets
and granite countertops. The downstairs is a 2BR/1BA with original and new wood
floors. The upstairs unit is a massive 1BR/1.5BA, with cathedral ceilings and a
third floor loft area with two separate spaces. Great income potential or
conversion to a single family or condos. Each unit has original Dade pine, high
ceilings, its own washer and dryer and private porches. Off street parking,
large yard with working well, outdoor shower and room for a pool (permit and
plans in place)."
The second floor is pretty amazing. Access is via a rear entry off the Varela Street side. The second floor rear landing is just wonderful. You get a great view of the neighboring houses. There is very charming front porch which has equally beautiful views of this neighborhood.
Sandwiched between the two porches is the second floor apartment which has also been updated. There is an internal stairway to access the former attic which has an open loft living and sleeping area plus an additional bathroom. The listing agent says the loft is not counted in the total square footage of the building.
 |
| Entry to second floor apartment is through the kitchen |
The second floor apartment with the finished attic space reminds me a lot about the way many of our old houses were first renovated back in the 1980s and 1990s. Some parts of the old house like the interior layout, exterior siding, and windows were left in original condition while the important parts like the kitchens and baths were updated. The spaces are clean and utilitarian. This apartment, like the first floor place, would rent in a heartbeat. Both units have two great outdoor living areas with great views. Locals would love to rent either unit.
I took a lot of
photos of this property which you can see if you
CLICK HERE.
1112 Virginia Street is located one block west of Sandy's Cafe on White Street. Bayview Park, Fausto's Food Palace, several gyms, and yoga studios are all located within a three minute walk from the house. Duval Street is a five to seven minute walk. Higg's Beach will take about the same time to walk, but you could get there quicker by bike.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing of this property. I am a buyers agent and afull time Realtor at
Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.
