I wrote about 533 Petronia Street in Key West in July when it was listed for sale. It went under contract right away, just like I predicted. The house is in livable condition, but it is best suited for a total renovation. Let's look at the outside and the interior. You can then appreciate the value of this location and this home.
Back on the Market 533 Petronia Street, Key West. This is
the perfect historic renovation project. It appears to be in pretty
good condition suggesting that improvements made by the next owner will be more decorative
than structural in nature. There is an attractive front yard, gated off
street parking, and room for a pool in the rear. However, I do believe
other improvements would necessarily include the upgrading of
electrical, water, air conditioning, replacement of windows and doors,
and the addition of a new kitchen and baths plus the addition of a pool,
decking and gardens. When completed the "old house" essentially would
be new.
I
searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to determine the approximate
age of this property. It first appeared on the 1889 map as 517 Petronia
Street. The street number was changed to 529 Petronia on the 1892 map
and finally changed to 533 Petronia Street on the 1899 map. This tells
us the house existed as early as 1889. I then dug into my old shoebox
and found the above black and white photo taken in 1965. Compare it to
the present day photo at the top. You will see some gingerbread was
added to the porch columns. The white picket fence was replaced by a
chain link fence - usually chain link fences are the ones replaced. The
charm of the visage is undeniable.
The
house sits to the right of center of the 45' X 100' lot. The entry
door is centered in the middle of the house which measures 24' wide by
50' deep according to the Property Appraiser records. In actuality, the
house is longer as there is appear to be two mystery additions about
which the Property Appraiser is unaware. More on that later.
This
house reminds me of how so many of the houses in Old Town looked like
22 years ago when I began selling houses here. Many of the original
houses had been modernized in the 1950s or 1960s. The were plain Jane in
every aspect. But they had what folks refer to as "good bones" or
"potential". As these houses were bought and renovated, the stock of
houses with "potential" diminished. This particular house has a very
interesting street presence, lot size, and house size plus structural
condition that suggests this would be a great candidate for renovation.
The photos above and below show how the current house is laid out.
Forget the the way the place looks now instead focus on the size and
condition. And then open your mind as to how you might re-create the
spaces into what could work for you and your family or partner or
whatever.
The existing living room is located at the
front and is very large. The adjacent front bedroom and bath are tiny.
The room sizes and configuration make no sense for modern day life! The
board and batten in the bedroom strongly suggest the walls are Dade
County Pine. If the current ceiling were vaulted, the already large
space would be dramatic.
A
doorway at the rear of the living room flows into the kitchen. A hall
on the west side has a bath and closets followed by a second bedroom.
While I did not measure the space for accuracy, I am pretty sure that
this is the only part of the house on the Appraiser's record which shows
the house measuring 24' wide by 50' deep. In fact there are four
"rooms" beyond the known structure: a closet, a bath, the TV or family
room, and a third bedroom.
The
rear "phantom rooms" add 312 sq feet of living space to the known 1200
sq ft. A thoughtful renovation might change the main entry from the
front to the west side which would allow the master bedroom to be
located at the front where the porch would be private to the master
suite. Bedrooms could be located along the east side and a new open
concept living and dining area placed on the west side where there is a
sizeable open area which could become a tropical garden and/or deck
leading to a pool at the rear. Multiple sets of French doors might be
added on the side and rear to bring light into the new open concept
living area. The opportunities to create are boundless.
The
rear lot has two storage rooms. The west room presently has a rooftop
deck of sorts. A new owner might convert this space into a poolside bar.
I would nix the space myself. The east rear storage could be kept
without interfering with anything. CLICK HERE to view many additional photos of the house and yard.
This
property is located about one-half block east of Duval Street. Several
of the adjacent homes have transient rental licenses and others are
rented as monthly vacation rentals. When renovated this house could
become a very popular vacation rental given the size and location. This
would be so easy to kept rented throughout the year. The most
successful vacation and transient rentals are located near Duval Street
and have off street parking. Guests will love it!
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet on 533 Petronia Street, Key West offered at $799,999. Call Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to set up a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.
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Friday, October 19, 2018
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
906 Southard Street, Key West - Award Winning Eyebrow House
The 2009 Old Island Restoration Foundation award winning home at 906 Southard Street is a classic example of an architectural style unique to Key West referred to as "eyebrow house". A plaque at the front entrance explains the origins of the architectural name, albeit eyebrows don't really protect one's eyes - it's the eyelashes that do that. But we get the point.
Compare the above photo taken in 1965 to the color photo at the top of this page. You will notice many significant changes including new windows with shutters, new front door, and the addition of a gated covered parking structure - that is unheard of in Old Town. The house was extensively renovated and expanded in 2008-2009. Today the house has 2188 sq ft of living space divided between the two floors and rear additions. The home has three bedrooms, three baths, a large kitchen and family room with multiple doors which open out to the covered rear porch, pool, and garden.
You enter this home through a formal entryway which alternatively leads to the primary living areas to the right and rear or, alternatively, to the first floor study with adjacent bath, which is currently used as a study. Beautiful wood floors are set off by the wood trim and crown moldings painted crisp white. The kitchen will delight the cook in the family - it has two refrigerators, wine coolers, Viking Range, and Carrera marble counter-tops. There is a small informal dining space just off the kitchen. An owner who may want a dedicated dining area could use the family room at the rear of the kitchen (last photo above).
The study could be used as a third bedroom. It works just fine for the current owner. The bathroom has a second door which opens into the living area for guest usage. Note the custom built cabinets which are also featured in other parts of the house. There is attention to detail everywhere.
Both second floor bedrooms have large private en-suite marble baths. This place just rocks! It's formal, but not stuffy - elegant, but not prissy.
The 2008-2009 renovation and expansion included the kitchen and family room additions plus wrap around rear porch and pool. A new owner will find the covered porch a perfect alternative to stuffy indoor dining, especially on our mild winter nights when folks up north are stoking their fires and fumbling with thermostats trying to warm up their houses.
I recalled having taken a photo of this home several years ago. It seemed like it took me forever to sort through my old shoebox before I found the 2010 photo of the dogs standing sentry on the front steps. At Christmas the current owner dresses them up to charm passersby.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to arrange a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I have sold several eyebrow houses in Key West. Let me open your eyes to the possibility of owning of of the prettiest of the eyebrow homes in our little town.
Compare the above photo taken in 1965 to the color photo at the top of this page. You will notice many significant changes including new windows with shutters, new front door, and the addition of a gated covered parking structure - that is unheard of in Old Town. The house was extensively renovated and expanded in 2008-2009. Today the house has 2188 sq ft of living space divided between the two floors and rear additions. The home has three bedrooms, three baths, a large kitchen and family room with multiple doors which open out to the covered rear porch, pool, and garden.
You enter this home through a formal entryway which alternatively leads to the primary living areas to the right and rear or, alternatively, to the first floor study with adjacent bath, which is currently used as a study. Beautiful wood floors are set off by the wood trim and crown moldings painted crisp white. The kitchen will delight the cook in the family - it has two refrigerators, wine coolers, Viking Range, and Carrera marble counter-tops. There is a small informal dining space just off the kitchen. An owner who may want a dedicated dining area could use the family room at the rear of the kitchen (last photo above).
The study could be used as a third bedroom. It works just fine for the current owner. The bathroom has a second door which opens into the living area for guest usage. Note the custom built cabinets which are also featured in other parts of the house. There is attention to detail everywhere.
Both second floor bedrooms have large private en-suite marble baths. This place just rocks! It's formal, but not stuffy - elegant, but not prissy.
The 2008-2009 renovation and expansion included the kitchen and family room additions plus wrap around rear porch and pool. A new owner will find the covered porch a perfect alternative to stuffy indoor dining, especially on our mild winter nights when folks up north are stoking their fires and fumbling with thermostats trying to warm up their houses.
I recalled having taken a photo of this home several years ago. It seemed like it took me forever to sort through my old shoebox before I found the 2010 photo of the dogs standing sentry on the front steps. At Christmas the current owner dresses them up to charm passersby.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to arrange a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I have sold several eyebrow houses in Key West. Let me open your eyes to the possibility of owning of of the prettiest of the eyebrow homes in our little town.
Monday, October 8, 2018
17156 West Bonita Lane, Sugarloaf Key Florida
I broke one of my real estate rules this past week and I am pleased to say I am glad I did. I did not do anything inappropriate. Instead I only left the island of Key West and ventured up to Sugarloaf Key to show houses to a potential buyer. I consider it a big no-no to go outside my sphere of knowledge because I am just not familiar with all of what goes on just 17 miles from Old Town Key West.
Readers in New York or New Jersey probably would not consider a seventeen mile drive anything at all. I am sure most are used to daily commutes on a train of seventeen minutes or longer. I consider having to drive three miles to the grocery store a hardship. The drive to this house took us about twenty minutes from the time we crossed Cow Key Channel, the waterway that separates Key West for Stock Island Key.
We met the listing agent at the front of 17156 West Bonita Lane and then walked the property before going inside and later returned to the water's edge. I was just captivated by the beauty of this lot and the setting. I don't boat nor fish, but I can completely understand why people would want to own a place like this. Let's look some photos of the inside and then I will discuss the property further.
This 1320 square foot home has been recently renovated. It has three bedrooms, two baths, a new kitchen and two new bathrooms. It sits on 12,500 square foot lot on a canal that leads directly to the deep fishing waters of the Atlantic Ocean. There is a tiki hut and outdoor shower located at the water side plus a ladder for getting back onto the dock after swimming in the canal. People come to Key West from all over the country to tickle lobsters and grab stone crabs during the limited season this is permitted. As owner of this home you could go out back, grad your dinner, and have an al fresco seafood feast.
There is covered parking under the house. There is a partial enclosure under the house. This area has knock away walls and is not usable for living space. During the renovation new wind impact resistant windows were added to the house. That means you won't have to put up or close shutters, and more importantly, your wind storm insurance will be much lower. There is plenty of room for a pool at rear or side of the lot.
Imagine sitting in the hammock at waters' edge looking up to the sky. This could be your casa bonita.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view more photos of 17156 West Bonita Lane on Sugarloaf Key, Florida. Offered at $739,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let's take that hammock for a test ride.
Readers in New York or New Jersey probably would not consider a seventeen mile drive anything at all. I am sure most are used to daily commutes on a train of seventeen minutes or longer. I consider having to drive three miles to the grocery store a hardship. The drive to this house took us about twenty minutes from the time we crossed Cow Key Channel, the waterway that separates Key West for Stock Island Key.
We met the listing agent at the front of 17156 West Bonita Lane and then walked the property before going inside and later returned to the water's edge. I was just captivated by the beauty of this lot and the setting. I don't boat nor fish, but I can completely understand why people would want to own a place like this. Let's look some photos of the inside and then I will discuss the property further.
This 1320 square foot home has been recently renovated. It has three bedrooms, two baths, a new kitchen and two new bathrooms. It sits on 12,500 square foot lot on a canal that leads directly to the deep fishing waters of the Atlantic Ocean. There is a tiki hut and outdoor shower located at the water side plus a ladder for getting back onto the dock after swimming in the canal. People come to Key West from all over the country to tickle lobsters and grab stone crabs during the limited season this is permitted. As owner of this home you could go out back, grad your dinner, and have an al fresco seafood feast.
There is covered parking under the house. There is a partial enclosure under the house. This area has knock away walls and is not usable for living space. During the renovation new wind impact resistant windows were added to the house. That means you won't have to put up or close shutters, and more importantly, your wind storm insurance will be much lower. There is plenty of room for a pool at rear or side of the lot.
Imagine sitting in the hammock at waters' edge looking up to the sky. This could be your casa bonita.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and to view more photos of 17156 West Bonita Lane on Sugarloaf Key, Florida. Offered at $739,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let's take that hammock for a test ride.
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