A house around the corner came on the market this week: 4160 Wilson Lane… and it’s an original gem that’s worth a look for any enthusiast.
[A view from the entry door — click the images for larger versions.]
The agent, Kevin Eklund, worked with the owners to freshen up the house and make some improvements, including:
- New VCT flooring in a nice, neutral tone (+ removal of the old asbestos-laden tile — a real bonus)
- Recoated roof
- Painting and re-oiling of the walls and paneling
…but some things they didn’t dare touch:
- All original lighting and switches
- Original sliding doors and windows
- Original doors in great shape
- Original kitchen with swing-out table
- Original master bath
- Original closet doors
- Original stained ceiling
There’s carpet in the living room which was added by the previous owners and is in good shape. It might have made more sense to simply continue the VCT throughout the house, but that would be an easy fix… but otherwise, there’s very little to do to make it quite livable. One might eventually want to update the bathrooms and make a few changes, but as it is, it’s a great, original blank canvas — and you don’t find many of those. It’s the same model as out own house: 4BR with a 2-car garage.
It’s priced at $465K, but given the recent comps in the area, I would not be surprised if the house went for a bit over asking and even if it did, the new owners are getting a great deal.
Original sliders and windows throughout.
Uncovered and airy atrium.
Original kitchen — the only change has been an updated dishwasher, 24in oven, and refrigerator. The cabinets, sink and cooktop are original and in surprisingly good condition. The realtor and his team took great care to refurbish the original finishes. Note the original telephone jack on the back of the island adjacent to the swing-out table.
Original panelling is in good shape considering its age.
The box above the door is a mini-split AC unit — kind of essential here in Concord. It seems to be a DIY install and the new owners might want to have it inspected by an installer. The condensate drain will need to be routed to the drain stack on the adjacent wall (where the laundry dumps out). This is a fairly easy fix.
When adding the new VCT, the owners and agent opted to keep a bit of the carpet in the living room. If the new owners wanted to extend the VCT, it should be an easy job and the original contractor is available to do the work (at a good price, I might add).
Having seen a lot of flooring in Eichlers — from carpet to slate — this is very nicely laid VCT in a great gray-green tone. The owners used a low-sheen polish instead of the more common high gloss.
The original vanity remains in the master bedroom.
Original closet doors (in very good shape) seal all of the closets in the hallway and bedrooms.
All of the rooms are incredibly clean and well maintained. The 110V electrical can be easily updated to 3-prong plugs if desired — our 63 models have grounded electrical systems.
The hall bath has had a few updates, but nothing terrible and noting that couldn’t be remedied quickly and easily.
The view from the “office” to the atrium.
All of the interior doors and closet doors are in great shape.
The laundry room is in its original configuration, but can be easily converted to a more modern arrangement (deeper machines behind doors at the far end of the room) — some folks have even moved the machines to the garage with success.
The ceilings are the original stained redwood — after 40 years of rain, this is rare… most have been painted by now.
All of the light fixtures are original… again, not something you find every day.