Listing of the Week: New take on old-school charm
Recently rebuilt 'cottage' brings French flair and modern touches to Providence, R.I.
Given a choice, many folks might choose the most modest house on an amazing block over a spectacular home surrounded by crud.
Agree? Then the French-style cottage that's our Listing of the Week may be for you. And "modest" may not be the best word to describe it.
Built in 1954 but gutted to the studs six years ago — only the front door and a few stained-glass windows remain — this three-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home has gone from being "something atrocious," as listing agent Ben Scungio of Lila Delman Real Estate says, to something more befitting its affluent surroundings on the East Side of Providence, R.I. It's listed for $825,000, recently reduced from $875,000.
Post continues below
With 2,640 square feet of living space on a nearly quarter-acre parcel, the home melds traditional and modern. There's a formal living room with coffered ceilings and a large fireplace. The kitchen features Bosch and KitchenAid appliances, including a double oven, as well as a bar sink. Both rooms lead to a long deck with mahogany accents.
Built-ins adorn all three bedrooms in the home, and the master bathroom also has a walk-in marble shower.
Although the home was designed to look a bit older than it is, 21st-century details slip in. The roof is made of recycled rubber tires, Scungio says, and all lighting in the home is LED.
As a bonus, the lower level has a full kitchen and bath. It can be used as an in-law suite, Scungio says.
All of these updates, which Scungio estimates cost from $300,000 to $450,000, help bring the house up to the character of the neighborhood. Many surrounding homes were built in the early 1900s. According to Realtor.com, other houses on the street are 4,000 square feet or larger and are valued as high as $3.4 million.
"The 'who's who' of Providence live on Grotto Avenue, including many prominent Providence business owners," says Scungio, who clued us in to the property on our Facebook page.
According to the Providence County Assessor's Office, this property last sold for $375,000 in June 2008. It was listed again in May 2010 for $1.145 million.
— Tony Stasiek is a producer/editor at MSN Real Estate.
| Tags: | listing of the week |
About Teresa Mears
Teresa Mears is a veteran journalist who has been interested in houses since her father took her to tax auctions to carry the cash at age 10. A former editor of The Miami Herald's Home & Design section, she lives in South Florida where, in addition to writing about real estate, she publishes Miami on the Cheap to help her neighbors adjust to the loss of 60% of their property value.
msn real estate is social
FIND YOUR DREAM HOME OR APARTMENT
