Every now and then, a real estate agent - or, maybe this real estate agent - falls in love with a house.
Actually, it happens more than I care to admit.
But then, I'm weird. It's why I write books. Its why characters live in my head all day long even when I am not writing.
Its why I put the setting in my books on journeys as well.
So, when longtime friends from Dickinson, Texas, called me and agreed to let me come look at their house with the chance at helping them sell it - I jumped at the chance. After all, like I tell people - I don't sell houses. I help you sell your house. The sellers and buyers are the heroes in these stories.
I will confess - I had seen pictures of the property, so I was quite interested in viewing it in person. The pictures had not done it justice. I was charmed the minute I saw it nestling in those trees. The house, built by the owner and his sons in the '80s, hearkens back to the late 19th century. The house, American Stick Style with pier and beam construction, was very popular in the 1880s as architecture moved away from the Carpenter Gothic approach of the mid-19th century and toward the Queen Anne architecture of the 1890s. Linear lines and exterior stick strips create a classic, enduring style that evokes memories of by-gone times when life was slower, family was everything, and the past flowed seamlessly into the future.
The house, of course, immediately reminded me of one of America's most famous homes - the rambling clapboard farmhouse on Walton's Mountain and the enduring television show The Waltons. Trees, planted to the left of the house by the owner to block the sun, whispered in the breeze and shaded the house. The side door, which faced the driveway, beckoned me inward, and I couldn't wait to rush up those flagstone steps, ramble around the massive three-sided porch, and then have a look inside.
I was not diasppointed.
The inside of the house welcomes you with charm and timeless appeal. The paneling and window and door trims were milled on site. The maple wood for the floors and the balustrades on the stairs was imported from Canada. The balustrades were also turned at a nearby shop that is no longer in business. A number of areas in the home can be bumped out to expand the living space.
The kitchens boasts two refrigerators, two ovens, a Jennair stovetop that converts to a grill, and best of all - a massive window above the sink that overlooks the pool. The walk-in pantry has shelves ready for you to fill. The laundry room, just a few steps away from the kitchen, has lots of natural light, a washer and dryer that stays with the house, and a large countertop and plenty of storage space. There is an additional full bathroom downstairs near the back door.
Upstairs four bedrooms include a primary bedroom and a bedroom that, with its executive paneling along one wall, could easily be an office. The primary bathroom has a jet tub and a bidet, and the central bathroom has three sinks, while the tub and toilet are in an adjacent room.
Further up, the attic has been drywalled, sheetrocked and floored. It has electricity and AC and can be enclosed from the stairs with a hatch that lowers over the opening. Outside, the garage, with a one year old roof, can house up to six cars. A small potting shed attached at the back of the garage has access through the garage or an exerior door to the outside. A high window makes the area perfect for protecting plants in the winter. The garage is plumbed and ready to add an additional bathroom. The rafters can easily be seen overhead, and can be used for plywood flooring and additional storage.
An 8 foot fence, as per city requirements, protects the large, gunite saltwater pool. A slide and a rock waterfall are just some of the perks of the summertime fun just waiting to be had!
Ready to start another chapter in your story? Do you have a large family, or is your family growing? Want a house with old-fashioned charm but without the renovations and constant care older homes oftentimes need?
From The Waltons to your family, every family has a story, and families write their stories in their homes. Sometimes they stay there a long time. Sometimes, they have to write new stories in other homes, and the homes they lived in and loved must go to other families for new stories.
Call me today, and I'll arrange a private tour with this gem of a house! And when you fall in love, we can make this house your home, and your family can write its own story within its walls.
For more particulars go here!
Want to see the memories that can be made in this house? Go here!
The kitchen is the heart of the home!
The primary bedroom is ready for you to come home to!
A laundry room to end all laundry rooms!
Photos and videos courtesy of Cierra's Captured Moments.
Memory video by Donna Porter.
Donna Hechler Porter is a real estate agent with Keller Williams Elite Realty in Baytown, Texas. An educator, a published author, and an arm-chair historian, Donna runs a small publishing business in addition to educating people about how to build future wealth through home ownership. Feel free to contact Donna at dhporter@kw.com.