 |
| 213 Old Stamford, on the corner of Old Studio Road |
NEW THIS WEEK. It always starts with location and this one has it: the Old Studio Road neighborhood near schools, Waveny and town. Totally renovated top to bottom with a gourmet kitchen in today’s neutral colors. NEW this week.
Why is 213 Old Stamford Road going to sell in the next 90 days? There are at least 5 good reasons:
1) Price $1,558,000 represents the sweet spot of the New Canaan market. There is always demand for houses at that price point. Last year 27 houses sold between $1.5 and $1.7 million and 30 sold the previous year. Looking at the last 27 houses that sold in this category they sell in 133 days at 97% of their asking price. If this one is better than average for condition, location and style, and I think it is, then it will sell.
2) The Kitchen. It seems everybody these days is focused on houses with great kitchens. Some people want to do the kitchen their way but for most of us we aren’t looking to take on a project, we want to just move in to a great house where somebody already took the trouble to get it right. Walls were taken out, steel beams added and the plan opened up resulting in this 21st century kitchen with soapstone countertops.
3) Renovated well. This house has been renovated, really renovated, not just paint and carpet. See the exhaustive list of improvements below. The homeowner has invested $450,000 improving the house and it shows. Rarely do we find a well-renovated house offered at this price point.
 |
| the bedrooms with updated lighting, new thermal windows and painted in neutral colors. |
4) Hot Location. The trend seems to be toward these close-to-town neighborhoods. Ask any mother of school-age children in New Canaan how much time is spent driving family members around to various activities and its easy to see why the neighborhoods close to school, town and train are so popular. And, its not just mothers driving up the demand for in-town locations. The desire for an easier commute to the station or Merritt Parkway is important to commuters. That, coupled with the tendency for empty-nesters to seek smaller, newer homes close to town are all driving this trend. The house at 213 Old Stamford house meets the needs of a variety of those buyers. It is located halfway between the village and the schools, providing easy access within a mile in either direction to all of the amenities that New Canaan has to offer.
 |
| Master Bedroom with Sitting Area and TV |
 |
| Master Bath with Soaking Tub and Frameless Glass Shower |
5) The Master Suite. Almost as important as the kitchen we find that the Master Suite is a must-have for the buyers looking today. They demand adequate closet space, usually walk-in closets, and plenty of them. Second, they demand a Master Bathroom with adequate space for two to get ready in the morning, usually with both shower and soaking tub. Finally, the Master Bedroom usually has some amenities that the other bedrooms lack such as a sitting room or fireplace. This house features that sitting area, great for watching the big screen TV, plenty of well-organized walk-in closet space and a Master bathroom that would rival even the most expensive new houses in town.
List of Improvements 213 Old Stamford Road
August 2012-2015:
-
- Master Suite addition: Reconfigured the 2nd floor layout of rooms, added walk-in closet, painted, added ceiling-filled soaking tub and steam room with LED lights, heated floor, granite vanities and rain bulkhead. You have to see it to believe it.
- Added outside porch area underneath the bathroom addition.
- Upstairs bathrooms completely remodeled: new fixtures, tiled walls and floor, tubs and sinks.
- Floors sanded and stained darker: all of the 2ndfloor and 1st floor piano and dining room.
- Replaced all windows with Thermal windows except for TV room because it already had them. All new expensive hand-slide window treatments.
- Hardiplank siding done on entire house, trim replaced, and stone facing of garage and new porch area.
- New bluestone walkways, front door area and patio area outside the porch added.
- New paved driveway with drainage. New basketball court with painted foul shot line!
- All yard fencing replaced. Post and beam pressure-treated fencing. New stone wall in front yard. All new landscaping, yard completely re-sodded after construction, added outdoor lighting. New irrigation system. Automaticly waters the entire property: 9 zones for the grass and drip system the flowerbeds.
- New washer and dryer, gutted mudroom, replaced with built ins, new exterior doors, new garage doors.
- Upgraded electric to 200amp service and converted all lights to LED lights which reduced consumption $150/mo.
- Heating system changed from baseboard electric to 3 zone FHA, brand new system controlled by NEST online, 2 air handlers, 2 a/c units, and humidifier system added for 1st floor only. Furnace replaced 2013
- Connecticut Basement systems installed French drain for the entire basement perimeter, added all new triple sump pump with battery backup, and humidifier system unit.
- Basement – Finished basement in 2015. Carpet and walls are done with waterproof, water-resistant no-mold materials.
- Kitchen – Finished in Summer 2014. Walls removed to open up the space between kitchen and family room and dining room. Steel beam installed. Soapstone countertops with lighted barstool area and glass-tile backsplash. High-end custom cabinetry. New Jacobean-stained hardwood floors. New stainless steel farm sink and beverage refrigerator. Induction cooktop and stainless steel hood with ventilation to the outside. Crown moldings.
- Powder room. New in 2015. New toilet, sink, fixtures and hardwood floors.
- Generator – Generac brand automatic with a GenTrans switch that powers all critical systems and about half the house. New in 2015.
  |
| the basement, finished by CT Basement to guard with special mold-resistant materials guarantees a safe, healthy play space for the kids to bang on those drums and play that guitar |
- Cedar Storage Shed in the backyard. New in 2015. 6’ x 8’