Phinney Ridge: Gnome Needed

There seems to be a glut of new townhouses, with gleaming stainless-granite finishes, on the market. I think this 7-year-old townhouse, with its lower-end kitchen and so-so location, suffers by comparison. Witness the ticking away of days listed on Redfin – 45 and counting – and a recent, 3-percent price cut from $499,990 to $485,000.

The street exposure makes it one of the least private among this conclave of zero-lot-lines. Fortunately, I didn’t hear much traffic noise when I visited, despite being situated on a one-way street that feeds into a major Aurora Ave. crossing.

The layout is pretty standard for a three-story townhouse, but I thought it contained wasted space, like a too-large entry way, deep bathroom shelves lined up for a drenching from the shower, and a ladder-less loft destined for cobweb storage. The smaller of the two upstairs bedrooms isn’t very big either, on the order of 12′ by 9′.

I felt sad as I toured, unlike the fresh vibe generated by a similar lake-area resale, which ended up getting bought quickly. The square footage here is more than many townhouses, so there’s a value argument to be made for considering the property.

I just hope the next owners can inject some happy into this home. Maybe they should start by buying a gnome.

STATS:
Neighborhood: Phinney Ridge
Asking: $485,000
Address: 914 N. 74th St., Seattle, WA 98103
MLS#: 27022898
Click here for detailed listing.

KCR DATA:
Living square footage: 1510. Lot size: 1501 sq. ft.
Bedrooms: 3 Baths: 2.5
Last sale price: $299,950 (Feb. 2001)