Redwood City: Fit for a Family
I was happy to see a house on the market on Fernside in Redwood City, as this is not a regular occurrence. It seems that most of the homes have long-time owners. In fact, I know of one family who has been in the same house on this street since the ’50s and another since the ’80s. A lovely, tree-lined street running parallel to Alameda de las Pulgas, it has easy access to shopping and Highway 280, sits near three elementary, one middle, and one high school. Many of these primarily ranch-style homes were originally 2 and 3 bedrooms with no family room, but that has changed a bit over the years. As the original residents sold their homes, younger families have moved in and expanded and updated the residences. And this listing at 1239 Fernside is no exception.
Last sold in 2000 for $620,000, this 4 BR/2BA home has undergone extensive remodeling to bring it up to its current 1520 square feet, a great size for an active family. A former owner added a second floor in 1962 and, according to the agent, the current owners took it down to the studs and have done a total remodel, bringing its price on the market at $939,000. The remodel has all the standard issued items, refinished parquet wood floors, new carpeting, new paint, double-paned windows, remodeled kitchen and baths, as well as a tankless water heater, central air and heat, and a large laundry room with plenty of cabinet space, sink and appliances that leads to a side patio. The front of the house features fairly small rooms, with a living dining combo not very conducive to large dining parties or large parties, in general. The kitchen, tastefully done, is also somewhat small, although the light flooding in from the skylight was a nice addition. Also on the first floor is the master bedroom and bath and a 2nd bedroom, which has a door to the backyard and patio and would be great for an office or family room.
The second floor, newly carpeted, has a front bedroom that faces Fernside, and will experience some road noise, as this street can be a thoroughfare for traffic from the hills to three of the public schools. There is a second bedroom in the back, with a bathroom in between.
The back yard has a new brick paver patio for entertaining, but the rest of the yard is a blank slate–just a lawn area that could use some creative landscaping. Over the back fence is the Hetch-Hetchy easement, so there are no neighbors on that side.
This is a nice, if somewhat unremarkable property, on a street that sees few sales. If you are looking for something a bit smaller, around the corner at 1281 Crompton is a 980 square foot, 3/1 on the market for $839,000. The open house was cancelled over the weekend, so I was unable to view, but it is listed as ready to move into, with remodeled kitchen and bath. Worth a look.
