Redwood City: Woodhill Estates Tudor
On a day that I saw one too many teeny remodeled ranchers, I had the pleasure of walking through this expanse of a home at 8 Woodhill Drive, located at the Redwood City/Woodside border. This home is part of Woodhill Estates, at 22 years young, one of the most recent full-scale neighborhood additions that Redwood City has seen. (Given the lack of any significant amount of developable land in this town, it is not likely to see another build like this in my lifetime.)
The homes in this neighborhood are all large, on good-sized lots, have high-end amenties, and all sell for well over a million dollars…when one actually comes on the market. It is a very upscale suburban development, but given the demographic as I drove around, I feel confident in saying that it is a family neighborhood, albeit families with money. This particular home is a 4BR/2.5 BA, and at 3,400 square feet, typical of the area.
8 Woodhill Drive is a two-story Tudor-style with 3-car garage and mature landscaping in front and back. As you enter, there is a large and airy foyer with the winding staircase to the second level, living room with a fireplace off to your right, and very large formal dining room to your left, both facing the wide street. Behind the staircase is a very large eat-in gourmet kitchen with island, with window views to the backyard and canyon and a sliding door to the redwood deck. There is an abundance of cabinetry, 6-burner gas range, and dual ovens, all standard in a home of this size. A small nook between dining and kitchen holds a wine rack and wine refrigerator, for easy access during meals. The laundry room with doors to yard and garage is also off the kitchen. The step-down family room has it’s own fireplace and a wet bar, as well as built-in cabinets and shelves, and a second sliding door to the deck, making the back half of the home a huge indoor/outdoor entertaining space. A half-bath completes this floor. The colors are rich but neutral, and crown molding has been added throughout most of the home.
Upstairs contains 3 bedrooms, a hall bath, and a huge master bedroom suite. Bedrooms are carpeted and in soft neutral colors, some having views of the canyon. The hall bath has a dual vanity in one area, with the shower, toilet, and bidet behind a separate door. I found the addition of the bidet interesting, but it made the floor plan cramped and the shower not as accessible as I would prefer. The master suite was as big as some condos I have seen. Both walk-in and hall-lined closets would please the shopper in me. There are 2 windowed nooks, which could be used for a reading area, small desk, dresser, or chaise lounge, and a nice fireplace for those chilly nights. The master bath had a large tub set next to a full window that had a gorgeous view of the canyon, as well as shower, dual vanity and separate toilet area.
The backyard, on two levels, contains the redwood deck on the first floor, with stairs leading down to the pool with integral spa and lawn area.
This really is a superb home, ready for move-in. Reports are available for inspection. One added note: there is a homeowner’s fee of $110/month.
One minor niggle if you consider purchasing this house: Owner has requested/required COE then possession mid-June, meaning that once your close escrow on this sale, that the current owners will rent back the property until mid-June, so you would have to wait to use that swimming pool and spa. My guess it this is due to the family wanting minimal disruption to their school-aged children.
