Redwood City: Half-Baked Rancher
There are days where I just don’t think I can tolerate yet another ranch house. But then I think of the buyers, seeing one after the other after the other, all weekend long, every weekend. That’s what keeps me going. But I have to say: it can get old. I don’t seem to mind so much if they are either in original condition and need complete updating, or if they have been completely updated, but I have really come to abhor what I term “half-baked renovations.” And this 3/1 home at 2785 Washington Avenue is a good example of bad.
There is little streetside charm in this Woodside Plaza home. It has been repainted but there is no life to the front yard or drive, nothing to make it stand out or be appealing. Entering the home you find that the living/dining area and all the bedrooms have been painted “designer” colors and crown molding has been installed (is it real or is it that new Ezapeel Molding?). This is a typical quick-fix before putting a home on the market and is expected. But walking into the bathroom and kitchen is a lesson in incongruity. Nothing has been done to them. They are outdated, with the bathroom still sporting its original green and beige tile. The kitchen is in real need of work and looks completely out of character with the other common areas. Add in that the home is not staged, and the assortment of furniture does nothing to help sell the home. Some of the windows have been converted to dual pane, but not all!?!
The covered back patio, accessible through sliders from the dining/living area, is nice with brick half wall…but wait…the interior ceiling of the patio is completely unfinished. There is plenty of storage area and laundry facilities in the two-car garage, but that is a given. I wish there was more charm here, or that the owners could have gone the extra mile and finished what they had started, or even that the price point was lower than the list of $849,000 (at $749/sf it is overpriced in my humble opinion). But alas, if wishes were horse, beggars would ride.
FYI – this home last sold in 2002 for $567,000. It is unlikely that the cost of renovations and appreciation in this neighborhood would account for a $282,000 increase.
