Civilized Santa Barbara Style on the Wild Sonoma Coast
I love to wonder about the last occupant of a place. This charming house at 250 Driftwood in Bodega Bay is nicely situated on its lot (in the same area as mls# 20640829) and the exterior and interior are in good shape (though the decor of pinch-pleat valances and drapes, and varnished oak kitchen is dated). This house has gorgeous vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors and does not need much ripping and shredding to improve it. (I must be reading too many shelter magazines, because practically every house I looked at this week made me want to break out the Makita fun box.)
If you are so inclined, you could find yourself in a very comfortable and inspiring place. The bones of this house are very good, except for one thing. The front door is all the way around at the back of the house, hidden in the rear courtyard. If you want extreme privacy that’s free of annoying drop-ins and/or you enjoy the sadistic thrill of confusing your invited guests, this could be a good feature. Speculating here, but I think there might have once been a breezeway that once divided the now attached garage from the house and led to this courtyard. The living room has one high, wide, narrow and dare I say ugly window that’s practically begging to become a real front entrance. Replacing that window with a set of glass double doors would give this house solar gain with a southwest facing entrance, and would not set you back too much. The other strange enclosure was of the original brick fireplace. The demilune-shaped brick hearth has morphed into a bench seat with pillows. I have a feeling that the owner was trying to cut out drafts which can be significant here in the spring. I’m sure an enterprising new homeowner will want to open the fireplace back up, but it’s imperative to ask if it was ever a fully functioning fireplace before you light your Duralog. The landscaping is already very well thought out, with low maintenance azalea and other drought resistant coastal specimens. Smartly, it features more rock and brick than the typical rotting wood. Why anyone would use high maintenance and expensive wood in their landscaping is beyond merot happens! The house next door is an eclectic ’70s three story and it looms like a giant over the low slung, wide profile of this house. However I think the price is right, especially since it includes two adjacent lots which add a nice buffer of open space facing the coast.
250 Driftwood Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
agent: Melissa Freeman
Bodega Harbor Realty, Bodega Bay
mls# 20702244
2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1209 sq. ft. (+/-)
2 car garage with dark room
property includes 2 adjacent parcels for a total of .40 (+/-) acres.
$799,000
