Berkeley Home Choices: A Case of Two into One Will Go
Berkeley’s Elmwood neighborhood has seen a rush of what the agents like to refer to as “golden duplex” listings over the past few weeks, some of them carved out of what were formerly fine old single-family homes.
The possibilities these properties present are tantalizing, not least because the asking prices on these buildings are usually significantly lower than if the house was all in one piece, as it were.
You can either move into one of the duplexes and make a tidy income from renting out the other. It goes without saying the skill here is finding someone you would love to have as your (very close) neighbor. Or you can embark on reinstating the house to its former glory—putting in new staircases (or, if you’re lucky, finding the one that was never ripped out); tearing out redundant kitchens and bathrooms, and reconfiguring the rooms to work as a single house.
This option requires time and expense as well as permits from the city. It’s safe to assume Berkeley isn’t going to make it easy for you to effectively reduce the amount of habitable space in the city. Check in with the planning department to see what’s required before taking the plunge.
2813 Kelsey Street sold last month for $1,325,000 (a little more than its $1,295,000 price tag). This one was actually two very architecturally interesting conjoined homes on one lot for the price of one.
3122 Eton Avenue (pictured right) is a vacant duplex in another brown-shingle house with 2+/1 upstairs and 3/1 down. There’s a balcony on the upper floor and a two-car garage. Price: $1,198,000.
2727 Russell Street (pictured top) has been on Redfin 18 days. This is a spacious classic Berkeley brown-shingle divided into two apartments. According to a friend who visited, the original staircase is still there (although closed in) and the property has lots of potential, including a sizable yard. Price: $1,450,000. Undivided, a house this size (3,161 sq ft — 5/4) in this location would probably fetch at least $200,000 more.
