03. First impression
A confusing mix of good and bad.
Beautiful and semi-secluded estate. This 5bd/5ba home has an opportunity around each corner. Enter a great room with features of an open concept living space, reading nook, and a formal dining room. The galley kitchen hosts Jenn Air appliances, granite counter tops, and built-in end caps. Find your way upstairs to the bonus room or downstairs to an additional living space. This home has 2 ac units, 2 laundry areas, and an attached 2 car garage. Walk past the spa, pool, and sauna to find the 2bd/2ba ADU w/ its own private drive, laundry, and attached garage. Full-size tennis / basketball court is shared with neighbor.
Omissions
On paper and from a thousand feet in the air, the property looks pretty good. In person, it was obvious that the listing omitted the piles of junk, hazardous pool, and many other unfortunate details.
House Potential
Regardless, we saw a lot of potential. The house is huge. The setting is park-like. Majestic trees dot the property and lush greenery fills the yard. Some of the most costly areas to remodel — kitchens and bathrooms — seemed, at first blush, to be in relatively good condition.
Our House Purchase Timeline
3/27 the house was listed
4/2 we visited the house
4/7 we made an offer
4/17 we visited the house again (what have we done?!)
5/6 the sale closed
5/7 we moved in and spent the first night there
We’re we crazy?
Maybe.
Was the house expensive?
Yes (over $1M)
Was the house a high cost per square foot?
No ($171/SF)
Why the rush?
We had originally left the city and moved to Bainbridge Island, an island suburb of Seattle, with dreams of finding our forever home. We had two kids at the time and the island seemed like an idyllic area to raise children and enjoy life. We started casually looking at homes. Three years and two more kids (twins) later, we were still renting and house prices (and rents) were continuing to sky rocket. My last straw was seeing a house sell for one million dollars, over asking price! It was not going to happen for us on the island.
It was around this time that my husband saw the posting for our house (see above). He told me we had to go! I was unsure. The house looked weird. It was in an area that I had never been to, a less established and more rough around the edges little town. Googling Port Orchard we looked up crime stats (not so great) and schools (seemed OK). I was still not sold.
When we drove here, through the dilapidated, but historic and charming downtown, along the water with panoramic views of the Puget Sound, we could see the universal appeal of the area. Then we turned the corner into a picturesque pastoral scene. A farm house, a field, and horses! Just another 1,000 feet and we were here, at our front door. Wow, this place is magical.
Then there was still the house, and the junk, and the level of disrepair. It was a confusing mix of good and bad.
Regardless, we decided to take the plunge. Our next step was to focus on making the place safe for our little kids and, as an architect, I could not help but start thinking about how we can transform this place from weird to wonderful.