Tag Archives: renovation specialist

Walking in The Front Door…

Over the weekend I was processing the properties that we saw on Brokers’ caravan last Friday.   We previewed a very intriguing duplex in Hermosa Beach, a stunning ocean view property in Manhattan Beach, a classic ocean view ranch style that needs love in Hermosa Beach (no bullozers, Please!). However, we wanted to blog about our “surprise” of the afternoon, because this home reminded us that no matter how internet savvy we are. . . nothing trumps walking in the front door.

Case in Point:   766- 33rd Street, Manhattan Beach.  Asking $2,400,000. From the internet pictures [which are nicely done, by the way] the home looks like a large – but typical mediterranean style 1990s built home.  It is on a large lot on a beautiful street, so the square footage and location gets your attention.  Still, it just doesn’t grab you. . . until you go inside.

The home designer created an extremely interesting floor plan.   Some would say “strange” — however, I LOVED it!  The home has almost a split level design of the master and guest suites, with sitting rooms and offices all pouring out onto different level patios and balconies.  I was intrigued by the intricate design and the use of space to create several living levels and private retreat areas.  It is a wonderful home for entertaining and perfect for a buyer who has older children or who has frequent out-of-town visitors.  For a large home it has the right balance of large gathering spaces and cozy rooms.  We like nice surprises; this one did not disappoint!  So, if you are completely into your internet searching, get up and take a walk. . . you may find your perfect Front Door.

Putting the HOME in Townhome!

Taya Asimos and I went out today to investigate the Redondo Beach, Hawthorne and Torrance new single family home listings.  We covered a lot of territory today, not really seeing anything that stood out to us as a stunning home. . . until we hit 2422 Gates Avenue, Redondo Beach.  This home epitomizes gracious living.  It has been meticulously decorated and has a nicely, and recently, remodeled kitchen.  The house is 2,650 sf per the developer, but it lives much larger.  The beauty of the floor plan is that it is situated on an extra wide lot and occupies the corner.  This means that it has that classic floor plan of formal living and dining room up front with the kitchen and family room at the back spilling out into a lovely yard. All the bedrooms are upstairs and they are ample.  This is what we affectionately refer to as a “just bring your toothbrush” house.  You only need to unpack and settle in front of the cozy family room fireplace and toast your good fortune at buying such a pretty house!  The kicker—it is not a single family residence; it is a two-on-a-lot townhome.   You would never know, but the great feature of this is that it is priced as a townhome. So, if you are frustrated by the price vs. size options you are finding in the Single Family market you might expand your search to townhomes that have a similar configuration.  We see these and other “out of the box” solutions every week.  Call us!

Mid-Remodel- Taking a Pulse on Progress

We are in the midst of a remodel project in the Tree Section of  Manhattan Beach, CA.  We are upgrading a post WWII 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath tract house for today’s lifestyle.  Typical layout of this era were small closed-off kitchens with large laundry rooms, 1 hallway bath, 3 bedrooms and smaller closets.  Also, they were not built with access to the backyard, other than through a side Kitchen door.  We are borrowing a little space from one of the bedrooms and are making a master suite with a door to the backyard and we have blown out the Kitchen walls to create a living-dining-kitchen area that is perfect for today’s more casual lifestyle.  Take a look at our before pictures and our mid-remodel video

be seeing you soon with updates!  If you are interested in remodeling your home and want to know what upgrades will have the largest value impact, contact us.  We are on our 143 project and have sorted out what works!

You can take a look at one of our prior projects here.