Irvine Housing Blog |  |
| Posted: 11 Nov 2013 04:00 AM PST Today I saw a house at 4 Urbino. It is nicely situated on a quiet cul-de-sac street in the gated community of Windstream. Windstream is divided into three gated sections so it limits the amount of car traffic although pedestrian traffic is not limited between the sections. 4 Urbino is found in one of the smaller portions that consist of 2 short cul-de-sac streets and just steps from the community pool and Hicks Canyon Trail. Asking Price: $998,000 There are no Mello Roos. The home was originally a 3 bedroom house with a large bonus room over the garage, but the bonus room is converted into two split bedrooms with a partial wall that divides the room. The single car portion of the 3-car-garage is also converted into an office area, although I was informed that the wall is temporary and can easily be removed if someone desires to convert it back to garage space. Although the house has a number of upgrades such as scraped ceilings, wood flooring downstairs, upgraded stair rails, plantation shutters, 6-panel doors and a remodeled kitchen, there were enough original features that left me with the impression that a lot of changes would still be needed to update the home. The windows are original, the carpet and paint look worn in areas, some bathrooms, including the master bathroom have original/outdated countertops and an old tiled tub and the garage doors are not roll-up. Upon entering the wood double doors the staircase, with beautiful railing, is to the right. A small closet with a short door is located on the landing of the stairs. The flooring on the first floor is wood, while the staircase and second floor are carpeted. The room feels spacious with the vaulted ceilings and there is plenty of light flooding the area through multiple windows. The windows, although original, are furnished with plantation shutters. Straight ahead is a step-down living room next to an open dining room. A good sized dining table can be accommodated in the dining area. To the right is a hallway with a coat closet and bathroom which leads to the kitchen, laundry room and family room. The bathroom is located directly across from the dining area. It has a single sink with a large 4x4 tile countertop. The fluorescent lighting has been replaced with recessed lights. The kitchen has been updated with recessed lights, black granite countertop and tile backsplash. Immediately to the right is the entrance to the laundry room, which leads to the garage. The laundry room has cupboards and a sink and still has the original fluorescent lights. The refrigerator is next to the laundry room entrance. On the adjacent wall is the oven with an electric stovetop above it. On the far wall are the sink, dishwasher and window overlooking the side backyard wall. The granite counter top extends out to create a rounded eating area in front of a bay window. The kitchen has plenty of counter space, cupboards and storage. In the center of the room, between the kitchen and family room, is a small wall that appears to be a load-bearing wall and part of the original structure of the kitchen prior to a remodel. It has another set of cupboards and storage and currently has recipe books and is where the home telephone is placed. The kitchen flooring is slightly different from the family room flooring. The family room has recessed lighting, a remodeled fireplace and a new sliding glass door leading to the backyard. There are multiple windows that bring in plenty of natural light. The sliding door leads out to a covered patio. The backyard is beautifully landscaped with a mature tree, a flat grassy area and vine covered walls. The yard sits lower than the neighbor in the back so a small, low retaining wall sits against the back wall. Carpeted stairs lead up to the second floor. Once upstairs, one of the two small linen closets is located at the end of the hallway. The linen closet sits between the master bedroom which is to the left, and one of the secondary bedrooms which is to the right. The hallway is L-shaped. To the right is the shared bathroom, another linen closet, another secondary bedroom and the bonus room which was converted to a split bedroom. The master bedroom is a nice size and has large windows overlooking the backyard. A brick fireplace is found in the bedroom. The master bathroom is a step up. Two sets of mirrored two-sliding-door closets are found at the entrance of the bathroom. There is no bathroom door which can bring some light into the bedroom if someone is utilizing the bathroom in the morning/night. The bathtub is sunken and entirely tiled. It is a unique asymmetric shape. At the end of the bathtub is the glass wall to the shower. The entrance to the shower and the toilet are separated from the rest of the bathroom by a set of wood slated swinging doors. There are dual sinks with plenty of counter space, but the countertop is outdated with tile that matches the bathtub and shower. The original fluorescent lighting sits over the sink area. The floors have been updated with clean 12 inch tiles. The first secondary bedroom is large and has a mirrored two-door sliding closet. There is enough space for a double bed, bookcase, small desk and nightstands. The shared bathroom has a single sink and tub/shower combo. It has a granite countertop and updated cabinets but still has the original fluorescent lighting. The second secondary bedroom appeared slightly smaller, but still a nice size. Both rooms have a large window that brings in plenty of light. The closet has two pull-out doors. The last bedroom is the converted bonus room. It currently consists of two separated sleeping areas with a partial wall that does not meet the ceiling. In order to get to the bedroom with a closet, one must walk through the front bedroom/room area into the back section. It is a small bedroom which fits a twin bed. The windows face the front of the house. This would not be my first choice of conversion for this room.
The layout of the house is nice, but if you are looking for a true 4 bedroom house, then the bonus room conversion may not be what you had in mind. There is plenty of storage space, but another downfall is the location of the bathroom, which sits directly across from the dining room. The price seems high for the amount of original features still left in the house, but would you be willing to overlook it and pay a higher price for a quiet, great location? The house is walking distance to Santiago Hills Elementary and Sierra Vista Middle schools.  |
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