Irvine Housing Blog |  |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2013 04:00 AM PST This week, I visited an open house at 2 Candela in Northwood’s Woodside neighborhood. It is on the corner of a quiet, sul-de-sac street and a bigger residential street that runs up one side of the neighborhood. It is only one block away from the community pool, tot lot and tennis courts. The basics: HOA dues are $97 per month (going up to $99 on January 1). There are no Mello Roos. This 1978 home has been partially upgraded, with some rooms showing a truly modern look and others having a mix of old and new. The house has new windows throughout and new flooring in some rooms. Though it is a corner lot, the overall lot size is still pretty small at 4,792 square feet. The house does have a main floor bedroom and full bath, which will definitely appeal to some buyers. Upon entering, there is a small entry area leading directly into the living room and a wide, straight stairway on the left going to the second floor. The entry has hardwood floors but the living room is carpeted. The living room has cathedral ceilings and a big window overlooking the front yard. A railing divides the living room from the adjacent dining room. My biggest complaint about the room is that it is three steps higher than the rest of the rooms on the first floor. Going down the three steps takes you directly into the dining room. Its wood floors match those in the entry and hall. The room has one window looking out to the side and, like the living room, cathedral height ceilings. There is space for a long table and, if it isn’t too wide, a nice china hutch as well. The kitchen is right behind the dining room. It has newer, porcelain tile floors and two big windows facing the backyard. There is a breakfast nook right when you walk in, with the rest of the kitchen to the right. Four pantry-height cupboards sit next to the breakfast table, along with an opening that looks through to the family room. The kitchen has newer, white melamine cabinets and a mix of white and stainless steel appliances, but the white tile counters are original. The oven and microwave are next to the table, with the fridge on the other side of them. The four-burner cooktop is along another wall, with the sink and dishwasher on the wall lining the backyard. I wish there was some counter space next to the oven and feel that the room could use more counter space in general. The kitchen also has higher ceilings, allowing for display items to sit atop the cabinets. I don’t like that the kitchen is mostly closed off from all of the other rooms. The family room sits next to the kitchen and has matching tile floors. A built-in entertainment unit lines the wall shared with the kitchen and a brick fireplace is on another wall. Both the entertainment unit and the mantle are white to match the kitchen. Sliding doors provide access to the backyard. The family room is a pretty good size, but somewhat limited in how to arrange the furniture due to the built-in, fireplace, and sliders. A hallway off the family room leads to the downstairs bedroom and bath, along with the laundry area and garage access. The washer and dryer are located behind shuttered doors and there is a storage cabinet next to them. The downstairs bedroom is pretty small and has the same tile as the family room. Its only window faces the side of the house so it doesn’t get a lot of light. It has a big closet taking up one full wall with three sliding doors. The current owners have several big pieces of furniture in here, so it might feel a little bigger with less stuff inside. The full bathroom has a single sink and a shower. It has been remodeled to include a brand new vanity with a bowl-style sink, a framed mirror, tile floors and new tile in the shower. The shower pan is pretty dingy but the room has been nicely upgraded otherwise. The backyard is a pretty typical size for the neighborhood (bigger than many new homes but not too big overall). It has a long patio alongside the house, with the center portion raised higher than the two sides. Behind it is a grassy area and a raised flower box sits at the back. Upstairs, there are two additional bedrooms plus the master suite. All bedrooms have carpet that is in decent condition but definitely shows some wear. The bathrooms have the same porcelain tile as downstairs. The two secondary bedrooms are similar in size and both face the front of the house. Each has a long window that isn’t very tall and a two-door, mirrored closet. One has a built-in bookcase just outside of it; the other has one just inside the door. Both rooms also have a ceiling fan. The shared upstairs bath is similar to the one downstairs. It has a new vanity with granite counters, a raised bowl sink and espresso-colored cabinets. The shower/tub combo has not been retiled. The master bedroom is a good size and, like the others, has a ceiling fan. One big window overlooks the backyard and crown molding lines the ceiling. It has a wide, two-door mirrored closet in the main room and a walk-in closet by the bathroom. Linen cupboards are in the hall just outside the room. The master bath has the nicest upgrades in the house. The vanity has two sinks and space between them for a chair if you wanted one. It only has one drawer, which is the only negative in my opinion. The shower is through a separate door and is quite large. The tile here is more decorative than in the other bathrooms and it has a built-in seat in one corner. It also has a big cutout in one wall for shampoo bottles. The shower looks inviting and relaxing. Overall, the house is in good condition. The upgrades to the bathrooms are nice and the kitchen is mostly upgraded aside from the tile. I dislike that you have to go down three steps from the living room to the rest of the house and wish that the kitchen opened up to the family room more. I also think the asking price is too high for the neighborhood at $411 per square foot. The realtor had originally listed it at $845,000 ($388/ft), which is more in line with recent sales and current listings in and around the neighborhood.  |
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