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| Open House Review: 39 Tall Cedars Posted: 08 Jan 2014 04:00 AM PST As I mentioned last week in my review of 3 Clocktower, I am going to compare it this week with 39 Tall Cedars. Also located in Woodbury’s Sonoma neighborhood, this home is a bit bigger and includes a bonus room. The basics: HOA dues are $110 per month and there are Mello Roos. At a quick glance, 39 Tall Cedars is 145 square feet bigger, the lot is 862 square feet bigger, and the price is $48 less per square foot ($61,000). You’re definitely getting more for your money on Tall Cedars than you are on Clocktower. In terms of location, Clocktower backs to another home, has homes on both sides, and is close enough to Sand Canyon to hear street noise from out front (and probably from inside if the windows were open). Tall Cedars backs to a non-residential street (though toward the end, so there probably isn’t much traffic), with a swimming pool for the neighboring apartment complex right across from the home. In addition, one side of Tall Cedars borders a small cul-de-sac and doesn’t have any houses directly next to it. I think I give the location edge to Tall Cedars, but others may disagree. The houses themselves are quite similar. When you walk inside, you can see down the hallway to the great room at the back of the house. The downstairs bedroom is off a short hallway immediately on your left. It is on the smaller side, though there was a lot of furniture that made it feel more crowded. It has windows on three sides and a two-door sliding closet. While the bedroom is carpeted, the rest of the downstairs has travertine floors. Just outside the bedroom is the downstairs bathroom. It has a single sink and a decent sized stall shower. The main hallway has a large closet that extends under the stairs, providing plenty of storage. The great room in Tall Cedars is bigger than that in Clocktower. The owners opted to extend it toward the back, rather than have an outdoor California Room. The extra space is surrounded by windows, plus a door to the backyard. The main room is quite similar to the one in Clocktower. There is a fireplace surrounded by white crown molding on one wall, flanked by windows on both sides. Overall, it feels a lot more spacious and open. The adjacent kitchen is also quite similar. It has a large center island with bar seating. There are white melamine cabinets and the same color granite counters. The sink and dishwasher are in the island; the stove and one oven are directly behind it. A second oven, microwave and fridge are on another wall, next to a walk in pantry. This home does not have a tech center off the kitchen, but it does have a small drop zone leading to the garage. The dining area is more a part of the kitchen than in Clocktower, but does still have some separation. It also has additional counter and cabinet space. The backyard is a good size for the neighborhood. About half is hardscaped; the other half is a combination of grass and a garden. It has a free standing gazebo and a large built in barbecue that includes a sink plus a stove with two burners. The biggest difference between the two rooms is that Tall Cedars has an open loft area/bonus room at the top of the stairs. This is the only room in the house with wood floors. Several windows bring in a lot of light. It has a space where you could add a nice built-in unit or mount a TV on the wall. In one corner, a small alcove offers space for a mini office, toy storage, or maybe a place to store off-season/holiday items. You have to cross through the bonus room to get to the master bedroom. It is a simple, rectangular room with plenty of space. One corner could work well as a sitting area. Windows overlook the backyard and side of the house. The master bath has two sinks with a tub in between them. The vanities have white melamine cabinets and granite counters. The bathtub surround is plain, white tile. The shower has matching tile and is a decent size with a built-in seat. There is a large walk-in closet as well. Both of the secondary bedrooms are a good size and noticeably bigger than the room downstairs. Each one has several windows plus a French door leading to a large, shared balcony. They have two-door, sliding closets that are bigger than the one in the downstairs bedroom. These rooms share a bathroom off the hallway. It has two sinks set into a long counter and a door that separates them from the toilet and shower/tub combo. The shower has tan, square tiles. The laundry room has a sink, side by side machines, and a big linen area at the back. The two houses – 39 Tall Cedars and 3 Clocktower – are quite similar. There are a few main differences: the combination of travertine and carpet in Tall Cedars versus wood floors throughout Clocktower; the tech center and pantry in Clocktower versus the drop zone in Tall Cedars; the added space to the great room and the bonus room in Tall Cedars; the nicer tile and marble in the master bath at Clocktower; and the balcony on Tall Cedars. While a few of the differences go in Clocktower’s favor, I think the extra square footage – both inside and out, along with the location make Tall Cedars the better choice. Of course, the lower price clearly swings in Tall Cedars’ favor as well.  |
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