105 Girard Avenue, Hartford’s West End

105 Girard Ave - Hartford's West End

105 Girard has everything you would expect in a classic West End Victorian.

Set up from the street, a deep front porch is the perfect gathering place. Step through the entry vestibule into an open foyer, featuring a pretty turned staircase. High ceilings, hardwood floors, and French doors throughout frame the space.

The main level provides a formal living room with wood burning fireplace and a formal dining room with bay window. An office space is just off the dining room, separated by French doors. A den, located off the foyer, is an ideal informal TV room or play space.

The updated kitchen has ample storage and work areas. There are granite counters, an eat-in breakfast bar, and a useful pantry. The first floor is completed with a powder room and mudroom.

Upstairs, retire to a fantastic master bedroom suite featuring a generously sized bedroom, separate dressing room with plenty of closet space, and an attached master bathroom. The second floor has two additional large bedrooms which share a Jack & Jill bathroom.

The third floor offers another beautiful, huge space which can be used as a bedroom or family room. Two more bedrooms and a full bathroom complete the third floor.

Outside, the backyard is a peaceful retreat. There is a bluestone patio, formal flower beds, and greenspace.

The home has replacement windows, a newer roof, and a newer gas hot water heater.

Steps from UConn Law and Elizabeth Park, this is an ideal home for those who appreciate character and space.

105 Girard Avenue is offered at $350,000. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent arrange a showing or call Amy at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit. More details are available.

27 Fairfield Road, West Hartford

27 Fairfield Rd - West Hartford

This sweet colonial, located in the Norfeldt/King Philip/Hall district, is ready for its next owners. With newly refinished hardwood floors and fresh paint throughout, all you’ll need to do is move right in.

The first floor offers a classic layout featuring a living room with wood burning fireplace and a formal dining room. The kitchen has plenty of storage and workspace, as well as room for an eat-in table. A powder room completes the first floor.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms with nicely sized closets, as well as a fully remodeled bathroom.

The basement is great for storage or could be finished, if desired. Laundry shares this space.

Enjoy the mature plantings in the oversized, level yard with paver patio. It’s a wonderful space to unwind, play, and garden.

The one-car attached garage is accessed through a bright breezeway. Relax in this room 3 seasons a year, overlooking your outdoor space.

The home has replacement windows throughout, 2 window-mounted air conditioning units which cool the space, a new refrigerator, and many updated lighting fixtures. A must see!

27 Fairfield Road is offered at $289,000. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent arrange a showing or call Amy at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit. More details are available.

227 Penn Drive, West Hartford

227 Penn - West Hartford

This thoughtfully updated home in the Morley/King Philip/Hall district awaits its new owner.

A showstopper kitchen remodel is the focal point of the first floor, which has opened the entire kitchen and dining space. An oversized center island is perfect for meal prep and congregating. There are granite counters, stainless steel appliances, double sinks, tile flooring and backsplash, and a beautiful greenhouse window. The large dining area accommodates formal or informal gatherings.

A sizeable living room flows well with the kitchen and features a bay window and gas fireplace.

Another fantastic addition is the new full bathroom with tiled shower and floor, large vanity cabinet, and built-in storage.

A bright sunroom completes the first floor.

Upstairs, the master bedroom is spacious and features double closets. There are two additional bedrooms, a classic full bath with both a tub and shower, and a large unfinished room, perfect for storage.

The basement offers a partially finished space with a fireplace, the laundry room, and a storage area.

Outside, a level backyard has a nicely sized deck for entertaining, space for play and gardening, as well as a useful storage shed.

The home has a new roof, newer high efficiency gas boiler, replacement windows throughout, hardwood floors, and a 1-car attached garage. There’s really nothing to do but move in and enjoy the updates!

227 Penn Drive is offered at $339,900. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent arrange a showing or call Amy at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit. More details are available.

February Contracts: Poised for Spring

2019-03-05 Hartford County Single Family Contracts in February 2019

The Hartford County single-family market finished February with 706 contracts, a 2.2% increase over February of last year.

The year always begins with a slow ramp up of activity as new listings come onto the market, and buyers begin to think about the spring. Market data shows that the inventory of available homes is still quite low in many towns.

Buyers tend to behave in one of two ways when there are not a lot of properties to choose from. They either aggressively compete for the available properties, or they take a step back to wait for more homes to be listed. It mostly depends on how urgently they need to find a new home. We’re seeing some of each behavior at the moment.

This is the time of year to get your home onto the market. Pricing continues to be strong, mortgage interest rates continue to be low, and buyers are focusing more on their home search.

Give us a call for an evaluation of your property, we can give you a sense of your specific situation.

2019-03-05 Hartford County Single Family Contracts in February 2019 by Town

Real Estate Math

Real Estate Math

Of the various maths involved in residential real estate, calculating the value of home improvement projects is the most difficult. Return on investment is ultimately determined by the market. There are no definitive answers, unlike there are in the problem above.

A quick quiz: Which of these projects tends to provide the best return on investment for sellers?
   A. Back Yard Patio Installation
   B. Garage Door Replacement
   C. Minor Kitchen Remodel
   D. Window Replacement

Buyers are very much into move-in ready homes right now. They want what they see on TV, which is often updated, neutral, and sparse.

In most cases it does not make sense for a seller to do updates in order to list a home for sale. However, pretty much any seller can make progress towards making their home neutral and sparse.

We’re happy to help you decide how far to go as you prepare for the market, and to recommend contractors if you need help completing the work.

Our goal is to suggest projects that will either make you more money on the sale, or help the property sell more quickly, or both.

By the way, the Remodeling’s 2019 Cost vs Value Report says that answer B is the best response … replacing garage doors tends to provide sellers in the Hartford area the highest return on investment. Check out their website for the return on investment numbers for all 21 projects included in their report.