Eichler. Oh how I love an Eicher. I was trolling our local real estate listings, and I found an Eichler that is hard even for a mother to love.
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| 814 E. Ferndale Ave., Orange Ca 92865 |
Warning: the opinions you are about to read might offend the actual owner of the home. Many of my favorite home blogs have a policy of NO SNARKINESS. Seriously? Where is the fun in that?
From the exterior of this home, you think, "OMG, an Eichler."
The real estate agent description is promising
You will love this exceptionally well maintained and upgraded Eichler built home in the Fairmeadows tract. Light, bright mid century modern design with post and beam construction, walls of glass overlooking artful landscaping, patios and central atrium. Meticulous attention to every detail. Remodeled kitchen and baths, RV access, spa, culdesac street. Tile Floors throughout the home with Carpet in the bedrooms. Shady backyard for relaxation.You step up to the front door.
Honestly, it is lovely. You read the Zillow listing on your iPhone. Sounding super good. Orange California is famous for iconic Eichler homes. I live only twenty minutes away and have been known to zip up for an open house or two.
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You step into the courtyard. It doesn't suck and is very Eichler. Of course the outdoor rug and the tiki pole are a little misplaced. Not your style. That is to be expected. You have awesome style.
Actually, the courtyard is extremely Eichler. Undaunted by the Christmas lights, you soldier on.
Right inside the front door is the living room. Okay. So the living room furniture is a little oversized, and there is an extensive children's playroom perched just inside the atrium window. And the owners have painted the fireplace white. And the beams. And the ceiling. Big deal. Just sand blast. Taken care of in a day. And, honestly, they will probably take their crap with them when they move.
On to the kitchen. Please observe the iconic eighties tile floors. They can be taken out easily. With a sledgehammer. And some elbow grease.
The countertops have been added onto what appears to be existing base cabinets. Are they granite tiles? With a black tile edge? With stainless appliances? The lighting may very well be original.
Better view of the kitchen, which is quite close to what looks to be an original layout.
The dining room below is off the backyard and on the backside of the kitchen. Now you are at a loss. The glass cabinets on the right can't be original. And the outdoor picnic dining room set is just a space filler. Has nothing to do with the house's purchase-ability. This home needs you.
Better view of the dining room. And the sixty gallon aquarium. I am sure the dining room does not smell like fish water because they clean the tank regularly. Unlike in my son's room.
This room below has me a little stumped. It is somewhere off the kitchen. You know that because the refrigerator is in there. Currently it is a home office, pantry? What was the original purpose? Was this really the dining room? And another door maybe attaching the garage. Pretty normal. Mid-century moderns have exterior doors everywhere. In the oddest of places.
Master bath. Clearly a product of the eighties or nineties. Looks a little Home Depot. All original tile gone. **sniff** Another exterior door. And a pet door.
Baby's room with a raspberry wall. It is on the front of the house, you can tell by the window at the top.
A kid's room. Presumably a young lady.
Another kid's room (another young lady). Where did that funky paneling come from? Looks too good to be original. But wood paneling like this was actually pretty iconic. I would check into the paneling more closely. What is hiding behind it?
The second bathroom is another Home Depot remodeling. The pictures don't include shower shots. From this photo, this bathroom almost looks like a powder, but it has to be a full bath according to the listing. Seriously tiny. I can relate.
I grouped all the backyard pictures together. The requisite spa in the background. The overhang to the right is attached to the house with two by fours nailed to the beams. Totally illegal. Can't possibly be up to code. Or original.
Fire pit in the foreground. Better shot of the strange patio cover object.
It's a jungle out there. Disorder and confusion everywhere. Gawd why did Monk have to end? Another little patio cover. With a tiki bar.
Price history from Zillow, check out what this baby sold for in '94. It is going about $200K cheaper than six years ago. Wonder if this is a distress sale?
Price History
| Date | Description | Price | Change | $/sqft | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/22/2013 | Listed for sale | $579,900 | -25.2% | $335 | Ricci Realty | |
| 06/13/2006 | Sold | $775,000 | 288% | $447 | Public Record | |
| 08/25/1994 | Sold | $200,000 | -- | $115 | Public Record |
Did I mention the RV parking? Super convenient. For your RV.
She looks so innocent from the street. On a culdesac to boot. A ton of work. But how easy would this be? Pull up the floors, sandblast the ceilings and the beams, rip out the kitchens and bathrooms and splat something in. Ta da. You have an Eichler. Oh. The landscaping needs work. And please, when you buy it, would you paint over all that red trim?
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| 814 E. Ferndale Ave., Orange Ca 92865 |
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814 E. Ferndale Ave., Orange Ca 92865
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With all the people out here who'd give a limb for an Eichler, it's inconceivable that the owners could be so clueless that they'd take beautiful design and practically destroy the aesthetic.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding. What a mess. The house appears to be in good shape though. The bathrooms would HAVE TO go. And the kitchen might be purely cosmetic. The backyard area is a mess.
DeleteOh dear God. It's awful. I hope someone who is actually aware of what they are purchasing will treat it accordingly. Talk about a project. I'm speechless, really.
ReplyDeleteSerious dorks. What were they thinking? If I had money, I would love to buy it, restore it, and rent it for awhile, then maybe sell it but would make the owners fill out a special quiz on mid-century. Perhaps sign a pledge as well.
DeleteIt wouldn't be too hard, wouldn't it Rebecca? Half your work would be done when the owners take their crap with them!
ReplyDeleteNo it wouldn't! You can see the house peeking out from under there. I wrote this post as a public service... The house sobs itself to sleep every night. Hoping for a rescue.
DeleteClutter clutter clutter...I agree with Kylie, I would love to see this home empty. The granite countertops however, are a crime!
ReplyDeleteI hate the clutter. Although I know kids cause these types of problems. To fight it all we really didn't buy that many huge things. What am I saying, that of course we used to. But I tried to NOT put everything on display in the living room.
DeleteSo much potential here! I'd love to see it all sorted out and returned to its original Eichler roots. Too funny about their "exit strategy" with the mirror over the bed--yikes! :-)
ReplyDeleteSOOOO much potential. I agree. On the mirror, my husband WILL NOT allow pictures over the bed, and forget heavy mirrors. Southern California is earthquake country for sure. It is not "if" it will come down on the bed, it is "when."
DeleteI would buy the house clutter and all!It's fabulous! How much fun would it be to clear it all out and just sit and ponder the potential!
ReplyDelete