North Dallas Soft Contemporary Lingers on Market Despite Attractive Floorplan and Schools
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The shady lot, the open spaces, and the cool angles in this 1970s soft contemporary in North Dallas really speak to me. I have a fondness for the style, as it translates easily to modern and transitional decor without feeling forced. Of course, sometimes the kitchens are outdated, with formica and linoleum and kitchen cabinets that have that heavy traditional vibe to them. Still, key updates with windows, flooring, and paint take these houses to a whole ‘nother level.
And this home, sitting on a great lot inside Preston Highlands, has a lot going for it. However, it’s been on the market for just shy of 200 days. That’s an eternity in this market, where homes in the $200K range have been flying off MLS. Why won’t this home sell?
It might be price, which is why the listing agent, Javaid Karim with Crescent Realty Group, has reduced this three-bedroom, two-full-and-one-half-bath home with a two-car garage and more than 2,300 square feet from $325,000 to $279,330. This home does feature some great updates, including hardwood floors in several rooms and new windows.
But we all know what sells homes, don’t we? Let’s go ahead and say it together:
KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS.
So maybe that’s why 18605 Crownover Court is languishing. The formal areas and den look move in-ready, but once you see the kitchen, your eyebrows start to get a workout. Formica counters and backsplash, outdated appliances, and some cabinetry that could look so much better with a good paint job and new hardware.
It’s when you hit the master bath that you realize that these sellers are leaving quite a bit of money on the table as they leave the carpet (!) on the floor of the master bath and the cabinetry looking sorry and sad. It’s a strange paradox from the master bedroom, which has new floors, a tray ceiling, new French doors, and plenty of light.
Some paint on the Jack-and-Jill bath that the two smaller bedrooms share could fix the rather worn looking cabinetry, too.
But let’s talk about the upside to this home: It’s inside the Dallas city limits but is within the Plano ISD attendance area with Jackson Elementary, Frankford Middle School, and the acclaimed Plano West High School. So there’s that. Also consider that you’re comfortably close to Preston Road, you’ve got great shopping nearby, and it faces a creek.
So, what do you think it will take to get this home sold?
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I think $50K for new kitchen and baths ought to cover it…
I’d say the fact that it seems to have no windows on the front of the house beyond the front door – which means no curb appeal. Add the fact that it looks like a toddler stacked some blocks to build it, and that means you’ve got yourself an albatross.
If you blow a hole to the right of the front door, it’d be strictly for curb appeal as it appears that wall is the garage versus the living room. It’s unclear what’s to the left of the front door. But there is a window on the second floor. But in the end it’s hardly an albatross any more than the thousands of copycat homes around town that sell just fine. Redo the kitchen (and open it up) and the baths. Most buyers freak at major renovations…but the house has to be priced to factor in the reno.
Improve curb appeal, paint the walls and all cabinets, install new countertops, stage. In that order. It’s dated and the curb appeal could be easily improved. I’d remove the tree on the left side of the door and the one on the right of the house, then trim the hedges. That would showcase the lines of the house better and the great front door would pop. The interior is just dated. Painting walls and woodwork and installing new countertops would go a long way. The fireplace door needs to be ditched as well. You also cannot simply leave a few objects around like a mirror on a wall and a tapestry rod. It gives the buyer the impression someone didn’t like these items enough to remove or could not be bothered. The sunken tub is a typical dated issue but the house could have sold quickly (even with that unfortunate feature) with the above recommendations. It’s a great mid mod reno and at close to this price point I’d expect a builder to snap it up and do a flip.