New American Colonial in Lakewood Heights Designed and Built to Last

 

Our Inwood National Bank House of the Week is a picture-perfect new American Colonial in Lakewood Heights at 6350 Belmont Avenue. We had to do a double take to be sure it was new construction and not a flawless renovation.

Although we see a lot of homes being built, we don’t often see one with this level of quality and detail — and at a price point of $995,000. Also, we seldom see a builder committed to recreating such a classic historic look.

But Bill Bennett isn’t your typical builder. He’s been in the business 40 years, so he knows a thing or two about quality construction.

“I wanted to build a home that had the appearance of an older structure,” Bennett said. “I drove around the area before I started and decided to do something no one else was doing.”

The result is a spectacular homage to American Colonial style. The traditional visual symmetry, center entry, and covered portico are all perfectly reproduced. He’s also followed the tradition of using white paint to play up the proportions of the home.

We love new construction because, let’s face it, while we adore the charm of an older home, we don’t want the upkeep. It’s just hard to find a house like this that offers the best of both worlds. At 4,211 square feet with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and one powder bath, there is plenty of room for a large family here.

We spend a lot of time on the visual details of a home, but when you’re purchasing new construction, it’s vital to understand the quality behind those details.

“A lot of homes are spray painted in just a day or two,” Bennett said. “It took two weeks to paint the exterior of this house because we primed it extremely well, then rolled and brushed it with two coats, and in some places, three.”

Though perhaps the most unglamorous aspect, a home is only as good as its foundation. “It’s the most important thing in building a home,” Bennett said. “This home has a true pier and beam foundation. It’s not going to move. It’s built to last. In fact, I can even show you the foundation drawings!

“The framing is also important,” he added. “The things are covered up and people don’t generally know enough to care about are the things I’m most proud of — all the things you can’t see!”

 

A lot of homes today have a master on the first floor. However, historic tradition maintained that private spaces be removed from public spaces. Bennett compromised by putting the master over the garage. “It’s on a level of its own so it’s very secluded and private.”

Bennett has not overlooked a detail in this home, from top-of-the-line hardwoods throughout to heated floors in the master bath.

“I love what I do,” Bennett said. “I put my heart and soul in it.”

Gia Marshello with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s has the listing and you can get a peek at it this weekend during the Sunday, Feb. 26, open house from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years. She’s been a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com