Thursday Three Hundred: Cute Caruth Terrace Ranch, But Owner/Remodeler Needs a Dose of Food Reality

I would totally paint the brick – you?

So my daughter and son-in-law are looking for a new home in Dallas. Oh yes, you will be hearing more about this, maybe even from her! I have been enlisted to check out a few properties and as you can imagine, jump to the task. One of the cute ones I rather fell in love with was 6270 Saratoga in Caruth Terrace. $365,000. This little angel just took me back to our very first home at 3550 Ainsworth. In fact, I would swear the homes were built by the same builder. The floorplan, save for the connected two-entry rear car garage and laundry room in this listing, were identical and Ainsworth was constructed of the same orange-y Mexican brick in 1957. Saratoga is slightly larger at about 1900 square feet built in 1959 . Both are solid as a rock! In our first home I had my washer in the kitchen and dryer in the attached one-car garage. I hated tripping down the step with an armload of wet laundry but then, I was in my twenties and tripping was no big deal!

Also, 6270 is on the good side of Saratoga Circle, does not back up to the Dart Line. It has been recently redone, and though I venture to say it’s not a professional job, it is charming and the quality of materials is top notch.

Of course, I do have a few issues with the thought processes of the remodeler, which we shall surely address.

The home is billed as updated, which it is, with gleaming clean baths (two) and kitchen. The master bath is small, one of the those corner shower units, commode and a pedestal sink. While I am a fan of pedestal sinks in powder rooms, why didn’t this remodeler build a nice vanity in this tiny little bath for more storage? He thoughtfully etched out little shelves for shampoo bottles in the showers. No, instead he went with the quick fix pedestal. Just not a fan when you need more counter and storage space! He also made a cute little kleenex box out of leftover tile. Very creative.

The home has three bedrooms, and typical 1950’s closet space which is to say, nada. Did people own clothes in the 1950’s? I was a baby so suppose mine did not take up much room but now I know why my mother could never get her bedroom organized. The hardwoods are stunning and beautifully finished, may I please have your floor man’s name? The lights are nicely recessed with dimmers, and there is a tankless water heater. The “built-in media cabinet wired for home theater w Bose speakers” is really the flat screen TV and speakers above the cute rock stone fireplace. There are new thermo windows in the bathrooms and bedrooms, and an updated electrical panel. The yard is as neat as a pin and I think the rear-entry attached two car garage is a Godsend. It even has an electric door. Kids, when we were young we had to lift the garage door in our first house on Ainsworth. My, how times have changed!

But this is what really made me scratch my head and pop this house into the “what were they thinking” department: the breakfast room. So we have this nice kitchen with granite counters and nicely painted original cabinets, stainless appliances and a slate floor. Look at the breakfast room floor: there is carpet sort of bordered by tile. I really wonder if this remodeler has ever experienced a meal with A TODDLER or very messy friend who dribbles red wine the moment the cork is popped. I used to put a plastic shower curtain under my kids when they were in high chairs. Why in the work would you bring in carpet to the room floor that gets the toughest beating in the house?

Maybe you ran out of tile?

On the huge plus side: this smart agent post a floorplan of the house on MLS. Big bonus points — I have heard people asking for agents to do this. Agents, please, give us blueprints if you have them!