REAL ESTATE- ON THE BLOCK- Inside story: Custom features outweigh tiny lot

Address: 824 Village Road

Neighborhood: Village Place

Asking: $675,000

Assessment: $598,900

Year Built: 2008

Size: 3,298 fin. sq. ft. / 2,068 unfin. 

Land: 0.19 acres

Agent: Roger Voisinet, Re/Max Realty Specialists, 434-974-1500

Curb Appeal: 9 out of 10

This contemporary is a custom-built bungalow in Village Place, a new development of craftsman style homes a few turns off JPA in Johnson Village. Like Kellytown and other new city developments, here paint colors are harmonious without matching, and each house has its own look, although front yards are teeny. Houses are grouped closely together: the view from the dining room window of this one is the siding of the next one.

 For folks not too discriminating about such matters, the place could provide gracious living for a big family or folks who like to entertain. The pedestrian-friendly neighborhood is convenient to downtown, UVA, and the medical center.

Inside, on the first level a central corridor passes the living room, currently used as an office with built-in bookcases and hardwood floor. The separate formal dining room is intimate, unlike most recent construction where kitchen and dining areas are usually combined. The wall dividing the living and dining rooms has a gas fireplace on each side. 

As usual, the focal point of the house is the kitchen, which has been designed to accommodate lots of people and food prep with counter space galore and a long bar, all in brown granite. The extra-wide bar divides the kitchen from the family room, which has been extended about four feet beyond the original line of the house. It's comfortable for oversized furniture and big TV, and its coffered ceiling is an interestingly elegant architectural detail.

An extra-large pantry and laundry room with built-in cubbies, cabinets, and closet– plus a frontloading Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer– rounds out the first floor. 

A screened-in porch off the family room leads to a nicely landscaped and fenced backyard. Beyond, tall trees in a shared common space provide some relief from the bunched houses.

Downstairs, the large unfinished basement has a roughed-in bath, a door to the garden, and a couple of windows with plantation shutters providing a little light in one corner. The shutters soften the stark basement atmosphere and hint at what the place might look like when finished as an in-law or nanny apartment— or just a typical rec room for teens. Next to the front door, a two-car garage looks like part of the house.

The second level is carpeted. The master, with a tray ceiling, is not a huge space, but it fits a king bed and chunky furniture. Of two walk-in California closets, one is significantly larger than the other, but the smaller one has a built-in safe! The master bath is what buyers expect in a new house at this price– jetted tub, tiled shower with double showerheads and bench, double sinks....  

Next to the master is a princess suite (bedroom and bath). Two additional bedrooms are comfortable, with a third bath off the hall between them. Double sinks and separate tub and WC means a crowd could get ready without much hassle.  

The house offers custom details in almost every room: control panels for heating, cooling, fans, and lighting, plus whole-house speakers and security system. Although the houses in this part of Johnson Village are close, space inside seems unusually spacious. The price reflects the location, custom upgrades, and square footage.  

PHOTOS BY SARAH JACOBSON

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