REAL ESTATE- ON THE BLOCK- Come courting: Warmth, comfort, characterize cozy cottage

PHOTO BY KRISTINA GARCIA WADE

Address: 1000 Fern Court

Neighborhood: North Avenue, in Charlottesville

Asking: $349,900

Assessment: $385,300

Year Built: 1996

Size: 1,445 fin. sq. ft. / 1,445 unfin.

Land: 0.24 acres 

Agent: Robert Peery, Keller Williams Realty, 434-825-2468

Curb Appeal:  7 out of 10

As we toured her tidy kitchen, the owner of this house near the Park Street ramp of the Route 250 Bypass says, "Man, this is a good floor. You'll never see the dirt."

It's not often that homeowners offer such commendations, but let's face it: practical information is what many home buyers seek. 

And she's right: the gray linoleum tiles (styled to look like stone) isn't showing a speck. The kitchen flooring and a newer fridge and microwave are some of the elements this homeowner has updated since she purchased the place shortly after it was built in 1996. 

The three-bedroom house is convenient and well off the main road, so there's little traffic noise audible on the screened porch just off the dining area. The one-car garage and an unfinished walkout basement could be remodeled to double the living space. A small unfenced quarter-acre yard with azaleas, rhododendrons, crepe myrtle, and a Japanese maple backs up to a wooded area. 

The cozy and comfortable house has a large living room with oak floors, gas fireplace, and creamy peach paint. A partial wall dividing the living room from the kitchen extends to within three feet of the white ceiling, a design feature that helps let in light and circulate air and makes the space feel open and spacious. The wall stops after the kitchen's breakfast bar, leaving the living room to flow into the dining area, also painted peach with white crown molding.

The kitchen is large enough, although nothing fancy. Ample counter space includes a stainless steel drain board to the left of the sink, and a breakfast bar is a nice feature. The kitchen is open on both ends— to the dining room and to the hallway, which has plenty of storage space, including a coat closet near the foyer, a linen closet, and a laundry closet (with a stackable washer/dryer). The three carpeted bedrooms are accessed from the hallway. The first is quite small and would probably better serve as an office or nursery. 

The guest bedroom is larger, with a small walk-in closet. The baby-blue master bedroom has a larger walk-in and an adjoining bathroom, also blue with linoleum floors and laminate counters. The second bathroom has a full shower/tub setup, and is approximately the size of the master bath, with the same counters, oak cabinetry, and blue-and-white linoleum floors. It's a pleasant house convenient to town (about 20 minutes walking distance from the Downtown Mall). 

People form close bonds in this friendly neighborhood. After shoveling her walk during one of this season's many snowstorms, one neighbor told the owner, "If you really want to thank me, you'll take down that for-sale sign!" 

PHOTOS BY KRISTINA GARCIA WADE

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