REAL ESTATE- ON THE BLOCK- Giddy-up: An offering for luxury-loving horsy types

PHOTOS BY SARAH JACOBSON

Address: 4720 Pelham Road

Neighborhood: Hickory Ridge, Earlysville area

Asking: $585,000

Assessment: $762,600

Year Built: 1979

Size: 3,368 fin. sq. ft., 1,419 unfin. 

Land: 2.52 acres

Agent: Mary Newton, Keller Williams Realty, 434-220-2200

Curb Appeal: 9 out of 10

Although built at the tail end 1970s, this Earlysville property has higher-end construction than usual for that era and none of the design clichés. The style and fixtures– from the double crown molding to blond hardwood floors– give it a traditional feel. Size and scale fit what today's buyers are looking for in a contemporary house. 

A circular gravel drive and mature shrubs and trees lead to the brick colonial with metal roof; then the drive curves around back where an oversized two-car garage takes up most of the basement. Out back is also a pool, which can be a bonus or a liability. 

One of the standout features of the house is a library and office space off the foyer. Built-in shelves line the walls, and track lighting can be positioned to spotlight whatever prized collection a new owner may want to showcase. These traditional touches may be a draw for buyers who haven't gone the way of the Kindle.

Opposite the library and office area, the formal dining room has a built-in corner cabinet and pocket doors. The dining room leads to the kitchen, where, as in the rest of the house, scale is the thing. At this price, buyers will expect stainless and stone. And that's what they get, with dark granite counters contrasting to blond cabinets.

The space is large enough for eat in and then some, with lots of counter and cabinet space and high-end appliances (like a double oven and fridge with French doors). A nearly floor-to-ceiling window provides shades of green courtesy of the mature landscaping.

Off the kitchen, the sunken living room is a vast space with a corner fireplace, and three more floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping views of the property. Because of the size, buyers will need to use furniture to designate zones to keep the place from feeling like a ballroom. 

Upstairs are just three bedrooms. A corner fireplace and lots of light make the master suite a gem. A walk-in and traditional double closet off the bath, double sinks, a built-in bench with storage, and a walk-in shower add to the luxury– but inexplicably there's no tub. (The only bathtub is in a bathroom off the library on the first floor, a problem for families with kids, or anyone who likes a good soak.) The two other good-sized bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bath. 

The basement is mostly unfinished storage space. A smallish laundry room needs a washer and dryer, while the huge garage has room for a workshop. Two separate unfinished rooms off the garage work for storing pool furniture and the like— although there's also a poolroom with bar. Because it's accessed from the drive, the basement could work for a buyer with a home-based business. 

The Hickory Ridge development is built around an equine center, so potential buyers will likely belong to the horsy set. And while the house and its 1.17 acres are assessed at $603,100, the new buyer will also pay taxes on an additional 1.35-acre building lot assessed at $159,500. 

This Earlysville colonial offers living traditional country living on a grand scale. 

PHOTOS BY SARAH JACOBSON

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