Ok. Here's some inside info from someone with very detailed, very long-lived knowledge. Age, impecuniousness, and some other less common challenges are all at play with this property. It definitely hearkens back to the old AU Park, but I assure that's not all you are seeing here. There's a touch of mid-20th century class conceit (which was not totally in keeping with the rest of the old AU Park) thrown in for good measure, too.

This property will be interesting to watch to see how will thought out the recent mania for AU Park really is. It's obviously become a top destination for a certain kind of moderately well-born (private schools and/or vacation properties) Democratic-aligned DC professional Gen-Xer or millennial. And while I think AU Park has its virtues, I see really bad judgement at work in the recent price run ups. The confluence of factors here makes me especially question the assumptions that are baked into prices. The person who buys this *should* be looking much more closely than most in this market look. But I fear those folks who look closely will throw their hands up in puzzlement at this price or even close to it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, this place doesn't need a gut reno. I wouldn't touch the bathrooms, for example. Refinish the floors, new roof, new air conditioning, new kitchen, rebuild back porch. That's about 150k and you don't have to do it all at once.

Okay, I'm the person who objected to the OP's description but this is ludicrous. To get this house back in shape, without dramatically changing anything, will cost at least $250k. Possibly a lot more if the whole part off the back needs to be rebuilt. And that's also assuming you leave the basement alone, because I can guarantee having lived in the area my whole life that there is mold behind that paneling and to fix it properly, you'd have to completely gut the basement, dig drain tiles, and install a sump pump.

Not likely to be mold behind the paneling. The house is brick/cinderblock. Not like new houses. Nothing for mold to really grow on. It’s one of the pluses of old houses - strong bones and all that which prevent water seapage and mitigate against mold

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can you say that, OP? This is clearly someone’s family home that they lived in a long time. Yes, the outside got a little run down and yes, the inside is in its original condition. It needs updating, but it is not a wreck and it’s certainly not a frat house!

+1.

Op and PP who chides the homeowner’s kids for not remodeling to HGTV trends are just nasty, bitter souls

Oh please. It’s a million freaking dollars!!! Smdh

I love urbanturf- check this out. The house is well priced. This is from about 2 years ago- prices have only gone up since then.
https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/au-park-remains-one-of-the-most-competitive-housing-markets-in-dc/15422

You could easily spend $500k+ on this house if you wanted to expand it at all.

Complete gut job. Who knows what kind of foundation wear is there too, due to lack of care.

gut job = $250k+ easy.

Anonymous wrote:Also, I bet the kitchen had worn linoleum and they pulled it up to show the wood floor is underneath. I bet it was a very cheerful kitchen for a very long time. Worn paint is just worn paint.

OK, the flooring being ripped out after they left explains a lot.

250K seems fair for the reno. But if you are spending 1M on that property, why not go all out and put in the 500K it deserves!

Let’s predict selling price. I will look back when sells and pick winner. I say 999k

Anonymous wrote:House has beautiful bones, historic features, original tile baths, and feeds into the best school pyramid. With 150k, this house will be a jewel. So much bile on this board. Yuck!

Agree, but that's north of $250k, imo. Either way, for $1.3m, you can have a beautiful house in that arrea.

For folks who dont think it is a fixer upper when I was a kid my parents bought an all original fixer upper in 1974. This house has the same paneling and cabinets that we had in 1974 and replaced. It also was an estate stale. I love the house but the kitchen and stuff was at end of life around 40 years ago

Personally, I'd rather see a house listed in this condition than having all its flaws hastily painted over or cheaply replaced. At least with this house, you know what you're getting.

The wallpaper, bathrooms, and wood paneling are hitting a lot of nostalgia buttons for me. Not that I wouldn't want to redo that kitchen, but the wallpaper? Yeah, my sister's room had wallpaper about that loud when were growing up (I think hers featured Holly Hobby).

Anonymous wrote:How can you say that, OP? This is clearly someone’s family home that they lived in a long time. Yes, the outside got a little run down and yes, the inside is in its original condition. It needs updating, but it is not a wreck and it’s certainly not a frat house!

+1.

Op and PP who chides the homeowner’s kids for not remodeling to HGTV trends are just nasty, bitter souls

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:House has beautiful bones, historic features, original tile baths, and feeds into the best school pyramid. With 150k, this house will be a jewel. So much bile on this board. Yuck!

Yeah, no, this house needs way more than $150K. You're ignoring all the deferred maintenance issues that will crop up in the walls, basement, etc. This house is a good $250K at least.

Which would still make it an amazing price in AU Park.

Honestly, after taking a look at the photos again, I think $250K is much too low. I've recently gone through a house with deferred maintenance not even in the same league as this place, so you're looking at much more than $250K to get this house right.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:House has beautiful bones, historic features, original tile baths, and feeds into the best school pyramid. With 150k, this house will be a jewel. So much bile on this board. Yuck!

Yeah, no, this house needs way more than $150K. You're ignoring all the deferred maintenance issues that will crop up in the walls, basement, etc. This house is a good $250K at least.

Which would still make it an amazing price in AU Park.