Outside of my own home projects, my friends and family know that I love to decorate...and well, let's be honest, rearrange their homes. Luckily my mother in law is a good sport and tolerates me rearranging her vast Spode Christmas china collection, dining room hutch, and even furniture and art placements. I've even been known to dig through my friend Kelly's basement to search for new accessories and items to display in her living room. My friend Chrissy smiles knowing that every time I come to visit her in Chicago, I'll be rearranging her photo ledges in her foyer. While this has been a hobby of mine for years, now I get to put this skill to work for me in my day job.

The one thing we, as agents, repeatedly stress to sellers is that the way you sell your home is very different from the way you live in your home. Most of us have areas that aren't scrubbed clean, closets that serve as hiding spots for clutter when guests arrive, and excess furniture or personal effects that we live with. When you're preparing your home for sale, every nook and cranny needs to be clean, organized, and ready for the discerning eyes of buyers. I recently worked with a colleague to prepare a row house for its online photo shoot, and wanted to share a few before and afters with you to demonstrate the difference in how we live vs. how we sell.

Old Town is known for its historic properties, which in most cases, means they're also modestly sized for today's standards. This home was no different, coming in at a whopping eleven feet wide. So, in order to put the home's best face forward, part of our job as agents is to paint it in the best light, making sure it's clean, landscaped, and presented in a way that's appealing to the masses.

While we primped the entire house, rehung artwork, and brought in a few small pieces of furniture and accessories, there were two areas I really honed in on and spent most of my time reworking.

Here's a look at the "mudroom" area set up behind the front door. Without a true coat closet on the first floor (just like our home), the owners created an area to hang coats, store shoes, and drop and store items such as keys, sun glasses, and kid paraphernalia.

I got to work on this small space in an attempt to organize it in a way that was tidy, attractive, and showcased the usability of this corner. When I was done primping and futzing, here's what it ended up looking like.

Another selling feature of this home was a unique two story high built in shelving unit. It's great to have this amount of built in space, especially in a small home, but it's also a place where papers, electronic components, and the like can accumulate when you're living there and using it on a daily basis.

To clean up the space I started by pulling off the books, giving the shelves a good dusting, and then placed select books back in a more pleasing arrangement. I also did my best to hide the electronics cords, remove some of the ancillary cords and papers, and finally added a plant to soften the hard edges of the other items on the shelf.

The after is a more streamlined area devoid of clutter, that should enhance the home's selling feature, not serve as a distraction. 

I'm so happy to say the house was off the market in under a week thanks to many factors including pricing it right, dedicated marketing, a strong local housing market, and, of course, showing this charming home in the best light with proper staging.

While these are just a few no cost changes I was able to make to this home to get it ready for showing, it's not something that's reserved only for readying a house to go on the market. Using these same methods, you can streamline your home to ready it for guests, a party, or simply as a way to change things up and freshen your surroundings. While grand renovations and laborious projects are truly fulfilling when complete, sometimes little changes can be almost as welcome when attempting to breathe a bit of fresh air into your space.

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There's a particular block in Old Town that is home to some of the most historic and beautiful old houses in the city. It's located in the 200 block of Prince Street and is called "Gentry Row." Some of Alexandria's most famous and important early residents built and owned houses in this historic block, and it seems these homes never appear on the market with any regularity. Even rarer are these homes ever held open for the home tourists (like us) to see. This weekend one of these Gentry Row homes happened to be on the open house list, and there was no way Wendy or I were going to miss it!

The house I'm gushing over was built in 1784 and boasts three bedrooms and one bathroom, spread over three floors. Houses of this age were typically built as very small homes and grew with additions over time as the inhabitants' needs required change. From the front of the house it is a modest and attractive Federal style row house that has seen its fair share of alterations. Though the facade appears largely intact, the evidence of flaking paint and a paint outline around the door and off center cement stoop point to some of the changes which were probably added and removed over the years.

Entering the front door you expect a staircase to greet you, but instead there's just an empty hallway with a door on the opposite side that exits to the back area of the house. I was surprised there weren't stairs.

The photo above is my photo of the space, but the listing's wide angle lens from the other end of the hallway gives a much different perspective.

To the right of the entry hall is the home's main living space and modest parlor. The ceilings are surprisingly high in this room, especially for the age of the house, but the room is actually much smaller than the wide angle lens leads you to believe. That being said, it's not a bad type of small, it's just more cozy than anything else. The fireplace is functional and the large front windows let ample southern light into the room.

The second room in the home, and originally the furthest back the home went, is a nice sized room with some great original details. 

The floors throughout this and other rooms are absolutely beautiful antique pine of varying widths.

The home's central stair is in this second room and is a winding stair that makes somewhat efficient use of the space. This staircase is far more typical of the style of stairs you'd see in a home of this age than the grand staircases with large banister in more grand homes. This tells me that this house was probably built for someone who was working class and didn't have has much money to throw around on grand gestures. This style of stair made it much easier to heat the home, as it cost less to keep the heat on the floor you wanted it to stay on. 

We also loved the fact that there seemed to be storage pretty much everywhere you turned, like this nook under the main staircase. It was like a Harry Potter door!

The listing states the home was "renovated" in 1972, but I think that renovation consisted of the addition of various dental crown moldings and the addition of the back kitchen (though the kitchen space could have been added in 1920s or 1930s). 

I think you can see from the photo, the kitchen requires some updates...

Apparently the home has been used as a rental for quite some time, and up until two months ago, it had a tenant, so the lack of a nice kitchen is not incredibly surprising.

The staircase back in the middle of the home is tight and winding, and the second floor "landing" leads you forward to a very large main bedroom.

The ceiling height in this room is surprising, and equal to the room on the first floor (if not higher). Where the first floor has the entry hall to eat into the front room, this bedroom is the full width of the house.

The room's fireplace is also functional, and the fireplace wall houses some great original details.

The rear of the second floor is the home's only bathroom, which looks to have been added out of necessity. Obviously the house didn't have a bathroom when it was built, so this does look a bit like it's out of place.

The third floor is by far the most interesting aspect of this house's layout, or perhaps it's a 2nd and 1/2 floor. Mid way up the stairs to the third floor the stairway branches off to the back of the house with a rather large step up (as Wendy demonstrates).

This leads to a second bedroom that would be pretty amazing as a home office or kids play room. It's funny, this room's door is far shorter than Wendy, but the room is plenty tall for full size adult people. 

There's even a closet off of the room towards the front of the house, and this really cool window looking out over the back of the house and neighboring roofs. 

Back out of the hobbit like door, you continue up the stairs toward the true third floor (or is it now a 4th floor?). When we reached the front third floor bedroom we were shocked at how much space there was. The room was equal size to that of the second floor's main bedroom, which is a complete surprise.

Looking back form this room I saw that detail that I absolutely LOVE in Old Town homes, the odd angled and interesting staircase. That's the hobbit door straight ahead and the tiny window to the left looks into the hobbit room's closet. This leads me to believe that the tiny room built as the 2nd and 1/2 floor was added on after the home was originally built, but from the look of the interior of the room, it is still probably early 1800s.

The architectural items throughout the house are a mishmash of hardware and doors from different periods. It's interesting to see 18th century doors with early 19th century locks and late 19th century or early 20th century knobs.

You might think this is the end of our tour, and if it were, this is already a spectacular house, but there's one more thing I want to show you. Though you can't access it from the interior of the house, there's a large iron bulkhead door you can open to descend into the basement, down the wooden ladder that happens to be missing its second rung (so be careful). And when you're down into the dark basement with the stone foundation, this is what you see.

Amazing! 

Disgusting!

Perfect!

I almost don't have words. 

The uneven floor, clutter, utilities, handing wiring, random piping, doors, oil drum, all this stuff. 

It was literally unbelievable. I can't believe places like this still exist in Old Town. Part of me just assumes everything has been renovated, but this gem still exists!

As you can see, this home is a special place that is very much in need of an owner that has the time, money, and desire to do this renovation the right way. If a flipper or developer buys this place and does a quick update it will be a true modern tragedy. This needs extensive planning, methodical research, full restoration, and a dedicated soul. 

While writing this blog post I've been brain storming what I'd probably do if we somehow owned this house and were planning on spending the next several years decades working on it. After much thought and deliberation, I think I know how I might handle the renovation. Here's my shot at it. 

One of the major drawbacks of this home is the last of backyard/outdoor space. It's surrounded on all sides by other houses and properties, and the backyard is limited to just a few feet of narrow storage space. This may be shocking, but I think I'd remove the kitchen addition from the rear of the house to reclaim just a little bit of outdoor space.

However, with the kitchen removed, you have no kitchen in the house. This is where the large and decidedly unfinished basement comes into play. The basement offers a tremendous amount of potential. It spans the whole footprint of the house, and with the odd entry hall, you could add a stair of some sort just beyond the front door. It might be a little unorthodox, but it would turn the basement into an indoor space rather than simply being accessible from outside. 

With access to the basement, and quite a bit of work, you could turn the basement into either a full living area with half bath, or a half bath and kitchen. I actually think I'd take the living space and keep the kitchen on the first floor, placing it in the second room with the stairs. 

I would keep the room layout of the second floor intact, and do some major upgrades to the second floor bathroom, and I would turn that 2nd and 1/2 floor room into a great home office.

The third floor main bedroom could then be divided a bit and a full bathroom added to that room. It wouldn't be quite as spacious, but it would work beautifully as a guest room (or even master).

A renovation like this would leave you with four full finished floors with three bedrooms and two and a half baths with a modern kitchen and separate living area in the basement. It would still be quite a strange floor plan, but this is quintessential Old Town in an almost 250 year old house. To be totally honest, I'd love every moment of working on the house (even the ones I would truly hate).

Now for our game...

Would You Trade?

Alex: Hardest decision I've ever had to make on a "Would you trade?" I'm going to have to say "No." GAH, Wait, did I just say that? What's my problem? It's over 200 years old, most ideal location in all of Old Town, beautiful, historic, intact, not ruined, so much potential! Why wouldn't I trade? What's my deal? 

I want to say yes, I really do. But the layout just isn't as functional as our house, there's no yard to speak of, and no parking. BUT I LOVE THIS HOUSE! I want this house. I wish we were somehow being forced to trade our house for this house, and I'd just willingly go along with the trade, but it can't be a permanent house, it just isn't practical enough. Okay, so I guess my answer is "maybe if I were being forced I'd be okay with it." I just wish we he enough funds to buy this house and work on it for a while. I want to become an Old Town house collector so I can buy this house and love it and restore it and make it wonderful! 

Wendy: Well, although this house has amazing potential, gorgeous curb appeal, and a location to die for, no, I wouldn't trade. Our floor plan is much more conducive to everyday living, I've come to love our (modest) outdoor space, and I wouldn't give up parking. I've also been living in a renovation for the last decade, and really love living in a comfortable home that has a lot of projects, rather than living amongst a lot of projects in an effort to make it a comfortable home. Fingers crossed that someone with a passion for restoration is the next owner. We'd love to see what they come up with!

If you'd like to see additional details, they are available on the home's official listing page.

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and listing agent, Donnan Wintermute, where MRIS is noted in watermark.

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As has been the annual pattern, while the weather has warmed and cherry blossoms are blooming, the housing market in Old Town has really started popping again, and a few gems have been showing up on the list in recent weeks.

We recently toured a great house that Wendy and I have walked past time and again, but have never seen inside. Today, we're excited to share it with you, and of course play the "would you trade?" game.

Located along Lee Street just a few blocks from the Potomac River, this adorable wood frame clapboard sided house was built at the turn of the 18th to 19th century.

From the exterior this home is somewhat unassuming. I think it's because the paint color on the flat (and largely original) siding blends with the shutters, but when we stop to look at the home and imagine a few paint changes, we imagine how this very historic home could take on a whole new life with our chosen color palette.

When you enter this three bedroom, two and a half bath and roughly 1,750 square foot home, you are welcomed by a very nice hallway with the home's original newel post and stairs.

This home was built as a simple home, probably for a sailor or captain who worked on the Potomac, so the newel post is simple and understated, not nearly the type of newel post that would have ended up in the home had it been built 50 years later.

The wide hall also shows off beautiful oak flooring that, though not original to the house, still retains a good amount of character. The hall also offers a great view towards the back of the house.

The front living room of the home just to the left of the stairway is a simple, well designed room room with a modest mantel and understated moldings. I believe the mantle of the fireplace is original, and multiple builtins on either side of the chimney add a fair amount of storage to the room.

There also several windows around the room that allow plenty of the light and surely provide a nice cross breeze during the spring.

The layout of this home is actually very typical of an early 19th century home consisting of an entry hall and stairs, front living room, and a second room with a fireplace toward the back. The current owners are using this back room as a dining room, which is very common in these layouts.

The dining room leads to an addition, likely added in several phases over the years, which houses the newly remodeled kitchen...

...and cozy family room.

The kitchen has a layout conducive to entertaining. Given the age of the home, the kitchen leans a bit to the modern side of the design spectrum, and the swirled and colorful granite counters showcase a very uncommon choice we've not seen elsewhere in Old Town.

The small family room with fireplace leads to a beautiful back patio area. I can easily envision many nights spent relaxing with a glad of wine and small fire.

The second floor has the turn in the landing at the top of the stairs that I absolutely love in homes of this age, and the front bedroom is a very nice size and has a fireplace much like the front room on the first floor.

The room also has a small bathroom just off the room that is situated behind the window above the front door. It's by no means a large bath, but makes good use of the space.

One of the things I love about this front bedroom is the view of the street. This home is in one of the most picturesque and historic blocks of Old Town and looks out on some of our favorite homes in town.

The homes across the street range from mid to late 18th century, all the way to late 19th century Victorians. This is easily one of the best features of this home.

Towards the back of the second floor, the uncharacteristically long hallway provides evidence that the rear rooms were added over time. In person, you can see roughly where each addition starts and stops based on the undulations in the hallway floor and baseboards.

Off of the hallway sits the bright and cozy second bedroom...

...as well as a recently renovated and nicely appointed bathroom.

There's also a third bedroom at the rear of the home, currently configured as a charming children's bedroom.

Though the house does have a partial basement with room for storage, it would make a tight workshop area, and it probably isn't really feasible to finish the space without significant work due to the low ceilings, mechanicals, and various obstructions.

There is one hidden space near the front of the basement that had both Wendy and me saying "Ooh, ooh, ooh, look!" A much needed wine cellar.

Overall, this home is an excellent example of an 1800's house that has been nicely maintained and updated. Though some of the changes are not period accurate, most are well done and make for a very comfortable home. And we'd be leaving out a significant detail if we didn't mention the true allure of this home -- the fact it's located in prime Lee Street Halloween celebrating area. Living on Lee Street during Halloween is a true dream of Wendy's, that's for sure.

And now for our game...

Would You Trade?

Alex: This is really hard, but I'm going to go with "Yes." The home is the absolute ideal age of a home I really want to live in, and while the home is "done," there is still a lot of room for projects to bring the home in line with our personal taste and style. I would love to spend time to bring the home into much more of a period appropriate style in the way of moldings, hardware, and fixtures. However, the back yard is smaller than ours, and there's no parking, both negatives in my "will you trade?" book. The other issue is the lack of a good basement work area, perhaps we'd need to dig it down a few feet so I could work somewhat comfortably. So if you're selling this house and you'd like to trade for our house, give us a call and we'll see what we can work out. 

Wendy: This is a tough call for me too, and I'm totally on the fence. I absolutely love our street and our neighbors, but as Alex pointed out, this home is located in a more desirable location, especially come Halloween. I think the home has great curb appeal, a charming outdoor space, and I love the openness between the kitchen and family rooms. I also love that there are three true bedrooms (unlike our two bedrooms and an office configurations), and the fact that this home has a first floor powder room is a true plus. I'd also be remiss of course if I didn't mention the Christmas staircase.

The biggest drawback for me is the home's lack of parking, and due to the age of the home, the ceilings are much lower than those in our home. The master bathroom is also roughly 1/3 the size ours will be when complete. I'm waffling here, but after careful consideration and a couple nights to sleep on it, yes, I think I would trade.

If you'd like to see additional details, they are available on the home's official listing page.

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: McEnearney Associates Inc., Realtors and listing agent, Carol Cleary, where MRIS is noted in watermark.

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The home we toured is located in a very unique block in Old Town. Situated along Wilkes Street in south east Old Town, this home sits overlooking the historic O&A railroad tunnel.

The house is a classic wood frame clapboard sided mid 19th century row house -- the sort of place you imagine when you think of an early to mid 1800's modest townhouse. Since the home was built around 1840, it actually predates the railroad tunnel it overlooks, which was built around 1850. Given the view from the front windows of the house, this massive construction project must have been a sight to see back in the day.

The home has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and is just over 1,100 square feet. Entering the home you are welcomed right into the main living area. I immediately noticed the wide plank random width and old growth pine floors, which are just spectacular in all of their depth and beauty.

The whole first floor seems very open, and given the evidence on the floors, I'd have to imagine a dividing wall was removed from the rooms at some point.

Also at some point in the more recent history the original bannister was removed from the stairs, but the treads and risers are still the same lengths of timber that have carried the home's occupants up and down for over 170 years.

It's obvious the current owner has gone to great lengths to outfit the home with a more modern design aesthetic, while staying true to the home's original character. At the same time, the owner has efficiently maximized the space available through various storage cubbies and compartments.

The dining room, just beyond the staircase, features the homes fireplace, as well as access to the home's basement.

At the rear of the first floor, the galley kitchen has been outfitted with granite counters, small footprint appliances, and ample cabinet space storage. Given the small room available, this is an extremely efficient use of space for the kitchen.

The second floor landing at the top of the stairs has something that I absolutely love in old houses. You don't see it often, but it gives a tremendous amount of character to the house when it exists. The charming split at the landing with two small steps to each room.

Since the home was originally a four room house with central stair, there were just two bedrooms upstairs, a front and back. There's no need for long hallways with wasted space. Instead, the stairs take you directly to the room. It definitely makes adding onto the house a little tricky, but this is one of those things you'll pretty much never see in a modern house.

The bedroom in the front of the house is more than adequate size and offers quite a bit of light with two windows on the front wall and one on the side.

This is the room where you get the good views of the train tunnel, and I can only imagine the frustration the early owners felt at the whistle and chugging of the steam engine as it entered or left the tunnel. Today's owners are probably rather glad it's only a walking and bike path, no more early morning train whistles to wake them.

The back room of the second floor has been turned into a sitting/family room of sorts, rather than a bedroom.

Off this sitting room is the homes lone bathroom, which serves all three floors.

Yep, that's right, this small house has made use of every level, and the attic has been finished into a nice sleeping area. There's a small staircase along the wall of the sitting room...

...that takes you to the second bedroom.

They've done a nice job in there with keeping ceiling height by recessing the wall into the rafter cavities, rather than just screwing it directly to the rafters' undersides. This also gives a significant amount of visual interest to the room's architecture.

The unfinished basement of the home offers a good but of additional storage that is absolutely necessary in a home of this size.

And the backyard area is also more than adequate for entertaining and offers you a rather private setting for relaxing, even though your neighbors are only a few feet away.

In all, the home is not large, but feels much bigger than it is due to its efficient space utilization. The charm of its mid 19th century origins show through in many ways, but there is still significant room for restoration that can transform the structure into a shining example of historic city living.

And now for our game...

Would You Trade?

Alex: This is a somewhat easy "no" for me, but that's only because there would be so many sacrifices in giving up our home for this home. The age of this home is more in my sweet spot for the type of house I really want, but the additional maintenance of a wood framed house that's touching the neighbor would worry me. Also, the lack of common back alley area, lack of parking, and lack of real room to conduct projects, makes this home less appealing than our current place. 

I do have to say, when we went through the house my mind was popping with ideas. Everything from how we could make the kitchen look more appropriate for the age of the home, to restoring all of the hardware and lost moldings back to something that would be more fitting to the 1840s. All that being said, this is a great house in a great location that is perfect for a person or couple looking to get into Old Town's south east quadrant. But I have to say that I am envious of the train tunnel view. I'd much prefer that to the somewhat busy street we live on.

Wendy: I'm with Alex on this one. We have substantially more space in our current home, and although I prefer the location of this house and find it quite charming, I wouldn't give up the extra room or parking that we have now. It sure was cute though, and could be a perfect place for a small family.

If you'd like to see additional details, they are available on the home's official listing page.

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: Weichert Realtors and listing agent, Bob Bazzle, where "2013 MRIS" is noted in watermark.

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Without further ado, let's see the challenger in the main event card in The Rumble in Rosemont.

In the blue corner, weighing in at 6 bedrooms, 7.5 baths, and 7,590 square feet, this home, built in 1917 and hailing from the historic and tranquil neighborhood of Rosemont in Alexandria, Virginia, has undergone a massive and long running renovation at the hands of the family who currently lives there since their purchase of the home in 1999. Now 14 years later, under the ownership of an interior designer and architect pair, the home has undergone a total transformation that took the house from a modest family home to what it is today.

Similar to the first home, the approach to this residence is impressive with a large front porch and substantial front door.

Upon entry into the home, you are immediately struck by the significant difference in the home's interior. This is not the farmhouse-like interior that probably once adorned this house. No, this interior has been completely altered to suit the tastes of the owners.

As a "house purist," there's a part of me that immediately wishes the home's old layout was still in place, but I need to remind myself that this is not my house, it's the home of the owners, and the owners have invested years of effort, thought, and devotion into turning this home into their home, much like we are doing with our house. Focusing on this aspect of the home and renovation, I was able to tour it and appreciate what it has been transformed into, as well as it's finer points.

To the right of the grand entry area is the home's formal living area...

...and to the left is the large and bright dining room. 

These two rooms probably comprised the majority of the original first floor, but the renovation has opened the entire floor plan and expanded the overall space significantly, offering a center hall with grand staircase, as well as a large and open kitchen and family room area.

As you can see from the photo, the ceiling above the kitchen has been opened significantly, offering a ton of natural light into the room and a unique look to the room's overhead lighting. The kitchen space is generous without being wasteful. The majority of the counters are granite with a huge island that includes a very thick and solid wood (mahogany?) surface.

The kitchen's cabinets are all fully custom and built specifically to fit in the space, including integrated and counter depth refrigerators. The windows and doors are configured to allow ample light into the room, and the wood counter and seating area to the left offers multiple eat-in areas to have an informal meal.

One of the true focal points of the first floor, and of the house in general, is the large central staircase. When I took a look at its various features, it's obvious the owners put a tremendous amount of time, thought, and budget into creating this aspect of the home's interior.

The view from below is rather striking as the staircase climbs its three floors towards the top of the house.

As we climbed the stairs I paid attention to the banister itself. A typical afterthought in most renovations, this handrail and various newel posts are heavy, thick, and an extremely impressive bit of craftsmanship that has been executed quite nicely. I'm not positive, but I believe this handrail and associated parts is mahogany.

The second floor of the home offers the master suite with dressing area and closet, all of which that retain some of the home's original pine floors.

The master bathroom includes the home's original six foot claw foot bathtub that's been nicely restored, a large shower, his and hers sinks, and an interesting and nicely executed small marble checkered floor.

Additionally, the second floor is home to another few bedrooms and bathrooms that are currently configured as sitting areas or "dens." I think that's what happens when you have an extremely large house and your children slowly begin leaving home. 

The bathrooms could use some updating, but they are all in good shape and are quite workable.

The main home area also has a third floor that is fully finished with two more bedrooms and another full bathroom. 

The home's outdoor space is modest in size, but absolutely lovely in how it's been landscaped, organized, and lit. It's obvious a tremendous amount of time and effort has been put into the planning and upkeep of this secluded feeling entertaining area. The border created by the home and landscaping makes the area feel completely separate from the neighbors' yards, something rare in this densely packed neighborhood.

In the photo above you can see the extension from the house that runs left to right towards the back of the property. This area of the home is actually something completely unexpected. The driveway for this house actually enters from the rear of the property from King Street, which runs behind the house. This driveway leads to the home's two car garage addition.

However, this isn't any old garage, it's actually an office/apartment with full kitchen, bath, and bedroom. The garage bays are actually the owner's office space. There's actually a long hallway that leads from the main house to this garage apartment space, and that's where you'll find a nicely sized laundry room...

...as well as a great pantry/china storage room. Wendy's eyes bugged out at this feature as it's one of her dreams. The whole house is actually full of interesting nook areas, like this mid level window seat off of the stairs.

While the china storage area may be Wendy's favorite part, my favorite area is in a room off of the large finished basement. The utility room.

This room alone shows the time, care, and thought that has been put in this home's renovation. It's a veritable HVAC, electrical, and automation nerve center, and it was completely drool-worthy from a house nerd perspective.

Two high efficiency condensing boilers, a hydronic air coil, multiple loops, a multi-zone radiant manifold, this house has my dream HVAC setup, all with gloriously done copper and organized PEX. Not to mention all of the network cable running to various patch panels in this room, and how clean it is! I could have hung out in that room for days.

All told, this house is not the 1917 Farmhouse that it once was. Few things exist from the home's more modest beginnings, and that makes me a bit sad. But the owners have obviously devoted years of effort and gobs of money to making this home what they ultimately wanted it to be. The finishes are detailed and of very high quality and workmanship, and the layout of the home is one that still allows for separate rooms, but also ties them all together in a consistent and accessible manner. 

So now for our game...

Which Would You Choose?

Alex: Though it's not my dream home by any means, I have to go with the home in today's post. The work and thought that went into the renovation is obvious, and the house just feels more functional to me of the two. The quality of materials used, planning of the HVAC and automation aspects, and the office/apartment over the garage make this home more ideal than the other for me. Oh, and did I mention that I really liked the utility room? No, seriously, I really did, like, a lot. 

Wendy: It's a tough call on this one, but ultimately I would choose today's home over the one we featured last week. Even though the kitchen of the other home takes the prize, I love this home's curb appeal, the separate apartment, the gorgeous butler's pantry, and the perfectly manicured lawn. 

So what about you? Do you prefer today's house, or the one from last week? I know the prices are extreme and still off from one another, but what if someone were to gift you the house of your choosing? Would you pick home number one, or home number two? Which house takes "The Rumble in Rosemont" in your mind? 

If you'd like to see additional details, they are available on the home's listing page.

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: Listing agent, Syd Wiley, where MRIS is noted in watermark.

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Rather than do our normal "Would You Trade?" game at the end of the post, we're going to do two separate posts on these two houses and then play, "Which Would You Choose?"

The two houses we toured are on the same street just a stone's throw from each other, both recently renovated, listed at a similar price, and both with ample space, so the comparison will at least be apples to apples, but we're talking Granny Smith to Honeycrisp.

Okay, let's begin!

In the red corner, weighing in at 7 bedrooms, 4.5 bathroom, and nearly 5,700 sqft, our first home on the card was originally built in the roaring 20s. As you can see in tale of the tape, there's ample space to raise a nearly Dugger sized family and still maintain a theater room and home gym for those days you need to get away. Honestly, with all of that space it's difficult to imagine what you can really do to effectively fill it, but we'll try.

Walking up the front steps you are immediately struck by the size of the home simply by the width if the front door. It has to be at least four feet wide, over a foot wider than typical front doors, and comes complete with a transom. I was so taken by the massive door that I almost didn't notice the beautiful wrap around front porch complete with rocking chairs. It feels far more southern than your typical Northern Virginian home.

As you enter through the front door you are welcomed into a rather grand entry hall. This entry hall is so wide that you could almost fit our entire home's 15' width in this area.

One of the home's staircases is immediately in front of you, but don't worry, if you don't use this set of stairs, there are four others to choose from. Two basement stairs, two to the second floor, and one to the third floor. In other words, this makes a great hide and seek house.

To the right of the entry hall is the home's large formal living room with a very lovely fireplace and more room than I can really comprehend. After living in our house for the last 10 years, the amount of space available in this house for furnishing and needing decor is simply mind boggling, and we were only one actual room into the house when I made this earth shaking revelation.

Beyond the living room is the formal dining room, and also as far back as the original footprint of the home goes.

Back in 2010-2011 a large addition was added to the rear of the house that is roughly the same size as the original house. They did a good job marrying the old and new and ensuring consistent lines, moldings, and a flow from the front half of the house to the back, but the addition is more apparent when you see the home from the outside.

This back half addition of the house is where you'll find a very large and well appointed kitchen and open living area.

The kitchen is very nice with high end appliances, but I was focusing far more on the intricate moldings and inlayed beadboard on the ceiling. This was where I started to ask Wendy if she liked the look and wanted something similar in our kitchen...you know, on a much smaller scale!!

It was difficult to get as response from her as she was lost in the cavernous expanse of pass throughs and the butler's pantry imagining purchasing and storing (with ease and accessibility) many many sets of china place settings and entertaining loot.

As you can see from the photo, this back area is also where you'll find the back staircase to the second floor.

The two staircases to the second floor empty into an octagonal center section of the level. This area then branches off to rooms, hallways, and the third floor set of stairs. It's an interesting layout, and one that gives the home a certain amount of character I didn't expect.

The various rooms are spacious with closets and views out onto the surrounding neighborhood. Since it seems the home was staged for listing, it's hard to get a sense for each room with just a single bed as decor, but I'm sure each room has the potential to be rather spectacular on its own.

One of the things I noticed in the older section of the house that made me quite happy is how they retained the original windows through the renovation. The old glass, sash with cords, and pulleys with weights are all very much intact. What's more, a few of the rooms have a spectacular view of the Masonic temple. Even though these rooms are not the master, their view of the illuminated temple at night is easily the nicest view in the house.

In addition to the original double hung windows, the home's true divided light harlequin/diamond pattern windows are also still intact.

This house is very fortunate that this detail item wasn't lost over the years, as it adds a significant amount of character that is hard to find in new construction.

The master bathroom is toward the back of the second floor and I have one word for you, "expansive!" No joke, this is possible the largest master I've ever walked through in Alexandria. You could put a bed, a seating area, and an eating area in there and you'd still have room for additional bedroom furnishing.

The en suite is quite nice and incorporates a nicely sized shower and a beautiful clawfoot bathtub.

I almost lost Wendy in there as I'm pretty sure she wanted to take a break and just in the tub for a quick relaxing bath. She's had a bit of a case of bathtub envy as she has patiently waited for our tub for the last decade. Any. Day. Now. :-)

The third floor of the home is a blank slate of open space just waiting to be turned into a large office, play room, ping pong tournament of champions area, craft area, or whatever else your heart desires.

This floor also has a great view that looks out over Old Town, towards DC, and onto the Masonic Temple.

As much space as I've already outlined, we'd be leaving out a rather significant chunk of home if we didn't cover the house's well appointed and nicely finished full basement. With room for additional bedrooms, another full bath, and living area, this basement is clearly a multipurpose area that goes well beyond the label of "man cave." And as I mentioned, there are two distinct staircases to get to this level.

The home has garage parking, and also a small backyard, but with the size of the addition much of the green space of the otherwise large yard has been lost to the house.

Overall I'm quite impressed by the size of the home, and with how efficient the storage and layout is even though the living area is so expansive. There seem to be built ins and storage tucked away almost everywhere you look.

It is possible this home is too large for us, as I can't imagine making effective use of the space without a family of at least seven, but I'm sure someone can do it.

There are a handful of things in the house that I was rather surprised by. Some of the finish details, such as the newel posts on the stairs, lack of vintage hardware like hinges and knobs, and some of the other moldings, seemed to be more builder grade than the true character building salvaged materials which would have added so much to the house in my mind (but maybe that's just me). Also, much of the home retained the original hard wood flooring, but new flooring had been laid in the addition or other new areas that didn't match the old, rather than finding salvaged flooring as a better match. The final thing I noticed is that the water supply was all done using PVC, rather than PEX or Copper. It seems that in a home of this size and price you'd want to use the longest lasting product and the one least susceptible to failure, but maybe this is just me being a house snob. All in all, I think the things I just brought up are simply a result of trying to complete a large renovation project in a reasonable amount of time and within a budget, something I'm not familiar with in our house (except the budget).

Overall, the home is impressive, spacious, and interesting, to say the least. I wouldn't know what to do with half of it, or more, but it was fun to walk through. If you're interested in the listing details, be sure to check it out on the listing agent's website on the link further down this page.

We'll be back next week with home #2 in our Rumble in Rosemont competition where we'll be able to compare the two well appointed Rosemont residences to see who stands as champion. But until then, what do you think of this house? Is it too large for you, or could you find yourself decking the walls, halls, and all else? We'd love to hear your opinion.

If you'd like to see additional details, they are available on the home's official listing page.

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: McEnearney Associates Inc., Realtors and listing agent, Sue Goodhart, where MRIS is noted in watermark.

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There's a little section of King Street (the main street in Old Town) that begins to climb a hill just after you leave the friendly confines of Old Town and head into the picturesque Rosemont neighborhood just to the west. Though the houses along King Street sit on this busier thoroughfare, a handful have the distinct advantage of being built on a hillside with a fairly significant grade behind them. Looking north from these few homes you have beautiful panoramic views of the DC skyline and the surrounding areas. It's truly one of the few "million dollar" views of the area. This past weekend, one of these homes was held open and we had to go check it out.

We've driven past this home countless times, and though it's large white neighbor home is hulking and impressive, this "smaller" brick home has always been quite appealing and lovely. The approach from the street gives you a great glimpse of the home and its relatively modest but very well maintained front yard. 

This five bedroom, four bath home is spread across four levels of living, including a partially finished basement and completely finished attic/third floor space. It was built in 1925 and has had a few small additions over the years, but the floor plan is still very much in its original form. The home actually reminds me of a miniature version of the house from Home Alone.

Entering the front door of the more than 3,000 square feet of living space, you walk directly into the home's entry foyer with its beautiful staircase.

As soon as you walk in, you can tell that this home retains the majority of its period charm and character. It's a little different than we're used to since we look primarily at homes built in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the touches of the 1920s are quite evident. The floors are beautiful narrow oak and the windows and molding are all original. To the right is a large formal living room with one of the home's fireplaces. 

It looks like this was once two rooms and has since had its partition wall removed (evident by the beam mid-room). This room actually has an interior porch to the rear with great views of the Washington, DC.

...and a really nice sitting porch to the right out of the doors near the fireplace.

To the left is the home's entry way and on the opposite side of the house from this porch is the home's spacious  formal dining room. 

Just beyond the dining room and to the rear of the home is an informal dining area...

...and a small kitchen area.

Though the kitchen is small and tucked away, the key element of the kitchen is its view through the large bank of windows from the sink. You can actually see the Capitol Dome while doing your evening dishes. We were there during the day, but I have to believe it's a pretty spectacular view at night when the city is illuminated.

This area is an odd area that's wrapped around a small back staircase offshoot that joins with the main stair and is tucked among several small rooms. If this were our home, I'd be looking at our options to open this whole area up and make it a larger kitchen/living area, placing the dining room on the opposite side of the home near the living room.

One thing I loved about the home's staircase was its beautiful wainscoting. We're rather partial to it after installing wainscoting in our home, so I always like to see it elsewhere.

Upstairs the center of the home is taken up by the large staircase which has a great window that looks out over the stunning view of DC. From this staircase you can access this floor's three bedrooms and one full bath.

The master bedroom on this floor is quaint and has some great views from the rear windows (notice a trend?), but there's one really cool feature that I absolutely love in this room. 

Do you see the closet door near the back of the room? Inside that closet this is what you find.

Yes, an old school intercom, still wired up and possibly functional. Just beside this is a bank of switches with very old switch plates.

They're labeled for the people's rooms in the house, "Girls," "TJ," etc. I can only assume these were the owner's children at the time and the parents wanted to be able to control "lights out." I think the little things in the house, like these details, are what really bring out the home's charm over new construction.

The home's third floor offers two additional bedrooms that are very nicely sized. 

They both have small dormer windows, again with great views, and share a bathroom. You can find other great details in these rooms, like another intercom box...

...but the most striking item from this floor are obviously the panoramic views, even from such small dormer windows.

You'll have to trust us, the camera can't do it justice.

One thing about this house is the tremendous amount of storage throughout. In additional to closets and cubbies, there's a partially finished basement with storage beyond it. The basement is actually a walkout (due to the grade the house was built on) and houses an incredibly cool wood bar. When you walk down, you feel like you've been transported to a lodge. I can't help but romanticize prohibition era gatherings behind the glow of Washington DC just six miles away out the back door.

Two other very interesting features in the basement are a small storage cellar area perfect for wine (ahem, prohibition era)...

...and this little gas two burner stove, still connected to the gas line. Would you trust using it? Seems interesting. Probably good there's a fire extinguisher nearby...just in case.

They even tucked away another bathroom in the basement. If you're a Beatles fan, you'll love it. 

You know me, I'm a total sucker for old and rustic period charm in anything.

As much time as I've spent talking about the house and the view, you might think the backyard is lacking, but it's actually one of the home's true highlights. 

The yard has several tiers to it to accommodate the rather steep hill the house is on. There are a set of cement stairs with pipe railings leading down the rather steep change in elevation.

In addition to the tiers of yard, there are also a few levels of deck off of the house, each with a great view.

At the very bottom and back of the yard there's even a nicely sized koi pond.

Wendy looks at that and sees space for a narrow lap pool.

I'd also be leaving out a significant detail if I didn't mention this home's detached two car garage complete with potting shed overlooking the backyard as well as a pig weather vane. Pretty awesome as far as garages go if you ask me.

All in all, this home is pretty spectacular, but the home's view is what it truly unique. The price tag is by no means low, but the house, with all of its character and charm, is not something you see very often.

Now for our game...

Would You Trade?

Alex: Maybe?!?!...This is a really hard one for me. This house isn't in my ideal age range (too new), but it has some amazing and intact character elements. It's not in Old Town, but it has a great proximity to the metro and is still accessible to Old Town. It sits on a very busy portion of King Street that gets extremely crowded during rush hour, but it's got a stunning view. It isn't in dire need of major changes, but there are projects on every floor and around every corner. I don't know why, but I'm horribly conflicted about this "Would You Trade?" When we were walking through the house, I thought "yes." But now that I'm thinking back on it, I'm saying "No." I'm totally waffling here. Why am I so conflicted? 

Wendy: Well...I have to say I'm with Alex on this one. Completely torn! The home has amazing curb appeal, spectacular views, fantastic outdoor landscaping and entertaining potential, and sits squarely in my favorite age range. But the fact that it's on a heavily trafficked street, isn't a stone's throw to restaurants and shops that way our home is, and is in need of some serious bathroom and kitchen updates makes me feel indecisive. 

What do you think? Should we "trade" our home for this one? Would you trade your home? We're dying to get your two cents.  

If you'd like to see additional details, they are available on the home's official listing page.

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: McEnearney Associates Inc., Realtors and listing agent, Carol Cleary, where MRIS is noted in watermark.

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Those familiar with the area, or those familiar with the blog DIYDelRay.com, probably know where I'm talking about. Just a little bit north of Old Town, the best way I can describe Del Ray is as a family friendly, slightly sleepy, and decidedly less urban neighborhood of eclectic homes, good food, and a small town vibe. The city's tagline is "Where Main St. still exists," and I'd say they're spot on.

We have a good friend who has been looking to buy a house in Old Town, Rosemont, or Del Ray for the last few months. Her search has taken her through many homes over this period, from fixer uppers to the totally renovated, but she's looking for just the right home. A little while ago she emailed us a listing that she had seen for a new-to-the-market house that was being held open. Thinking it might be the place for her, and wanting our opinion on the home's potential and current quality, she invited us along to provide our honest review.

The description of the home was intriguing, to say the least.

Our interest was piqued, so we ventured the few miles from our house to take a look at the little blue farm house just a few blocks from Del Ray's Mount Vernon Ave (their Main Street).

From the exterior, the house has great curb appeal. A yard with grass (which ranks as a rarity to us in our concrete and brick jungle), some nice trees, and a small gravel parking area give this home's facade a very inviting feel.

Walking up the walk to the front door, the covered front porch with a classically suspended bench swing feels like the type of place where you could spend countless spring and fall nights, just enjoying time with friends or family and sipping a cold beverage.

The front door is old and equally inviting and the entrance into the home feels a bit like you've stepped back in time to the turn of the 20th century.

The entry hall is a wonderful space. It's high ceilings and spacious width showcase the great original staircase and its details. The space also provides ample room for an umbrella stand, area for shoes, or whatever else you might need.

One thing I was very happy to see was apparent as soon as we entered that the home. The majority of the home's architectural details were largely intact, as was the majority of the original floor plan. This home is far from the "open concept" layouts you see everywhere today, but instead embraces the stylistic and utilitarian function of many smaller rooms. (Let me go on record saying I hate the term "open concept." That should not be a commonly referenced term in today's lexicon. Perhaps "open floor plan" or "open living." "Open concept", as a label, is just dumb. Sorry for the rant.) 

Where was I? Oh right, architectural details original accents. Just look and how wonderful the original floors are still looking.

In addition, many of the original transoms are still fully intact and just need a little bit of TLC.

Off of the main entry hall are three doorways to each of the adjacent rooms. To the right are the two parlours, and straight ahead is access to a small room that they are calling a bedroom.

In this case, the use of a good wide angle lens really makes the room look far more spacious than it is. Though this room is a bedroom in the listing, I'd definitely use it as more of an office or den. It's got a small fireplace in the corner, and great light from outside. I could easily see working from this room, writing blog posts into the wee hours.

Accessible from within this bedroom/office is the first floor's only bathroom, and it's a full bath. I'm not sure when this bathroom was added to the house, but it's definitely not original. It's actually one of those things that I'm surprised nobody has opened up access to this room via the front hall, providing a powder room to the first floor. It may look good from the photos, but issues are somewhat obvious in person. The room has potential, but it surely needs some reconfiguration and renovation.

In the back of this bathroom is a closet with some telltale old wallpaper in it, showing just how many styles and generations this home has lived through.

The main parlours are intact and feature a set of original pocket doors in need of a little TLC, and the two parlours are both high ceilinged, large, and have fireplaces in the central corners.

One of the really cool things about the main floor is the very retro kitchen. It doesn't fit with the house in the least, and I'm pretty sure it was last updated back in the 1950s. Someone put a few new stainless appliances in the room that just don't fit (either by dimension or style), but the room is still cool.

Though the real estate photo captures the whole room, just check out my closeup photo of the cabinets. They probably wouldn't remain our kitchen cabinets and counter if we purchased the home, but I'd be sure to save them and use them elsewhere.

Upstairs the house has several nicely sizes bedrooms situated around a central hallway. Each has several windows and quite a bit of natural light.

Each bedroom also has a closet, which is not that common in homes in this area. 

There is another full bathroom for the floor, though it needs some help as well (again, the photos can be deceiving).

At the very back of the second floor is a slightly sagging sleeping porch that is yet another area of the home that has a lot of upgrade potential.

On the third floor is a partially finished attic area through a very tight staircase. It's set up as a sort of office and has a painted floor and lots of light.

Next to the finished space, but an area you pass through from the right stairs, is a rather large unconditioned attic space.

The space is staged with a small kid's teepee, but I'll tell you one thing for sure. No kid in their right mind would be playing alone/sleeping in this part of the attic. It feels far too spooky as it is (and really hot in the summer/cold in the winter).

Outside, a very large backyard with tons of potential has "You could throw some great parties back here!" written all over it.

In the back corner of the yard is a very useful shed that appears to have been very recently installed.

Though the house and its major architectural elements are largely intact and the home photographs beautifully, the home needs quite a bit of work. From system updates to major cosmetic items, whoever decides to buy this house has to have a pretty nice sized budget or ability to spend a lot of time on the work. If that right person or people come along, this will easily be one of the gems of the block right in the heart of a great neighborhood.

And now for our game...

Would you trade?

Alex: Overall, I really like this house a lot! It's not the right house for our friend, but it's very much the right house for me. Though I wouldn't trade our house for this one, it's one I would love to spend the next 10 years or so renovating. The original details, unchanged floor plan, and pure potential for a stunning place is absolutely great. There are plenty of problems with the house, from suspect material below shingle siding, to sagging floors and flooring patches that cover up untold problems. The home has very little insulation, probably needs to have the electrical and plumbing updated, and I'll go out on a limb and say there is probably a structural issue or two that just might need to be resolved (though this is just a random guess). But with all of that being said, tons and tons of potential. The backyard is large enough to entertain and to house a small pool, the interior has the potential to be a truly polished gem, and the kitchen is large enough to be almost anything you want it to be. There's room for an addition without sacrificing too much yard, and the surrounding houses across the street are nicely kept. It seems like a great house in a great neighborhood. I'll surely keep my eyes on this house to see how the whole thing shakes out.

Wendy: No, I definitely wouldn't trade our house for this one. This house would be perfect for a family with small children, but it's not as well suited to our lifestyle as our current home. It has some good features, certainly, but I just see all of the work that needs to be done. The rooms have been staged nicely and the bright, fresh paint helps take your eye away from some of projects, but upon closer inspection this one is a real fixer upper. For this reason alone, I wouldn't trade. Alex is right, with the right owner, someone with enough time and money, this will be a fantastic home.

If you're interested, you can view the home's official listing for additional details and the nitty gritty.

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: Weichert, Realtors and listing agent, Robyn Bomar, where MRIS 2012 noted.

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One thing I've noticed that's actually quite strange about Wendy being gone is that I find myself making a point to do things and go places that are our normal things to do. I'm not sure why, but when she's gone I feel like I'm missing out if I don't go on a walk or search for open houses. So last weekend, I made sure to check out the listings and saw a house that I couldn't miss.

This weekend's open house is actually on one of the most picturesque blocks in Old Town. The house is just two blocks off of King Street, the main street in town, and close the Potomac River. Wendy and I have walked by this house hundreds, if not thousands of times and have always liked the way it and its two partner houses look from the outside. In fact, here's a photo I took of the house back in 2002, before Wendy and I were living in Old Town (or even married).

When I saw the little brick house was being held open last weekend, I was both glad I'd be able to finally see inside, and also a bit sad Wendy would miss it since she'd be neck deep with work in Boston at that time. Oh well, I figured I'd take one for the team and just go without her, but it wouldn't be the same.

I had really high hopes for this house, but I've got to be honest, I was very let down.

Here's the backstory. The house has actually been owned by the same person for a very, very long time. She passed away a little while ago and it seems that someone (the estate?) came in and did a quick "renovation" to sell it. Sort of a flip without the flipper. This was particularly disappointing to me as an old house fan because I completely expected a very old home with lots of intact details. Instead, what I got was...well...you'll see.

The small brick home is actually one of three nearly identical styled houses in the middle of a very historic block located very near the town square and city hall. To say it's ideally located is a pretty significant understatement. As the story goes, the three houses were built around 1880 by a father and given as gifts to his three daughters.

A sweet story, sure, but I'm actually skeptical. I've heard this same or similar scenario about several other trios of houses in the area, and it just seems like a lot of fathers back in the mid to late 1800s had incidences of three single daughters that they wanted to build houses for. More likely, like many houses built in the 20-30 years following the end of the Civil War, when the southern states were focusing on reconstruction, these houses were actually built by a landowner who constructed the houses as real estate speculations. They were hopeful that the proximity to the Federal City (Washington DC) would allow them to rent the homes or sell them for a nice profit. Doesn't sound too dissimilar to the real estate market of about 6-7 years ago.

Regardless of purpose for construction, it's a nice row of homes. The house itself is somewhat small at just 1,200 square feet, but is still configured with three bedrooms and two full baths upstairs.

As I said, from the outside, this house has a ton of character and charm. The very red brick is quite unique, and the angles of the front and architectural details above the windows are interesting and intact. We actually wish our house was a little more like the front of these homes. The very flat front of our small brick Victorian, built just a few years after this house, just isn't that interesting from the street by comparison.

One thing I noticed right away was the wood storm windows on the lower floor are quite similar to the ones I'm planning on building for our house. So much nicer than the aluminum triple track we once had on our house.

Unfortunately, I think there was also some bad masonry work that may have been done just below this window that may need some attention.

Upon entering the house, I realized it was not at all what I expected. The home's interior walls on the first had all been removed at some point, leaving a fairly open view from the front of the house to the rear.

In order to make the most efficient use of space, the kitchen has been located at the front of the house with a small seating area in the window bump out.

The kitchen also has a pass through and partial wall to a dining area, and Much of the kitchen has exposed brick (the column is probably the old chimney), which does make it feel a little bit more comfortable and soft (it's weird that exposed bricks can feel soft).

Walking towards the back, you can see the abrupt transitions in the flooring that lends clues as to where walls may have once stood.

There's a closet just beyond the stairs that has been configured for a washer and dryer, but none has been installed. This is one of the major clues of a "quick fix," since washer and dryer typically convey in our area. This is convenient, but I really don't like that the waste is not vented (it has one of those vacuum breakers), and the supply lines are PVC. In this area, it should all be either copper or PEX.

The handrail and newel post look to have been replaced at some point, and quit possibly, added when the walls were taken out. I think there was probably a wall that closed the dining area off to the stairs, much like our house, and made a narrow stairwell. This is why we don't have a really cool newel post on our first floor.

Upstairs there is a small room to the back of the house that overlooks the garden and a small room just at the top of the steps towards the front of the house. These two rooms would be good sized kids' rooms or guest rooms. Both of these rooms have easy access to a shared bathroom.

One thing I noticed in the bathrooms is that they were recently updated and include standard builder grade cabinets and granite counters. This is another major clue that a recent flip style renovation has occurred.

The hallway upstairs is narrow, the way you'd expect in a house of this age, but the handrail has once again been replaced. I think this one was done at the same time as the one on the first floor (I'm guessing late 1970s or early 1980s). It a small metal newel post with stamped details, not something you'd find in most places.

The front room of the house is the master, and has a lot of natural light on account of the several windows and bump out.

There's also a master bath located just off of this bedroom, but it's a little tight, and finished just like the other bathroom.

One thing I noticed throughout the second floor were the various bump outs and boxed in HVAC ductwork. I have a feeling the AC was only recently added to the house, and it was not done in a way to make it particularly non-invasive. I'm nearly positive of this being a recent addition since the photo I have from 2002 still had window AC units visible from the street.

Though I feel like I'm being a bit negative, there are quite a few positives with the house. Primarily, many of the original doors, molding, and hardware exists throughout the second floor. And a major plus, the doors are all stripped of their paint, so you wouldn't have to go through that horrible process.

The layout of the second floor also makes the absolute most of the space, and there's tons of potential from a renovation/decoration standpoint to make it very couple or small family friendly. The main thing is that there is a good amount of light everywhere except for the hallway, which can be fixed with some recessed lights. In other words, the house has tons of potential.

Access to the partial basement comes by way a small door under the stairs. 

In the basement, the ceilings are low and only about 1/2 of the basement is actually dug out. Here you can see the edge of the dirt pile where the digging stopped 130 years ago.

There are several original shutters down in the basement just waiting for the right owner to come along and install them. In fact, they look nearly identical to the ones in our home.

In all, the basement appears to be in good shape (from what I could see). No bug damage, not musty, smelly, or damp, and a decent size for storage. However, if you came into owning this house with a decent renovation budget, about $50k-$70k would allow you to consolidate the HVAC into a smaller footprint and dig out the remainder of the basement and add about two feet to the height of the current basement, giving you a very nice sized addition without losing any land. It's a big undertaking, but would dramatically increase the living area without making any sacrifices.

One thing I did notice down there that I thought was interesting is that one of the joists had been cut away a bit under the window. I think this was a very old cut and am guessing it was made to allow deliveries of coal through the coal chute. Pretty neat, huh?

The home's backyard area, though without parking, is a good size with some great potential. Though there's not a ton of privacy with all of the nearby neighbor homes (really, who has privacy in Old Town?), there are still a lot of trees and a good outdoor feeling.

In addition to access from the house, the backyard is also accessible via a small horse pass between the home and its left side neighbor.

In all, the house isn't a diamond in the rough with all of its untouched original details, but it is a place with a whole lot of potential for the right owner. It's just a shame that the upgrades that were chosen to improve resale, such as the granite, HVAC, stainless appliances, and cabinetry, all could have been left out. If I were the new owner, to really do this house the right way, I feel all of the new "improvements" would need to be removed, so you're essentially paying for something just to get rid of it. At least there's Craigslist. What do you think?

And now for our game (with just me this week)...

Would you Trade

Alex: No, I wouldn't trade, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't take on the project. If we were looking for a first house and wanted to do a major overhaul on something with "good bones," this would be a great place. It lacks parking, and is a little on the small size, but it has an amazing location that's a short walk from major points of interest in town. It's just a shame that I'd want to take out so much of what was just put in to sell the place. Although Wendy didn't see it with me, I'm pretty sure she'd be in the same boat (with less likelihood given that she probably doesn't want to "start over"). Perhaps if it's open this weekend, we'll stop in so she can chime in with her own ideas.

If you're interested, you can view the home's official listing for additional details and the nitty gritty.

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and listing agent, Jolee Rubin, where MRIS 2012 noted.

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There's one particular part of Old Town that we absolutely love and we've written about before on an Open Housing post. The area is called "Captain's Row" and represents the 100 block of Prince Street. It was named for the sea captains that built homes along the block. Most notably, Captain John Harper purchased several lots and then built each of his daughters houses as they were married. Captain Harper is credited with owning and building as many as 15 homes on the street. Today, the block is quite historic, and is one of the few remaining cobblestone streets in Alexandria. It's often used in imagery when touting the quaint and cozy small town atmosphere Old Town typically offers.

Photo Credit: Historic Map Works

Our last open housing post on Captain's Row came as our blog's very first "Open Housing" post. It detailed an 18th century house we'd long admired and finally were able to get a glimpse of the inside. The house we're looking at today is also an 18th century home on Captain's Row, but it is quite different in its presentation.

Situated on the opposite side of the street, and at the other end of the block, the home, known as the Francis Harper house (notice the name of Harper), is a small masonry structure with a rather large front door and three 2 over 2 windows. Though it states the house was built in 1769, this is rather unlikely, as the area is very near the Potomac, and this part of the street was actually under water until roughly 1782. The home was probably built sometime between 1782 and 1793, and has obviously served many different purposes over the years, from residence to rental, and many years as mixed use commercial and living space.

Immediately upon entering the space, it feels old. I don't mean this in even the slightest bit of a derogatory manner, I actually mean this in the best possible way. The house has all of the irregular angles, nooks, crannies, and crevices to make it feel like a true Old Town house.

But uncharacteristic of 18th century homes, the ceiling in the front room of the house is really rather tall. Most homes in this size and age range have lower ceilings, but this home's ceilings in the front room are at least 10 feet tall.

Also in the front room of the house and looking into the dining room, there is a very large 15 over 15 window with lots of original wavy glass. I can't even imagine glazing something like that!

Whenever I'm in homes like this, I like to try and figure out what is original, and what was added on. Obviously, in a house that's over 200 years old, there's been a lot of opportunity for change, so it's sometimes hard to figure out. But after much thought on this house I think I have an idea that might be about right.

The story the realtor told is that the home's builder ran a store of some sort in the front of the house, and somehow used the large interior window as part of the shop. She seemed to believe it was Something along the lines of a security system to keep an eye on the shop even when he was home. However, this doesn't sound right to me, especially since it is believed that the builder was Captain Harper. What I believe is that the home was originally constructed as a very small home, just one room downstairs and one room upstairs. I believe this large window on an interior wall was actually the home's original front window. In the photo above, you can see a step up as you go through the door. This looks very much the way I would assume the front door entry stoop would look coming in off the street. 

When it was built, the house was probably set back from the street and sidewalk a bit, and had a small front yard area. The second room of the home, which is the dining room, has the home's staircase and an original fireplace.

The ceilings in this room are much lower than the front room, which is far more expected in an 18th century home. So my thought is that the original one room and two story structure of the original house was significantly added onto with a new two story addition on the front of the house, as well as an expanded attic area to give the home a third floor. Here's a look at the fireplace side of the dining room to show another original window of the 12 over 8 variety, which probably didn't always look out on a brick wall of the house next door.

This encapsulating addition may have been built by a shop keeper looking to build a shop on the front of his home, there's really no telling, but I'm pretty confident in my assessment. The windows on the front of the house look quite original as well, but original to the mid to late 1800s, and not the late 1700s.

Beyond my boring home sleuthing ramblings, the house itself is very interesting. The kitchen at the rear of the first floor was added on more recently, and it is well appointed for such a tight space.

There's also a small powder room on the first floor, which just goes to show you how much you can pack into a very small space.

Upstairs, the mystery of the high ceilings (though I think I solved it) continues. The front bedroom's ceilings are also at least 10 feet tall. The rest of the floor has much lower ceilings, so it makes this room feel huge compared to the rest of the house.

There are so many extremely efficient uses of space throughout this home. It seems like every available inch has been leveraged, such as making built-ins or custom sized doors for irregular openings at every turn.

Just to the top of the stairs is a sort of sitting area that I assume you would use as a family room or a bedroom, depending on your preferred configuration.

Beyond this bedroom/family room to the rear of the second floor is a large full bath. This sits above the kitchen and feels like a modern addition.

Tucked between the front bedroom and second room of the second floor are a small set of winding stairs that go to the finished third floor. It's a tight space with a steep climb, but very cool without a doubt.

The third floor offers ample room for a bedroom with plenty of tucked away storage.

There's also a nice sized (for a third floor) bathroom on the third floor, off of the back of the room.

Back down to the first floor, and out of the door on the dining room, there is a small backyard patio area that is sort of tucked between several buildings. It's very closed in by the rest of the houses around it, so it doesn't get a ton of sun, but it is an outdoor space.

And one of my favorite features of houses that are roughly around this age, this home has a horse pass so that you can take your horses from the street to the back stables without needing to walk around to the alley.

This horse pass is another clue that many of these items were added on much later. Since the original dining room window probably wouldn't have looked out on another home's brick wall, the horse pass didn't always exist. The hose pass was most likely included at roughly the same time the house next door was built, which may have been closed to the time the whole front addition was put on this home. But like the question of how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop...the answer to when this home was expanded...the world may never know.

Though the home is billed as a three bedroom house with two and a half baths, using it as three beds would mean one of the bedrooms doesn't have access to a bathroom. But I must say, it makes quite efficient use of the space available. If you're interested in the listing, be sure to check it out.

And now for our game

Would You Trade?

Alex: Though I love the age of the home, and all of the added character the journey it's gone on from a small one room place to what it is now, there's no way I can trade. No backyard, no parking, tight floor plan, and it's in the area that has flooded in the past. I love the street it's on, and I'd love to live in that block, but I just don't think this is the house for me. I'd be giving up too much from where we live now. But I do like the 18th centuryness about it.

Wendy: Nope, I don't think I can. Like Alex, I love the Captain's Row block, and I really like many of the houses along both sides of that block, but this house would be far too much of a sacrifice to trade. The finishes of the house are nice, but the amenities we'd sacrifice are too many. With how much we use our backyard space, and how much I appreciate parking, it's just a deal breaker. And honestly, I can't believe that Alex didn't immediately disqualify it because it has a cellar and not a true basement. There's definitely not enough space down there for a full wood shop. 

Interested in reading about other interesting homes for sale? Want to offer your take on "would you trade"? Check out the Open Housing section of Old Town Home.

Photo Credits: McEnearney Associates, Inc and listing agent, Sue Goodhart, where MRIS 2012 noted.

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