118 Aberdeen Ave, Hamilton, ON, c.1898
I've always admired this home so my heart fluttered when I saw she was on the market. Sadly, for the beloved former owner, this was an estate sale. On the bright side, he left this beauty intact for the future steward. Sure there were lots of cosmetic changes required, but all the irreplaceable oohs and aahs were there and centre stage.
There was no doubt in my mind this home would sell quick as it is incredibly hard to find a big old time capsule (#untouched) in Hamilton, let alone in the coveted Durand neighbourhood, on Aberdeen or south thereof. In the recent past these properties have been snatched up by voracious character lovers.
Case and point:
384 Hess Street South, a gorgeous 1880s Victorian with arched pocket doors and a wrap around porch to die for, received 5 offers and sold for $205,000 over its $970,000 asking price (the highest offer was $280,000 over, but was conditional on sale of another property).
4 Turner Avenue was a massive estate on a large double lot with bags of character potential, including a stunning 30+ foot double reception room with a Gothic stone fireplace mantel and inglenook. This was listed for $1,399,000 and sold for $1,350,000. Like many real estate transactions, the sale of this one was already pre-arranged, but it went on the market exclusively to try an drum up additional offers to drive up the price.
Lastly, another house on Turner (No. 10) allegedly sold privately for over $1.7 million. She was also an unspoiled character beauty that slipped through the real estate cracks and into the hands of a lucky buyer!
In the end, 118 Aberdeen only received one offer despite withholding until a few days after hitting the market. At one point there were two bids, but one dropped out. Ultimately, she sold for $75,000 under asking at $1,100,000.
I was very lucky to view this one myself. I suspect some buyers were apprehensive of some of the aesthetic changes they would need to make from painting (a lot of mint green wood work --- although I didn't mind it!) to ceiling repairs (water damage, cracks, crumbling plaster, etc.). Also, the property only had one parking spot (might be potential for another), a small yard and lack of natural light (massive windows but sandwiched between two houses). That said, the house was so charming and spoke to me in many ways. If I didn't have such a large family I would have jumped all over this one.
In fact, I had lots of ideas, including putting in two arched glass french doors, flanking the dining room fireplace, opening up to the kitchen.
Then fully remodeling the kitchen with cupboards to the ceiling, black and white honed marble floors, exposing the brick on the chimney stack, stealing space from the pantry, blasting out the back with a wall of windows and french doors to a new deck -- and if possible, putting in a small, classic plunge/garden pool.
Besides that, the bones were incredible and I wouldn't dare touch any of the character. I did think some Chinoiserie wallpaper, in a soft green colorway, would look lovely and help combat the drab. Anyways, lots of potential with this one. I cannot wait to (hopefully) see what the new owner does with this gem!
Photos by Vogel Creative, www.vogel-creative.com
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