My best features (or “The reasons YOU should BUY ME!”)

Hello-

Everyone says you should focus on the positive and ignore the haters. I’ve listened to my owners over the years (and their friends when they visit), and here’s a list of the top 5 best things about me:

1. My bathroom. I could go on for hours about my main bathroom. My current owners spent countless hours designing (and re-designing..) a timeless, classic looking bathroom.  I have a double (yup, two people) claw foot tub complete one of those little telephone-style shower handles!

Not only does it look awesome, but it makes cleaning a breeze. Did I mention there’s a walk-in shower with TWO shower heads?

One is removable (for easy cleaning of the shower) and adjustable (for shorties.) The best part? There is NO door on it. No glass to try to keep free of dirty finger prints and soap scum. And the color for the entire bathroom? It’s Halcyon Green from Sherwin Williams. A nice, soothing blue/green.  That’s how I’d describe it.

2. My kitchen. Where to start? Quartz countertops that are the perfect color for hiding those little messes that you just don’t have time to clean daily!  Tile floor that, uh, is ALSO the perfect color for hiding messes! It’s kind of like my current owners were trying to keep it easy to maintain…

Double ovens…Do you even know how awesome that is? Not only can your house now be the Thanksgiving spot, but you can bake an entire wedding cake in a few short hours! (this has been done!) Or, to keep it simple, make dessert and dinner at the same time so those cookies can be done and cooled by the time you’re done eating (this also has been done!) Storage…

I have 3 full-door-size pantries. My current owner did the math and that is over 60 square feet of extra storage! Not only can you store your food, but your breadmaker, blender, food processor, Kitchen-aid mixer..all those extra things you rarely use!

And, the final most awesome feature…I have a gas range in the island with a built-in downdraft!    So, not only do you have the BEST method of cooking available, but there are also two seats in the island where you can pretend you have your own cooking show in front of a small audience! (this, too, has been done..)

3. My location.  Did you know you can WALK to the BEACH from here? Or to some of the fine eating establishments that downtown Winthrop has to offer – Mia Lina’s, Winthrop House of Pizza (or they deliver!) Maranacook Grill, Full Court Deli.  Would you rather shop? Visit Everything Kids Consignment store.   Interested in hiking?  A path just next door leads you up to the High School and Middle school. From there you can use the Roger Guerrette public trail. Beautiful in every season. I have SO much to say about what Winthrop has to offer, it’s going to be my next post!

4. My land.  I have 2.28 acres of land, including a very flat backyard…..

for playing soccer, planting a garden, running around in circles like it’s a track (if you want to tire out the kids!), trying to fly an x-wing kite….

staring at pinwheels...

There are blackberry bushes, raspberry bushes and rhubarb patches spread throughout my backyard. There’s a great little tree/small forest area where I’ve seen some lovely little fairy houses being built. (never seen any fairies, though..) Once I even had a windmill built in my backyard..until the uh, WIND knocked it down…

5. My size. In 2400 square feet, I have three bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs….

an office or nursery and bathroom downstairs….

I have a mudroom, a dining room and a living room as well as an eat-in bar in the kitchen.

I also have an attached two story workshop with cabinets, counters and lots of electrical outlets!

For more info, click on the various ‘categories’ on the right side of the page; there is so much to read here!

Much Love,

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 to schedule a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

Let’s Talk about Heating Costs

Helloooooo!!!

So it feels like it’s been FOR.E.VER since I’ve had anything new to say…but I finally thought of something fascinating to talk about.  I’ve had quite a few questions lately about heating (sources and costs) so I decided to sum it all up for you…I know, not really fascinating, but DEFINITELY important when buying a house.

The facts:

• Primary heat source is a Burnham Oil Heater that was installed in 2011. Because people like visuals, here she is in all her glory!

In an average  year, I use 800 gallons of oil for heating both the hot water and the house. There have been some years where I used as little as 600; some as much as 1000 (one of those REALLY cold winters). So annual heating cost varies based on oil prices – very cheap right now (less than 1.50/gallon!).  One of my current owners is a stay at home mom and has had her small children at home all day for the past 6 years; she’s also from Texas, so I may have been kept a little warmer (i.e. used more oil!) than the average family…she gets cold easily and can only put on so many pairs of socks and sweaters – she needs it warm!

• Secondary/backup heat source is a wood stove on the first floor, in the dining room:

I will say that my current owners did not utilize the wood stove very much; the mom didn’t want to mess with the fire with kids around or deal with taking care of it herself during the day! (as I’ve mentioned, she’s not a winter person and didn’t want to learn all about wood stoves, as she did not grow up with them)  So my oil usage could be even less if the wood stove was fired up more often!

• Additionally,  I am equipped with three separate programmable thermostats for three different zones. Two upstairs zones and one downstairs. This is an AWESOME tool to save money on heating! When my current owners both used to leave the house all day for work, I was programmed to be much cooler during the day and warm up just before they came home. Everyone was happy!
• When I was renovated in 2007, I had lots of spray foam stuck in lots of nooks and crannies to help seal me up… no point in having an efficient boiler if all the energy will just leak out!
• I have double pane windows that were in good enough shape in 2007 to not need replacing.
• Two of the upstairs bedrooms and the large master bathroom have ceiling fans to help with energy efficiency as well!

I have received yearly servicing and cleaning from Winthrop Fuel by not only my current owners, but the prior ones as well.  It’s great to work with a company who is very familiar with your important inner workings!

Thanks so much! Now let’s hope it gets cooler so we don’t have to talk about heating anymore.

Much Love,

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 to schedule a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

 

 

Winter in Maine

Hello!

Winter is my FAAAAAVOOORITE time of year!!! Just look at me in winter!

It’s Maine, you can’t avoid the snow. And it really gives the kids so much joy…

And then of course, there’s CHRISTMAS!

So, love me in summer and love me in winter – I have a cozy little wood stove, too!

Much love and Stay Warm!

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 for a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

Perfect home for an artist in Winthrop, Maine

Are you looking for a home with plenty of space for creating your art work or woodworking pieces? Or maybe running a photography studio? This home is perfect!  Whether you want to work in a two-story attached shed with a separate entrance:

 

Or work in the indoor loft area with built-ins just waiting to organize your life:

Inspiration is everywhere!

The lighting is amazing during the day, allowing for some great photography (of both people AND products!). All of  these photos were taken inside this house!

The house is zoned as light commercial (see more on that here); there are many possibilities for running a great little business out of your home!

Much Love,

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 for a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

 

I’m totally famous now…

THERE’S A STORY ABOUT ME ON CENTRALMAINE.COM!!  I’m so honored and excited! Maybe someone will buy me now!

http://www.centralmaine.com/2015/11/27/11-old-western-ave-winthrop/

Much Love,

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 to schedule a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

Can you really afford a Fixer Upper?

Hello-

So, how much time do you spend watching HGTV?  An hour a week? An hour a day? Is it on ALL DAY long in your house? Was one of your kid’s first memorable phrases “Is dis Property Brudders?”  My current owners (well, to be fair just the ‘mom’ of the house…) are definitely guilty of the ‘ALL DAY LONG’ problem….The reason I call it a ‘problem’ is because it really fills your head with all sorts of unrealistic ideas.

Do you dream of buying a house and “fixing it up” because then you can “make it your dream home for way less money than buying it outright?”  Well, I’m here to say that’s just not a realistic expectation in MAINE. I am sure it is true in Texas or California or Florida or Canada or other BIG markets. But, it’s not true in Central Maine. Between finding a house that is cheap enough to ‘fix up,’ and then figuring in the cost of the materials and labor (because you can’t re-do the wiring and plumbing yourself), and then figuring what someone would actually pay for the ‘finished’ house….you will not make any money. You will lose your money and your time. And maybe your sanity.

So now that I’ve burst your bubble on getting a fixer upper, let me cheer you back up. YOU CAN BUY ME BECAUSE I ALREADY WAS A ‘FIXER UPPER!’  My current owners bought me 9 years ago and did fix me up. (See this post).  Are they getting their money back? Nope, not even close. My current listing price ($188,000) is a STEAL. LISTED BELOW TOWN ASSESSED VALUE.

Don’t make your own mistake in thinking you’ll flip a house or fix up a house and resell it for a profit. Turn off the HGTV. You will not marry a Property Brother (Aunt Kim).

Much Love,

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 for a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

Are YOU a Match for ME?

Hello-

If you like hiking trails, cooking gourmet meals, watching TV in surround sound, building your own furniture in your attached two-story workshop, soaking with a friend in a nice relaxing tub, doing laundry on the SAME story as the closets where the clothes are stored…then we may be a good match. Give my listing agent Leonard Scott a call (207.781.2856) to schedule a showing.

Much Love,

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

My before and after pictures

Hello-
Everyone loves a good makeover story whether it’s a person or a house reno. I thought I’d take some time out of my day to share some of my before pictures. Not a lot of people have seen these, so be kind.

The beautiful bathroom that I’m so proud of:

was once this…..

Yes, that’s a giant hot tub in the middle of the sauna-type room…and an open toilet.

The dream kitchen that has turned my current owner into a blossoming young chef:

was once this:

The basement, an integral part of my structure has gone from this scary mess:

complete with rotting posts and old boiler and hot water heater…to this:

(I am so much sturdier and more efficient now!)

My master bathroom has gone from this,

complete with utility sink and shower curtain “door,” to:

My downstairs office/nursery went from this:

to carpet-less (that’s an area rug!) and sunshiney!

Much Love, (especially to my current owners who put so much thought and time into making me last for generations to come)

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 for a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

And a house can be HAPPY again!

Hello-

So after being so sad yesterday, I’ve slept on it and have decided I just have to change my attitude. I am SO excited now – just thinking about WHO my new owners will be!  Will they be a young family who spends time eating watermelon, playing kickball or catching butterflies in my backyard?

Will they be a retired couple who enjoy relaxing at home, gardening in my nice, flat soil, birdwatching…

or tinkering in the workshop on various projects?

Will they be a family with a teenager who enjoys the privacy and quiet that my loft bedroom allows?

Will they be an aspiring baker who needs a double oven and lots of counter space and storage space to run her business?

Will it be an artist who can work in my attached 2-story rustic workshop, complete with multiple separate entrances if he or she wanted to turn it into a store to display their wares? (it is zoned for light commercial! Click here for more info!

I could see many different medias working here – painting, woodworking, fiber arts, sewing, jewelry…Or, they could work inside, in my quiet and private loft (with lots of builtin shelving!)

The possibilities seem endless for my new owners!  I am so dang excited – I wish I could do a backflip! But I’m a house.

Lots of love today!

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 for a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

Even a house can be sad sometimes…

Hello-

So today I am sad. I know I am not supposed to get attached to my owners because people are always moving, but I’ve  watched a little brother and sister blossom from tiny newborns in their car seats, coming home the hospital….

into “big” kids…(seriously, not to distract you, but look at the amazing light in my dining room for photographs!)

And, now these ‘big kids” love running around in the huge backyard and building fairy houses, playing with rocks, watching pinwheels spin, trying to catch birds, whittling wood, playing on their giant water slide that they ‘had to have’ after their friends in Texas had one, and having ‘pool’ parties in their tiny-but-still-fun plastic Cars pool.  I’ve watched their daddy cook delicious chickens on the smoker, mow my lawn with care, plant annuals in the Spring, play soccer in the backyard….

And, I’ve watched their mommy watch it all from inside in the kitchen because she ‘doesn’t like to be too hot or too cold or sweaty….’

I’ve watched visitors from Maine, Michigan, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Nevada gather in my awesome kitchen

and spacious living room…

for lively (seriously..) book clubs, Super Bowls (go Pats!), wedding preparations, anniversaries and birthday parties.

They’ve stayed overnight in my MANY sleeping places and commented on how ‘warm’ I feel, both literally and figuratively.

So I’m sad because I know they are ready to move on, and I don’t know if anyone will ever love me again…

Much love,

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 for a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369

Buying a Historic house in Winthrop, Maine

I’ve talked about my wide pumpkin pine floors

and said that at least some of them were original to the house….Did you know that when I say ‘original,’ I’m talking about 1840?

I’ve been renovated and modernized…

But my front section has stood in this same spot since before the Civil War.  In fact… if you go up into my attic, you can tell by the scraps that are left that the underside of my roof used to be entirely papered in newspaper.  If you look very carefully, you can still make out the words and see that some of these papers were actually from during the Civil War.

How’s that for historic?

Much Love,

11 Old Western Avenue
Winthrop, ME 04364

Contact Leonard Scott of Assist2Sell @ 207.781.2856 for a showing today.
http://www.mainemls.com/Listing-View.html?ListingID=369