1916 house for sale questions esp re style, fireplace

11 years ago

While I like living outside of town I don't like the location of this particular house for sale.

However

I am being driven crazy by the beautiful woodwork, wood mantled fireplace of this house for sale out in the middle of Ohio which I find very unexpected. Its just not what you normally see in rural Ohio. Not the house style, not the woodwork.

What do you guys think? What is the house style and is it common for them to have these sorts of fireplaces?

Where these fireplaces available for sale at sometime after 1916 and this was added in or something? It also has a stone fireplace

You can see it on zillow (and no this is not my house)

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/435-Clifton-Rd-Xenia-OH-45385/34190928_zpid/

Here is a link that might be useful: listing on zillow for all the other pictures

Comments (10)

jakabedy
11 years ago
The Arts and Crafts mantel is beautiful. It's period appropriate. Original to the house? It might be, as I see nice wood trim elsewhere, and the tilework appears to be of the era, also. If not original, then added later and done well. It does seem odd to have finde carpentry on one FP and the native stone on the other, but overall it's charming and period appropriate.

But, Xenia! My parents are from Vandalia. When I was a kid I remember visiting the grandparents and driving through Xenia after the horrible 1974 tornadoes. So sad. But now I'm in Alabama where we also get more than our fair share of wicked weather. So no place is safe.

It's a lovely home. But if you're looking to be close to Dayton, it's a bit of a trek. I'll bet you can find similar craftsmanship in older Dayton neighborhoods.
liriodendron
11 years ago
That doesn't look like 1916 Craftsman period masonry work to me, even allowing for the shape of the stones which may be local. The mortar joints and the arch and scale of the fire box are off. The mantle shelf is out of, and under-scaled as well. It looks to me like it's missing some additional part.

I would have thought a deep, almost existential, remodeling done sometime in the 1970's looking at the exterior. Now jakabedy reports bad tornados in the area in 1974. That explains it, for me.

L.
Related Discussions
70's ranch style houses
Q
Comments (36)
Binsd--The Ranch Style lives! Love this thread because I too am the proud(?) owner as of last Feb of a 1960s ranch home. I got all the cool stuff from the 60s and 70s: avocado appliances, gold flocked wallpaper, pink tile, gold colored accents. Oh yeah! Immediately took the house down to the studs to turn it into a Modern Farmhouse. I took inspiration from these: Walker-Warner Sonoma Farmhouse (http://www.walker-warner.com/indexf.html#POR-GRC-001) Christine Lane, Boston, MA (http://christinelaneinteriors.com/) I think ranchers are particularly suited to blend styles. They were a bit funky then and they can still be. Yet, if you want to lean slightly more traditional, they can sustain the transitional. I think they are way more flexible than many styles. Your home in particular has some good bones! The raised ceilings and open one-story floorplan are great for toddlers since you can see them from most rooms. If you can mix some of your Spanish furniture with some more contemporary pieces, I think it will have that California Spanish casual style--with a cleaner look. Love it! In the green bathroom, take out the brass and replace with frameless glass. It will immediately look more contemporary. A glass company should be able to make the shower enclosure (this one's traditional, but you get the picture): From Misc photos If you want to embrace the modern look, peruse: Atomic Ranch (http://www.atomic-ranch.com/). I think they have more Eichlers than Ranch, but it gives you an idea of that style. Here's my old house and the old stuff that was in it, then here are two exterior shots of what it looks like now: From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse From Menlo Farmhouse I wish I could cite all of the great pics I have seen in magazines where they have remodeled a ranch. Each had their own flavor: slightly more modern, slightly less modern, more funky, somewhat traditional, etc. Search: mid-century, modern, ranch home. Have fun! I think your house is a great choice!!
...See More
Why does RE agent say list house $30K less than Zillow estimate?
Q
Comments (43)
I just took a look at that website. It said our home was worth about $179,000--we just sold it (haven't even gone to settlement yet) for just under $200,000. Another house, a block from me was zillowed at $190,000--they sold about 6 months back for $140,000--and had a hard time getting that. The prices for other houses in my neighborhood were similarly all over the place--some were at least $50,000 too low, others were way high. Your agent should be providing a whole stack of comparables. We've had 2 agents in the past year, each supplied us with about a dozen recently sold properties that were similar to ours, so we could evaluate the current local market. Personally? I'm not sure I'd go with an auctioneer/agent. Seems a little iffy to me. I'd further recommend that they use an agent affiliated with one of the large chains, the kind that specialize in both local sales and relocation sales. For our first agent, we went with an older, established 'little' firm--thinking age and experience were the way to go. Didn't do us much good. This time around? We went with young and hungry (our agent is about 30, and a real go-getter) who's with one of the huge chains that does a lot of relocation sales. And we sold in 6 weeks, in THIS economy! For a lot more than we expected to get for our house. Can you suggest to your parents that they talk to at least 3 or 4 different agents, from different agencies, so they can make a more informed choice on who will best represent them? I have a feeling, that if they talk to almost anyone else, this guy will be out the door.
...See More
Paint a brick fireplace for sale?
Q
Comments (32)
The bricks have a uh...antiquey faux old reclaimed painted finish. It's found on the exteriors of many homes in this suburb. The Realtor actually said this one was okay. Makes me wonder! I'm not sure what is messed up, Gammyt--it's odd but properly built. The weird opening is for the crane. The firedogs need to go so the crane works. A closeup. Excuse Farmer Jed. I don't know when the unmatching herringbone stuff was dropped on the floor. Probably after an accident with the bean pot. Yes, it did come with that pot. It will not go with that pot. It is a fabulous cast iron roaster from the 1920s and perfect in every way. OMG do I need to include a bean pot? :O
...See More
Selling my house, trying to dress it up for sale
Q
Comments (72)
I buy and sell at least a house a year, and have done more. I like to buy places like yours...dated, that others won't make an offer on because they can't see through the skin to the good bones :) So for what it's worth...here's what I'd do to get your house off of my hands :o) Your kitchen is horribly dated, and you know that. So what can you do cheaply to fix it? First, pant the grout black on the floor. Don't do anything else with the floor, just paint the grout. You'll have a high contrast floor that pulls in the black granite. Second..do the granite...it's huge, the fabrication costs aren't the major expense at all there...you have free granite available...take it! Tile right over that backsplash. 4" square tiles are very dated. I'd do white subway's (cheap from home despot) with a grey grout. Then change out all those knobs for black knobs. If that BS is solid, you can easily tile over it, and even do it diy if necessary, but changing the shape there will be a big deal. Then, paint those cabinets. And if it were MY kitchen to sell, I'd not only paint them, I'd trim them out by adding a molding strip to the inside of the existing strip (glue and some pin nails...not hard...I've done it a few times). And I'd paint the cabinets in a heart beat. Their shape and color are frankly horribly dated. Cleaning them up with paint is a big deal. It does NOT Matter what the future buyer does with the kitchen "after you do all that work". What matters is that you catch their eye and sell the danged thing in the first place! This is NOT a cool 1940's kitchen...it's a dated 70s at it's best. (I am currently doing a dated 70's kitchen myself...I will be doing the cabinets in a soft yellow). In yours I'd go for a white that works with the floor tile. You give yourself a crisp black and white theme that way. I don't like the white walls on a tall room like that. After all is said and done, I'd paint either a pretty butter color, or perhaps a soft green...gray would work as well, just paint some color! I am just one person who has an opinion :) But I do buy and sell houses and I drool over houses like yours where the stuff is left as is...because I'm one of a few (and I'd count many of the folks here like me) who can see beyond your "Stuff". But 99% of your prospective buyers...they can't see that. Some elbow work and a few bucks would help a lot here. Get rid of everything in the dining room except a table and chair. Edit to death. Those wires make me crazy, and they'll cost you thousands. I would add a chandelier or I'd buy a cheap oblong or rectangular table and do pot light conversion kits on the current pots. (You can't do that with your current table). If it were me, I'd do that before I'd add a chandelier. I would however change out that fan for a chandelier over the kitchen. Keep to simple black and white lines which will make your floor tile look great (if you paint the grout) verses doing something else that will highlight the out of date features. And change out the appliances. People do notice that. You know that :) I've never used an agent to sell a home, (I do it myself) but I will say....most agents I've run into have no clue what it takes to stage a home for sale. Typically they're failed workers elsewhere who go into real estate for a few years then fail again. (I've worked in real estate...I see this all the time). And then there are the top preformers who are really good...they can be of help, but you still get their opinion most of the time. If you really want to sell..consult a professional stager...not an agent.
...See More
marys1000
Original Author
11 years ago
I went out and walked around and looked in the windows. The original windows are sort of shot the rest looked pretty good. It needs someone who loves old houses and has a restorer's touch. Some of the light fixtures look original, origanal farm sink.
It does seem as though the floor layout where the fireplaces are isn't ideal and of course you can't move them. The stone fireplace is on the one long outside wall. The front wall has windows, the long interior wall has wood and glass french doors (nice but take up wall space) and then on the other short interior wall there is a door to kitchen. So I guess this would be a long dining room maybe? Then the wooden mantled fireplace is almost in a walk through area from that room to the other side where there is i think a small livingroom - couldn't get to the windows on that side.

Beautiful area of horse farms. If I was at a different place in my life or this was somewhere else (I don't plan on staying in this area forever) I'd be all over it. Wood work like that just makes me crave it like a sinner.
Sigh
twenty711
11 years ago
What is going on with that bathroom? That has to be the weirdest bathroom I've ever seen. Green carpet too wow.
renovator8
11 years ago
You should be looking for a house in an area you like. One fireplace can't make up for the odd deficiencies of this house.
old_home_lover
11 years ago
Lol. Yes that bathroom... The house is awesome but the Bathroom looks like they ran out of pipe and just said "Ahh, to hell with it. Stick the toilet here!"
civ_IV_fan
11 years ago
what a great older home, makes me want to move up to xenia.

lots of commonalities with my 1915 home a hundred miles away in cincinnati. the newel post is literally the exact same post as in my home, the rest of the stairset may be the same as well. same floor vents as well (the squarish ones, not the newer one in photo 7. The door casings are different. Oh, the thin crown molding is the same as what I have too.

Fireplaces...i love that wooden surround on the iron box. My house has that exact same size iron box, but the surround is totally different.

Not a big fan of the siding there, though
columbusguy1
11 years ago
I think that stone fireplace is a 'renovation'...but I'd love to have that kitchen remain whoever buys it! You don't often see proper cabinets left in an old house--but I'll just about guarantee that the new owner will rip them all out and put in new 'modern' ones.
civ_IV_fan
11 years ago
i agree, that stone fireplace looks a little 1960s to me. could be wrong though. i also just realized this is within a couple of blocks of a bunch of my family
sombreuil_mongrel
11 years ago
I have seen a lot of the round boulder masonry where I grew up around NJ and the Hudson Valley NY. And it was all pre-WWII, and some as early as the 1890's. It was a popular look for craftsman bungalows, because the style setters greatly approved of hand-wrought local materials, of which creek-bed round boulders was one.
Casey

1916 house for sale questions esp re style, fireplace

Comments (10)

jakabedy

liriodendron

Related Discussions

marys1000
Original Author

twenty711

renovator8

old_home_lover

civ_IV_fan

columbusguy1

civ_IV_fan

sombreuil_mongrel

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

1916 house for sale questions esp re style, fireplace

Comments (10)

Related Discussions

marys1000Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

marys1000
Original Author