Is this the type of project you were looking for? :-)

No :-( I am not looking for a project at all. But it is becoming increasingly apparent that there will be a project, whether new or old. The price of this one lends itself to major improvement, but of course the question then becomes if it is over value for the area and that answer would be a resounding yes.

You'd have to check it out because the house that I see looks to have been completely renovated already and looks gorgeous. It could still need HVAC and a new roof etc. It also says 1.2 professionally landscaped acres. No wait, it does say updated HVAC.

I have passed by the house several times when in that town before it was in the market and would say that "professionally landscaped" may be a stretch. The listing says new HVAC but doesn't mention roof, electrical service or plumbing. I like the downstairs layout a lot.

Would you add a main floor master? Is the lot big enough for a tennis court and pool?

There is some beautiful work in that house. The town looks very cool!

It had me at the beautiful porch!

There is enough room for a tennis court but the lights might be a problem. I don't want a pool in our next house.

A major concern for me would be the master upstairs and 3 beds upstairs with the only bath upstairs possibly being en suite.

I love it!

I am in LOVE! That is one beautiful home!

So cute. It has such a nice vibe.

We Yankees can't get over Georgia prices, either. Can you even construct something for that much? Certainly can't here, even forgetting land values.

I am also in love with it! You can move right in.

My 1939 was in need of so much that I didn't want to move without renovations. As for spending more than other homes. I worried about it, too. I added a new kitchen, laundry, master suite and front entry vestibule. I went over budget, but now I'm seeing homes of similar vintage and not nearly as updated on smaller lots that are selling as quickly as they hit the market -- for prices well above my investment. I'm in a growing popular area with three major universities and hospitals.

I know! Financially it is a great move even if we put another $200k into bathrooms and system updates. But at that point it would be a neighborhood oddity. Not sure I would want that.

addung that we are not in a growing area, no universities or very large hospitals nearby, and much too far from Atlanta to be in commuter territory. That kind of an investment in an area with $45k homes a few blocks away.... I don't know, the current level of economic disparity is already glaring.

Oh, boy, that reminds me of my grandparents' house in Mt. Dora, FL! I loved that place. :)

Donna

That is a gorgeous house!! Thank you for sharing!

What a beautiful home!! The front porch is fantastic. Thanks for sharing!

It is a charming home! Having a master w/complementary bath and closet downstairs would be a must for me anyway. I don't think the landscaping is so bad. It seems cottage-like and fits with the house without overwhelming. The deck looks like it needs work though.

Yes the deck looks a mess and we would put in a tennis court depending on the site and setbacks. DH likes the house but is not sold on it.

This town would be commuting distance to Atlanta in my neck of the woods, esp. to the airport. But it would be difficult to justify the cost of this home if the calibre of nearby houses is so much lower. This is sad... so many of these small, older communities across the country have gems like this one that were built when a much smaller local economy could support it. Not anymore.

But won't you have an over improvement problem in most areas, if you aren't looking for proximity to Atlanta? So maybe that's something you have to accept.

I absolutely love the home. But given what you said about the neighboring 45k homes, I don't think I would buy it. :(

It's The Walking Dead factor. The area has tripled in value due to the film industry in the area becoming so big. I think with the advent of Tyler perry's new venture that senoia will stay on the list of great commuter towns. It does seem a bit overpriced though. How long has it been on the market?

That is lovely, thanks, kswl2.

Annette... if its tripled in value, how come the 45k? Don't tell me they were 15!

You had me at the porch! Until I saw the window units in the bedrooms. No central air? In Georgia? No thanks. But that porch! It is quite lovely on the inside.

Are you sure it has an HVAC update? I saw no registers in any of the photos. Yeah, that back deck is a mess.

Around here for $45,000, you might get 45 square feet! (Nice house, although I lived in a Craftsman home for 26 years and have no interest in going back to another one). P.S. Is 50 minutes really not commuting distance? (I wouldn't, but that's why I sold my suburban home and moved into the city, but so many people do)

Amazing! The price here might get you a double wide

On the right day, my 1250 sq.ft. builder's grade house on a minuscule lot would fetch close to that asking price. $45K might get you a decent single-wide.

Is this a town you like? Are you close enough to family, friends, amenities, the arts, etc.? It's a nice house, but what do you gain, other than a relatively smaller place?

Beautiful house! I love four squares and houses in the 1910-1920 era. My great-grandparents had a very similar home, with the double front parlors with pocket doors.

It looks to be in very good condition, and I don't think the improvements you are talking about would put you into the over-improved category, but of course I know nothing about the area.

Open house Saturday! I hope you will go take a closer look and see what improvements would really be necessary. Take some pics :-)

A quote from the write up ~~~~ . The systems have been updated with a central gas furnace, central air conditioning, extra insulation blown in the attic and electric water heater. beautiful home.

Saw this charleston home and thought of you kswl...grand moldings, high ceilings, wide hallways...

Maybe I looked at the wrong listing. The one I have said $498,000

The house is absolutely not 50 min from downtown Atlanta-- that is exaggerated by about 30%. The smaller homes near the listing probably were $20k before the boom. There are beautiful townhouses quite nearby in the $900k range but in their own community and no outside space larger than a patio---no room for a tennis court.

I like the town! We are downsizing property more than house, although the listing is almost 2000 square feet smaller than our current place. We have infrastructure (bridge, dams, sluice way) to maintain and fields that have to be bushhogged. I am tired of the responsibility and effort it takes to maintain this place!

That's the correct listing Annette. My version also says updated HVC......weird!

i think we will go to the open house just to see it. Annie, what a gorgeous Chrleston home, thank you for that link. I love the layout!

She's a beauty Lisa! The front porch alone is a selling feature. Doesn't look to me as though it looks major updating.

Kswl2, I'm with you. We are downsizing from 5000sf house and 12acres to 2000sf house and 3 acres(and barely any grass!).

Love the pocket doors. We are downsizing from 5 acres to .5

we spend a ridiculous amount of money keeping up our property.

love that house...

Annette that is very similar to our situation. Red, I hear you.... our lawn service, gardening and tree service monthly is crazy. And when I am outside I am constantly walking the property checking for problems to catch them before they get to be bigger. We are about to build retaining walls in the front to level out the circular drive and I'm actually reeling from the shock of that one.

dedtired, I love that telephone nook! And we would be a couple of blocks from an Irish pub :-)

kswl2, The house is very nice. The drawback, as far as location within the town, is that the property is adjacent to an active railroad track. I live 25 minutes from Senoia and drive through there often. The town has undergone a major transformation due to the film industry (The Walking Dead, et.al.). What was once a small, quaint, Southern town has been changed to a tourist destination. Guided tours walk the streets, and the locals do not always appreciate the rerouting of traffic at odd hours due to filming. Housing prices have gone up considerably, often way beyond what they are actually worth. The $900,000 townhouses near the center of town (the location for Alexandria in The Walking Dead) have remained largely vacant.

I have to wonder: if/when the film industry decides to move on to a different location, what will happen to Senoia?

How charming the house is and what a cute town!! My downsizing was nothing compared to some of you - just 1.5 acres to a townhome with no outdoor work and the house is actually larger - 3200 sq ft. vs. about 2200 before. Amazingly it doesn't seem too big even though there are just two humans and three cats. I love having no outdoor work to do at this place as I have enough to keep myself entertained at our weekend lake place.

Beautiful home! Kitchen could not have been updated like this without electrical upgrade, too. It looks in great condition.

Paula, I live in the other direction :-) I visited the townhomes during the Southern Living show house months and although we liked them, they just aren't suitable for us. I know all about the show that is filmed there, and hopefully it will be over sometime soon! (Our town has all kinds of filming too, but mostly at night for some reason.) The studios near Senoia will always be filming something though, so I think at least that bedrock economy of the town will remain intact. It's hard to believe that Redneck Gourmet closed down with that kind of tourist trade! On another note, lack of any kind of club facility golf, or especially tennis) in the town is a real drawback. There is a club not too far, but it isn't really part of the town per se.

That is a dream house as far as I'm concerned. I love the traditional style, the light and the porch!

kswl2, The original Redneck Gourmet is still located in Newnan (my town). There was an article in our local paper awhile ago explaining why the Senoia location closed. I copied the following FYI:

"For Smith, making sure his family is successful and secure is why he’s saying 'goodbye' to his Senoia restaurant.

'"Senoia has been a wonderful host for the Redneck,”'Smith said. 'But
after a lot of thinking, I knew that my greatest obligations and
achievements were waiting at home. There was just no way I could focus
the amount of time and attention I would like on both Senoia and my
family.'”

Senoia might not have its own tennis or golf clubs, but it does have wonderful people who enjoy simple pleasures. A short 15 minute drive will take you to most amenities.

Love the porches, pocket doors, and the elegance of that home!

Housing prices have gone up considerably, often way beyond what they are actually worth -- well, they're "actually worth" what someone will pay for them. Otherwise, all houses would cost the sum of materials and labor LOL.

My guess is that that house will sell for between $300k and $350k, unless it is lucky enough to be snapped up by someone in film production. I think it is overpriced for the improvements made thus far for the area. They put some money in the kitchen but not much in the bathrooms, layout hasn't changed much if any, etc. I wonder what the roof looks like IRL...