Out and About - Size sometimes matters

When it comes to real estate, the size of an apartment or home often matters more than most consumers realize. They walk inside and instantly sense like or dislike, yet most may well have difficulty articulating the source of their reaction. Some folks feel lost or overwhelmed in the wide open spaces, while others feel claustrophobic in the diminutive ones.

Other sources of a home buyer’s response tend to be equally emotional; for instance, one of the most common and influential sources will be where the individual grew up, evoking either negative or positive feelings. Nostalgic reminders often are the subconscious motivation that spurs a potential buyer to decide on the spot to make an offer to turn tail.

Décor also hugely affects buyers. If that wall covering reminds them of Grandma’s, it can inspire rejection or affection. A porch spread across the front of a house may well resonate with happy times spent nibbling iced fresh fruit on a summer’s evening. Conversely, it may suggest the torment of mosquitoes that were not denied their own banquet. That dresser in the bedroom may bring back memories of warring parents. Or it may evoke the wafted pleasure of Mom’s perfume. So, too, may the workbench, even bereft of hammer and saw, suggest the happiness of helping Dad craft a bookcase. At the same time, it could serve to revive the distaste of having to sand and sand again in the name of bonding.

Thus can size be a two-edged sword. In general, the nearly universal inadequacy of space in today’s condo conversions pleases no one, whatever his or her childhood experience. Even new buildings tend to stint on square footage, especially for bedrooms but all too often in living rooms, transforming practical furniture placement into an almost insurmountable challenge. The persons who buy such apartments undoubtedly act more out of financial necessity than of unmitigated joy.

From different perspectives, a condo in Logan, a single-family home in Cheverly, a detached rowhouse in Shaw and a single-family home in North Cleveland Park each shed light on the size phenomenon in distinctly different ways. Read on to see how and to learn about listings that other real estate agents are selling:

• In Logan Circle, an apartment in a two-year-old building that originally was designed for rentals. This supposedly one-bedroom condo with open kitchen and the usual granite and stainless accoutrements has a washer/dryer, high ceilings and big walk-in closet through which the owner walks to reach the dual-entry bath from that bedroom. The thing about the bedroom is that only a free-standing wall separates it from the living area, which is less than commodious. Reduced from $435,000, it is listed for $424,900 with a $330 monthly fee that covers no utilities. The unit has been on the market since the end of January – for some reason. Another apartment just like it is for sale just down the hall. Walk, and certainly don’t run.
  
• A bungalow that has unquestionably beguiling curb appeal on a double lot in Cheverly. With three bedrooms, one bath, attached garage, fireplace, hardwood floors, a full basement, first-rate new kitchen and mature plantings, this house suffers only from the small proportions of its rooms. Some might view the size as cozy rather than small and comfortable rather than confining. Another plus is the attic, for which the owner had commissioned plans for finishing, and those plans will be sold with the property, which is offered at $379,000. On a third of an acre, the house is well worth the price in a neighborhood where detached homes can run to the mid-$400s.
  
• In the blocks east of Shaw and north of the Convention Center, a beautifully renovated detached rowhouse just two windows wide sits alone next to a lot that obviously held a dwelling to which it once was joined. Words such as "cute" and "adorable" spring to mind upon beholding the lonely little home, which was been lovingly renovated to contain two bedrooms and two baths. Details such as glass tiles, stainless steel railings, Hans Grohe fixtures, skylights and bamboo floors throughout provide enormous appeal. But this appealing place is low on expanse and perhaps is best considered a condo alternative. Nicely landscaped on its tiny lot, the house represents good value at $574,000.
  
• A very large 1938 yellow brick colonial remodeled by Hugh Jacobson on a nearly 11,000-SF lot with an in-ground pool, gorgeous landscaping by Thomas Church, unparalleled privacy and a detached garage in North Cleveland Park. Needing cosmetic upgrading in every room, this house was designed for entertaining. It has a 27’x16’ living room, a dining room almost as big, a kitchen the size of some ramblers, glassed-in sun room and, upstairs, four bedrooms, three baths, a deck and a master suite that boasts a full-size dressing room and an 11-foot ceiling. The lower level is expansive, including a 25’x15.5’ library with fireplace, cedar closet, assorted other closets and utility rooms, and two full baths, one with a steam shower. Even with all this, the asking price of $2.95 million is wholly unrealistic.
  
• In Dupont Circle, a two-bedroom, two-bath detached dwelling little bigger than a dollhouse. Although nicely renovated with glass tiles, exposed brick walls, nice patio and refinished old floors, this home lacks parking in a neighborhood in which it is vital. More important, the kitchen with its trendy, though impractical, concrete counters is downstairs in what was the basement; the dining and livings rooms are upstairs. But the table-space kitchen covers a vast space that undoubtedly requires marathon endurance to cover the distance between the stainless refrigerator and both stove and sink. The $749,000 listing price is asking a lot, but the place is already under contract.
  
• A six-bedroom, three-bath 1909 attached four-level home with detached two-car garage in Garfield. On the market for nearly a month, this home has a lovely back porch, high ceilings, well-proportioned rooms, good flow, a 1970s kitchen, and one bath on each of the two upper floors for the three bedrooms on each of those floors. Everything needs to be updated, the basement is more or less underground, and the garden is way above average. It is offered at $1.25 million, which is off the mark, all things considered.
  
• In Mount Pleasant, an adequate two-unit attached rowhouse building in 1979. The ceilings upstairs in the two-level unit will prompt you to duck, but the house is otherwise habitable. The kitchen has been moderately renovated, there is a skylight and the stacked washer/dryer has been literally jammed into an open space unattractively at the top of the stairs. As for the English basement, it is a one-bedroom legal rental unit that supposedly will fetch $1,500 a month. There is parking for one car and perhaps rental parking for a second one. The asking price of $685,000 is within reason.
  
• A three-level attached rowhouse at the extreme eastern border of Columbia Heights. With three bedrooms, three and a half baths, a two-sided fireplace between the living and dining rooms, new hardwood floors, this residence was totally renovated in 2004 with a fair sense of style. The lower level is full height but half below grade, and the two baths upstairs seem misplaced, though they do feature a whirlpool tub and European-type shower. Facing the grounds of the Old Soldiers Home, this house with only street parking is almost fairly priced at $549,900.
  
• In Foxhall Village, a delightful three-bedroom rowhouse. The main level boasts hardwood floors, a bright sun room, a recently updated kitchen with stainless steel, and a fireplace. The back porch overlooks a lovely bricked back yard and is perfect for entertaining. The nicely and colorfully finished lower level with full bath could rent for $1,000 a month. Close to Georgetown, this inviting home is listed reasonably at $759,000.
  
• A single-family home in Brookland with a lot of potential. Extremely well maintained by the same family for 40 years, this smallish three-bedroom, and two-bath residence needs some updating and a price reduction of at least $35,000. It is on a cul-de-sac and surrounded by other well preserved homes and individual gardens. Just a few blocks from the Brookland metro and 12th Street stores, this house is listed at $435,000.
  
• In Glover Park, a single-family Federal. The front yard has great curb appeal. The deep, colorful backyard too is inviting. And the location great. But everything else needs to change: The two bedrooms are overwhelmingly small; the bathrooms need serious updating; and the kitchen needs to go. It is listed at $589,985.
  
• A three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath single-family home with an unfortunately long flight of stairs in Chevy Chase, D.C. With sort of a fourth bedroom, a back porch that begs for a summer evening party with friends, candles and good food, hardwood floors, airy ambience and clean, open layout, this home has been on the market for more than a month at $845,000.
  
• In Brookland, a very sad efficiency apartment with only 372 square feet. The interior of the building is depressing at best and the unit itself requires an overhaul. Its western exposure and low $131 monthly fees are the only assets going for it. Originally listed at $159,000 and now $149,000 after three months, this unit has to be offered in the lower $100,000s if it is going to find a buyer.