Driving up to this home, many thoughts pop into your head:
“Quick, call Elon Musk, I’ve got a Solar Shingles test house for him.”
“Did the first floor fall into a sinkhole?”
“One slip and Santa’s dead.”
“Honey, if the roof ain’t new, keep driving.”
Well, the roof is new … along with most everything else.
The home was listed in July 2016 for $138,000 and sold about two months later. A pinch over three months after that, 3822 Treeline Drive is back on the market for $285,000 with Laura Gambini Anderson of William Davis Realty. So yeah, it’s a flip. But it’s also a spacious 2,025 square foot “new” home with three bedrooms and two full bathrooms waiting for a no-fuss, no-muss buyer.
The area, southeast of Kiest Park is a funky little section of Oak Cliff. Lots of curvy roads, hilly landscapes, and the Five Mile Creek greenbelt running through it. If you get the right lot, it feels very country. The area saw its building boom in the 1960s with many of these signature “roofy” homes dotting the area. I know all this because I toured a similar un-remodeled home last year just around the corner. When I saw this listing, I had to see how it turned out.
The entry evokes a Swiss chalet, but otherwise, the front is largely windowless. I will say, this home screams for skylights to brighten the façade, because as you’ll see, it’s quite bright inside.
Immediately upon entering, you can tell work has been done. What was originally a closed-in entry has been opened up straight through to the backyard. The extreme roofline translates into high ceilings that add visual square footage to the overall home. The opened catwalk adds to the lightness of the space.
Floor plan guide: Upstairs there are two bedrooms (left and right) along with a shared bathroom and office nook. Downstairs, the entry leads to the living and dining rooms that are open to the kitchen (which is immediately left of the staircase). To the right is the master wing with its own bathroom.
As you walk further into the home, this is the living and dining room with scads of light from the windows running across the space. The entry hardwoods carry through giving a seamless look. Remember, it’s winter, so all those sticks you see out the windows will be full of leaves come spring. While I riffed a bit on the roofline, look at the ceilings it gets you in here. As I said, a few skylights would be welcome here for added drama and star viewing.
As nice as that view was, turning around you can see just how open this home is. The catwalk cutout adds drama and is perfect for the kids to throw their dirty clothes over for Mom/Dad to wash (I would’ve). You might be thinking that it’s odd to have the fireplace (capable of housing a 100” TV above with ease) on the same wall as the kitchen, but originally the kitchen was a closed off poky affair with a formal dining room towards the front of the house.
What you’ve got now is a generous kitchen with an eat-in area (as well as plenty of space for a formal table in the living-dining room). Plenty of pantry space, stone and shaker cabinets. I might’ve thrown in shaker pantry doors to match, but I’m probably the only one to notice. I’d have liked to have seen the hardwoods carry through, but many like tile in the kitchen. I guess they spill more than I.
I will say I do like our electrical codes. Look at the string of outlets across the back wall. All you need is a microwave and a fridge to start whipping up dinner. I also like the cooktop in the island facing out to the rest of the great room. I know when I’m cooking for guests, I’m at the stove more than the sink. I’m also an unashamed dishwasher user, so my sink time is minimal. The most-used appliance should have the best views.
The master bath is well done with a generous shower seen in the mirror. You can also see an enormous shampoo niche for all the “product” any four people should need. More shaker cabinetry and stone on the vanity with generous mirror space.
Because it’s a flip, you want to see all the finishes. The second bath materials are just like the master with the added bonus of having two sinks so the kiddies have one less thing to compete for. A new owner will have to work out the shower door situation. Clearly the slanted wall isn’t suitable for a curtain rod. The fix is a little custom glass.
The master bedroom is large with its own private patio, which makes the space. The two windows face the front with the roof overhang visible. The French doors bring in light along with the outdoor space. Good thinking on the part of the renovator.
In addition to all the renovation you can see, there are a few things that are unseen. Along with the new roof, there are all new Low-E windows, new air conditioner, upgraded electrical panel, and the roof got new gutters too. So yeah, a few months ago it was $138,000. But as you can see (and not see), a lot of money has been spent revitalizing this home so you don’t have to.
Oh, wait! I can’t let you go without one last pun. If you’re into naming your home, you could call this Barking Dog (because all you see from the street is roof-roof-roof).
Remember: High-rises, HOAs and renovation are my beat. But I also appreciate modern and historical architecture balanced against the YIMBY movement. If you’re interested in hosting a Candysdirt.com Staff Meeting event, I’m your guy. In 2016, my writing was recognized with Bronze and Silver awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Have a story to tell or a marriage proposal to make? Shoot me an email [email protected].
