This was the second house we bought in Victoria. It was really too big for us with a small family of three but we wanted to be in this neighbourhood and we picked out three streets we liked the best and contacted the owners of houses that appealed to us. Not much came up for sale in that area at that time.
Jim took the top floor for his office. There were a lot of stairs and it did need extensive renos which we didn't do as it seemed like it was going to be a bottomless pit. There were also big Oak trees in the back and a million leaves to rake in the Fall plus a big property to mow. It was also on the shady side of the street but I did enjoy lying in the sun in the front Bay window.
When a smaller house directly across the street came up for sale about three years later, we walked over and bought it in 10 minutes. I think the realtor thought he had died and gone to heaven. There were no leaves to rake and we loved being on the sunny side. There was even a sunroom in the back and we built a deck on the back and spent many years basking in the sun inside and out with our various visitor cats, Tigger and later Oscar, joining us. Tigger lived across the street and came running when he heard the bar-b-q lid open.
We continued to enjoy looking at our house from across the street but we weren't too thrilled when one of the owners took down the shutters that were on all the windows except the bay window and then were almost horrified when the current owners painted it yellow. It was white with yellow shutters when we had it.
The idea was to have a more suitable house for our family and get rid of our mortgage since we had actually paid 22% for a short time at the peak of those high mortgage rates. Of course, as soon as we did this, the housing market plummeted and so now we had two houses and two mortgages! We kept both houses for four years and rented out the big one. There were some advantages. We could have changed our mind and sold the smaller house. We never wanted to do that. One of the families who rented had two boys, one a year older and one a year younger and Richard became fast friends with them both.
$2,275,000
2856 Dewdney Ave
Introducing this exquisite & quintessential Oak bay Colonial residence! A very rare opportunity to own this one of a kind home situated on the Uplands border. Feel the warmth of this family home from the moment you enter; a bright beautiful living room adorned w/gleaming HW flrs, Gas FP & a large Bay window all help to showcase the pride of ownership that this home deserves. Enjoy your luxurious and fully renovated kitchen accented w/Granite Counters, a Gas WOLF range and a barn door that overlooks your flat rear patio & yard that is perfect for the kids and family gatherings. The main floor also boasts a family room/home office w/wood paneling & built-ins. The second floor offers a wonderful Master suite w/renovated ensuite, 2 more beds & a recently renovated 3rd Bath w/wainscoting, heated flrs & Granite Vanity. The Top floor is a bonus family room w/Vaulted ceiling & Ocean Views, perfect for the teenagers! Downstairs is a workshop but easily converts into 800sq/ft of living space.
http://www.luxurybchomes.com/properties/2856-dewdney-ave-389542
http://www.luxurybchomes.com/properties/2856-dewdney-ave-389542
