Home of the Week: For under $500,000 a downsizer by the sea
This three-bedroom Victorian cottage also suits first-time home buyers or vacationers. See inside at RealEstate.Boston.com.
8 Gerring Road, Unit B, Gloucester
$475,000
Style Condo/Victorian cottage
Year built 1900
Square feet 731
Bedrooms 3
Baths 1 full
Fee None
Water/Sewer Public
Taxes $4,452 (2022)
Usually, condos are apartment-like, a single unit in a building with an elevator, common areas, and amenities like a pet wash. But this condo in Gloucester — just a short walk from Smith Cove — is actually a single-family home, complete with two tandem parking spaces to call its own.
This unusual setup is the product of former zoning laws. Unit B was built behind Unit A in the Cape Ann community, and years ago — when the owners wanted to separate the properties — the only legal way to do that was to split them into two units, according to the listing agent, Robin A. Martyn of Churchill Properties.
The liberation of Unit B comes with a bonus: There are no condo fees, which in some developments can run into the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a month.
This cozy cottage — which fits the parameters of a starter house, downsizer property, or vacation home — sits well back on the lot. It is reached via a path of crushed stone and slabs of slate that ends at wooden stairs to a farmer’s porch. Right near those stairs is a white picket fence at the entrance to the sloping backyard, which is exclusive to this unit.
Inside, a hallway extends to the kitchen, found at the back of the house. On the left is the stairwell to the second floor, and to the right is the entrance to the dining room. Knitting it all together is the hardwood flooring, which is original to the home.
The 127-square-foot dining room currently holds a square table with seating for four, a drum shade light fixture, and sunlight streaming in from three windows. The room, which also offers enough space for a desk area, is connected to the living room, which has a matching light fixture. Currently furnished with a couch, a single comfy chair, and a butcher block table that holds a television, the room is slightly larger at 137 square feet.
Next to the living room is the kitchen, the final room on this level. It’s the largest room in the house (147 square feet) and features wood cabinetry in a darker tone, black granite countertops, a subway tile backsplash, and stainless steel appliances, including a gas stove. A white wood island topped with a gray cement countertop offers seating for two. Natural light comes from a window that offers open shelving for plants, as well as a glass-paned door to the backyard.
The second floor includes three bedrooms and a full bath. The bathroom is 35 square feet and sits at the end of a hallway shared by the bedrooms. The white single vanity has a white porcelain bowl sink and sits underneath a skylight. The shower-tub combination has a white subway tile backsplash. The flooring is tile.
The owner bedroom is in the front of the house and features double closets, one on each side of the 96-square-foot space. This room has a single window and a ceiling fan.
The two other bedrooms are nearly equal in size — both around 94 square feet — and each has a window. The flooring in all of the bedrooms is the original hardwood.
Recent updates include the gas heating system, windows, the washer and dryer (located in a kitchen closet), and interior paint. The owner is offering a buyer credit of $5,000 to paint the exterior, according to the listing.
As of press time, an offer had been accepted on the property.
Follow John R. Ellement on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Send listings to [email protected]. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes and will not respond to submissions we won’t pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. Follow us on Twitter @GlobeHomes.
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