NEW YORK CITY — Although we featured townhouses for sale in August, all but one needed some work. Here are three on the market with open houses this weekend — in three different price ranges — that already have undergone recent renovations and are in move-in condition.
248 E. 26th St., Flatbush
Two-family Townhouse
4 Bedrooms/2 Baths
Approximately 2,300 square feet
$659,000
Real Estate Taxes: $4,247.35/year
Open House: Saturday, Oct. 11, noon to 2 p.m.
Lowdown: The sellers of this two-family Flatbush property have owned the home for about a decade, but they recently renovated, with updates including new kitchens and bathrooms, wood flooring and plumbing, said Juanita Melendez of Ideal Properties Group.
“They’ve remodeled just about everything,” Melendez said, adding that another bonus is “every room has a window” because the house is fully attached only in the front, and there’s an alleyway along the side.
The building — which has a small front porch and yard as well as a backyard — can easily be converted into a single-family home, or for occupants who don’t need a dining room, those rooms could be used as bedrooms, Melendez noted. The building also “feels bigger than what it looks like on the outside, which is a pleasant surprise when you enter.”
The block is “very quiet and doesn’t get a lot of vehicle traffic,” so it’s good for someone who works from home or who works nights and needs to sleep during the day, Melendez said.
Location: The house is situated between Cortelyou and Clarendon roads, just a few blocks east of Flatbush Avenue and Ditmas Park. The highly anticipated opening of the newly restored Loew’s Kings Theatre on Flatbush is scheduled for January. Across the street from the theatre is a new Gap Factory Store.
The 2 and 5 trains at Beverley Road and Nostrand Avenue are five blocks away. It’s .7 miles to the Q at Beverley.
Why put it on your open house calendar? The supply of finished homes for sale in the area is low, it’s priced well, and there are a lot of positive things coming into the neighborhood, Melendez said. “It’s a good first home, and you can also get nice rental income with it.”
204 Prospect Park Southwest, Windsor Terrace
Single-family Townhouse
3 Bedrooms/3.5 Baths
Approximately 2,000 square feet
$1.695 million
Real Estate Taxes: $193.75 per month ($2,325/year)
Open House: Sunday, Oct. 12, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Lowdown: This house “has been in the same family for 90 years,” said Deborah Rieders of Corcoran. The owners decided last year to fix it up and sell it.
“They kept the single-family layout the same, but modernized and upgraded everything,” she said. “It’s a beautiful renovation with a nod to the turn of the century, which is the era the house was built.”
Renovation highlights include central heating and cooling; spa-style bathrooms with Carrara marble, including one with a soaking tub beneath a skylight; and a deck off the kitchen.
“What’s really special is it’s right across street from Prospect Park, so you’re looking at trees from every floor, and when the leaves fall you can see the lake,” Rieders noted. “You’re also getting a bonus lower level that can be used as a guest space, home office or media room, or it can be divided into multiple rooms. Plus the monthlies are ridiculously low, and it’s very energy efficient.”
Location: In addition to the home’s proximity to the park, just around Machate Circle at the southwest corner are the Parade Ground and Tennis Center. Kensington Stables is two blocks away. A bike shop that sells coffee and smoothies is a couple blocks north; and there’s a Park Slope-style food co-op in the works. The neighborhood also has a new early childhood education center.
The Fort Hamilton station for the F and G trains is three blocks away on Prospect Avenue. The B68 bus stops in front of the building, and there’s easy access to the Prospect Park Expressway.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “The price per square foot is lower than for any co-op or condo. You’re getting a whole lot more for your money, and it’s all been redone,” Rieders said.
212 W. 122nd St., Central Harlem
Three-family Townhouse
5 Bedrooms/4.5 Baths
Approximately 2,844 square feet
$2.695 million
Real Estate Taxes: $981 per month
Open House: Sunday, Oct. 12, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Lowdown: Renovations to this townhouse “basically brought everything down to the studs, with the big money spent inside the walls,” said Dylan Hildreth-Hoffman of Douglas Elliman.
In addition to the usual kitchen and bath upgrades, the seller put in new electrical, piping and plumbing, windows, separate boilers with hot water heaters and circuit breakers for each unit, and replaced the roof about five years ago, Hildreth-Hoffman said. “She did the work for any investor to come in and not need to do any retrofitting. It’s already divided and money-making.”
The house includes a three-bedroom/two-and-a-half bath triplex with a private elevator and access to the gardens — which include a “peach tree and beautiful grapevines” — as well as one-bedroom/one-bath apartments on the third and fourth floors. The fourth floor has a month-to-month tenant in place, but the building can be delivered vacant, Hildreth-Hoffman said.
The seller is offering to cover a two-year contract with Top Hat Home Services, particularly if the buyer is an investor. “They come in and service the building and will do daily or monthly reports,” Hildreth-Hoffman explained. “That way, an investor can live in China and not worry.”
Location: The townhouse is in the heart of Central Harlem, equidistant between Morningside Park and Marcus Garvey Park. The area “is teaming with wine bars, new pizzerias, Harlem Tavern and several points of interest,” Hildreth-Hoffman noted. A development going up on the corner at Lenox Avenue and 125th Street will house a Whole Foods.
The nearest trains, each about .4 miles away, are the 2 and 3 at 125th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard and the A, B, C and D at 125th and Saint Nicholas Avenue.
Why put it on your open house calendar? “Each floor has 11- to 12-foot ceilings, so there are good views out of the windows. Not a lot of townhouses have that ceiling height on the top floors,” Hildreth-Hoffman said. “Also, the mechanical upgrades with individual boilers and electric for each floor is a unique aspect to Manhattan parlor townhouses.”
