If you’re in the market for a fully upgraded, but older, home, check out 37 Brena. The owners just finished remodeling the entire house and it is now move-in ready.

The basics:

Asking Price: $877,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,459

Lot Size: 4,792

$/Sq Ft: $357

Days on Market: 15

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1978

Community: Northwood

Schools: Santiago Hills, Sierra Vista, Northwood High

HOA dues are $50 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

As soon as you walk in the door, you can see that the house is in excellent condition. The wood floors are gleaming and the paint and baseboards are free of any scuff marks. The living room to the left of the entry has vaulted ceilings and is a half step down from the entryway. It leads directly back to the formal dining room, which has new recessed lighting.

The kitchen is behind the dining room and everything is brand new. The counters and backsplash are dark granite and there is a full tile backsplash over the stove. The stainless steel oven/range has a smooth-top electric stove for easy cleaning. The white, country style cabinets provide ample storage and contrast nicely with the dark counters. A large breakfast nook with several windows makes a nice place for a casual dining table.

The family room is a few steps below the kitchen and there is an attractive railing between the two rooms. While the railing looks nice, I prefer when the downstairs is all one level. Windows line the back wall of the room and a fireplace sits at one end. There is a small wet bar in one corner (drawers were not installed when I was there but were expected to be in by the end of the day).

A short hallway off the family room leads to the laundry room, half bath, and garage access.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms. All three secondary bedrooms are basically the same. They have brand new carpet and two mirrored closet doors. Two face the front of the house and one faces the back. They all looked to be about the same size.

The upstairs bathroom was just redone as well. It has two sinks set in a solid surface counter and darker wood cabinets. The combination shower/tub looks more elegant than a typical secondary bathroom. It lacks shower doors or a curtain; I’m not sure if the owners plan to install one or if it will be the buyer’s responsibility.

The master bedroom is very large, with a long and somewhat narrow shape. Windows along the side and back walls bring in a lot of light. There is a nice retreat area at one end. This room has the same wood floor as downstairs and also has a vaulted ceiling. There is a nice sized walk-in closet with a few hanging rods and a couple of shelves.

The master bath looks much more like those in the brand new construction homes than in an older house. It has a separate bathtub and shower with big windows and nice tile. The vanity matches the one from the other upstairs bathroom.

In addition to redoing the inside of the house, the owners have also taken on some landscaping projects. They put in a raised flower bed along the back wall of the backyard and are planting the flowers this week. The yard has a decent sized grassy area and a slightly raised patio with new bricks along the edges. The front yard is large and mostly grass, though they also have a new, raised flower bed here as well (flowers coming soon).

The owners have done all of the work for you, but still gave the house a very reasonable price. It is located near the end of a cul-de-sac so it doesn’t get much traffic. Buyers should note that, although some homes on Brena are in the Woodside tract, this half of Brena is part of a separate HOA. As a result, the owners will not have access to Woodside’s community swimming pool, tennis courts, or tot lot. This neighborhood, known as Crestwood Estates, does have its own tot lot and tennis courts, but no pool. I don’t think this one will be on the market for long.

This week, I checked out a condo at 3 Delantera in the Northwood’s small Sundance neighborhood.

The basics:

Asking Price: $465,000

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 1,462

Lot Size: 1,742

$/Sq Ft: $318

Days on Market: 42

Property Type: Condominium

Year Built: 1978

Community: Northwood, Sundance

HOA dues are $348 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

This home is a pretty basic condominium – kitchen and living room downstairs, two bedrooms upstairs. There are neighbors on both sides, so all of the windows face either the front or the back of the house. Most of the windows are original and the bathrooms and kitchen have had small upgrades but haven’t been fully remodeled. The ceilings were scraped downstairs but not upstairs.

The house opens to a small, tiled entry with the staircase directly in front of you and the living room to the right. The living room is very long, so there is space to use it for a sitting room and a dining room, playroom, work area, etc. I think it is technically supposed to be a living and dining room, but since there isn’t a clear definition, it could easily function as something else. The entire room is carpeted.

A doorway leads to a small coat closet, an open storage space under the stairs, and a half bath. The bathroom has a single sink and long counter. While it is mostly original, it’s in excellent condition.

The kitchen is at the back of the house. There are laminate floors, new sliding doors leading out to the patio/garage and the original bay window. The breakfast nook is actually quite large, so you wouldn’t really need to have a separate dining room. The appliances are newer and white, and include a four-burner, smooth-top electric stove so it is incredibly easy to clean. There is plenty of counter space, upper cabinet storage, and one tall pantry cupboard. However, there isn’t a great place to keep pots, pans, or any other larger item.

A decent-sized back patio offers some outdoor space and leads directly to the detached, two-car garage. The washer and dryer hookups are also in the garage.

Upstairs are two bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The master is a good size, but the single window at the back doesn’t bring in a lot of light. One corner of the room has a small cutout with basic shelving. As with the living room, the carpet is in good condition. The walk-in closet has a tiled floor and is a bigger than I expected it to be.

The master bath has the original cabinets, two sinks and a newer tile floor. The shower is deep enough to double as a bathtub (and contains hardware for both), but it has a tile floor and feels like just a shower.

The other bedroom is a good size but the configuration is slightly awkward. One wall has a big cutout with several windows, but they are somewhat low to the ground so any furniture would block the lower portion. There is a two-door, sliding closet with built-in shelves.

The upstairs bath (not attached to the bedroom) is much like the master – original sink (single) and cabinets with new tile floor. The shower/tub combo also still has the original white tiles.

Overall, the condo is in good condition and pretty spacious. My only real complaint is with the kitchen cabinets. Even though the bathrooms are original, they have all been well maintained and don’t look like they’re 35 years old. The community pool is very close to the unit. It is within walking distance of Santiago Hills Elementary and Sierra Vista Middle Schools. It is zoned for Northwood High.

For the first time, we have two of our writers reviewing the same home for sale. I found it interesting to read two perspectives on this home.

Today, I saw a home in Northwood’s Park Paseo neighborhood that features a downstairs bedroom and a large bonus room upstairs.

The basics:

Asking Price: $888,000

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 2,549

Lot Size: 4,356

$/Sq Ft: $348

Days on Market: 21

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1977

Community: Northwood, Park Paseo

HOA dues are $85 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

The house is nicely situated on a cul-de-sac and very close to a greenbelt. Children can walk to Santiago Hills Elementary School without crossing any streets. The home is also very close to the community pool, tennis courts and clubhouse.

This house has a lot of potential, but can use a lot of work. The carpets are very dirty and the floors and walls are scuffed in many places. The ceilings have not been scraped and most rooms still have old windows. While all of the bathrooms have new faucets, no other upgrades have been made to the bathrooms or the kitchen.

The first floor has a bedroom at the front of the house. It is currently used as an office and has large shelving units on two walls. The room has a small closet with mirrored doors. The adjacent bathroom has a single sink and a stall shower.

The living room is a small step down from the rest of the house. It has vaulted ceilings and a white brick fireplace. French doors with access to the backyard were added.

The living room opens to the dining room, which has space for a large table. A big bay window was added overlooking the backyard.

The biggest downfall of this model house is the kitchen. It is small, closed in, and really feels cut off from the rest of the house. The ceiling is low and still has the original panel lights. It also still has the original oven. The counters are white tile and the cabinets are very plain. A garden window looks to the side of the house and doesn’t bring in much light. There is a small breakfast nook directly across from the kitchen that could hold a very small table, but it feels really cramped. It has a pantry, but the pantry is hard to access if you have a table and chairs in that space. I have seen this model redone with the kitchen opening up to the family room and it makes a huge difference.

The family room is at the back of the house. Like the living room, it has a white brick fireplace and doors to the backyard. One wall has a huge built-in unit that can’t accommodate a TV.

The backyard is fairly small for the neighborhood and is awkwardly divided into several areas. There is a covered patio area, a fountain surrounded by rocks, a raised area with a low wall around it, and an uncovered patio section with a step in the middle of it.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and a large bonus room. The master faces the back of the house and is a good sized room. It has vaulted ceilings and, currently, bright pink walls. There are two different closets, each with mirrored doors. The master bath has two sinks with a vanity area in the middle. The shower is done in the original white tile and, though it technically doubles as a bathtub, it feels more like a shower.

One of the other bedrooms has double doors and high ceilings. One wall is taken up by a three-door closet with very dark doors that make it feel very drab. The other bedroom also has high ceilings and there is a small closet in one corner with mirrored doors. Both rooms face the side of the house and just have one window.

The upstairs bathroom has one sink with a fairly small counter and a shower/tub combo. It’s pretty small and somewhat cramped.

The bonus room overlooks the street and also has vaulted ceilings. Windows on three sides bring in a lot of light. There is a wet bar in one corner with an open storage space above it. The room offers a lot of flexibility and is a great extra space in the home.

Looking at current listings and recent sales, the price for this house seems high. While I realize prices are going up, this one is not in line with the others, especially considering it has no upgrades. With a lot of work, this home could be really nice. It is big and the downstairs bedroom will appeal to many buyers.

Do you think it’s worth the money? Would you be willing to invest the time and money to fully upgrade this house?

This week, I looked at a single story home in Northwood’s Park Paseo neighborhood.

The basics:

Asking Price: $759,888

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2

Square Footage: 1,748

Lot Size: 7,405

$/Sq Ft: $435

Days on Market: 7

Property Type: Single Family Home

Year Built: 1978

Community: Northwood, Park Paseo

HOA dues are $85 per month and there are no Mello Roos.

31 Lucero West is situated at the end of a cul-de-sac, with a lot about 3,000 square feet bigger than most others on the street. It has large yards in the front, back, and side, and is adjacent to a greenbelt. The neighborhood pool and tot lot are a short walk down the greenbelt; the community’s larger pool and clubhouse are not far in the other direction. The house does back to Yale, which is its biggest downfall.

The home was significantly upgraded in 2012. In addition to completely remodeling the kitchen, the owners added a fourth bedroom and moved the front door from the side to the front of the home, creating a nicer porch entry.

The entry leads directly into the living room, which has vaulted ceilings, skylights and new, hardwood floors. Behind the living room are a small hallway area and a walk-in pantry that take the place of the home’s original front entrance.

A hallway to the left leads to the newly added bedroom. Like the living room, it has hardwood floors. It is bigger than the other secondary bedrooms and has a two-door, mirrored closet. It doesn’t get much light, as its only window faces the side of the house next door.

The nicely remodeled kitchen is behind the living room. It now boasts stainless steel appliances, including a five-burner stove, a large island, and granite countertops. There are many cabinets, including two with glass doors flanking the sink. There is space for a dining table between the kitchen and family room, as well as room for a hutch or china cabinet. Sliding doors lead out to the side yard. This house does not have a formal dining room.

The family room is at the back of the house and fully open to the kitchen. It has high ceilings and French doors that open to the backyard. The hardwood floors extend through the kitchen and family room.

The other two secondary bedrooms are fairly small. One has doors on two opposite walls – one leading to the front hallway and the other to the back hall. It is currently set up as an office, but does have a two-door, mirrored closet. Because it’s in the center of the house, it doesn’t have any windows. The other bedroom is a bit smaller and has one window facing the side of the house. It also has a two-door mirrored closet, but it’s smaller than those in the other bedrooms. Both of these rooms have carpet.

The bathroom off the hall is the only bathroom aside from the master. It has a new vanity, with a single sink and granite counter, though there isn’t much counter space. The shower/tub combo still has the original white tile.

The master bedroom has sliding doors that lead to the backyard. There are two separate closets, both with two mirrored, sliding doors. The master bath hasn’t been upgraded at all, aside from new faucets, but is clean and well maintained. There are two sinks and a shower, but no tub.

The house is small, but adequate. With four bedrooms and separate living and family rooms, there is plenty of space. The large lot (relatively speaking, of course) is a huge selling point for this home.