Walking into an empty house can make it easier to imagine it as your own than when you see a home filled with someone else’s furniture, photos, and memorabilia. 52 Secret Garden in Northwood II is currently vacant, but I don’t expect that to last very long. Anyone walking into the house will see that the home is beautiful, move-in ready, and perfect for a family.

The basics:

Asking Price: $988,800

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 4

Square Footage: 3,100

Lot Size: 4,270

$/Sq Ft: $319

Property Type: SFR

Year Built: 2005

Community: Northwood II

HOA Dues are $142 per month and this home has Mello Roos tax.

At only $319 per square foot, it is less than the other homes I’ve seen recently in Woodbury and Northpark Square. This house is in a quiet, small, gated community with beautiful common areas.

The entryway features a large archway and a staircase with pretty white railings. It leads back to a huge, open kitchen that can easily become the heart of the home for any family. It has stainless steel Kitchenaid appliances, with a stove in the island a double oven, and plenty of counter space. There is ample room for a large dining table and seats at the island. The colors of the wood floor, granite countertops, cupboards and tile backsplash all coordinate nicely with each other, giving a warm, homey feeling to the room.

Through the kitchen is the family room, with its built in 65” TV and surround sound speakers (surround sound is also wired in other rooms throughout the house). The room is truly separate from the kitchen, not a great room as is common in many new homes these days, but it is still a large, comfortable room.

The home lacks a formal living room and dining room, but I didn’t even notice this until after I’d left. These rooms are seldom used by many families and can be a waste of square footage. The extra large kitchen and family room in 52 Secret Garden are a much better use of space and the other rooms likely won’t be missed. The only other room downstairs is a guest bedroom, which could also be used as a home office.

Upstairs features two more secondary bedrooms, one with wood floors and one with berber carpet (all other upstairs rooms and hallways are also carpeted). Both rooms have walk-in closets, one has a large balcony, and they share a bathroom. The master bedroom has crown molding, an enormous walk-in closet, and a large master retreat that could be used as a sitting room, fitness room, or office. It opens onto a long balcony that overlooks the home’s inner courtyard.

Also off that balcony is a separate guest room with its own bath. The guest room has a private entrance with a stairway to the backyard. It provides an extra level of privacy for in-laws, a tenant, or a home office.

The backyard is small, but attractive with brick hardscape, a fountain, a built-in barbecue, a refrigerator and an ice chest. There is a large courtyard between the driveway and the detached garage. It is visible from the kitchen and family room, creating a large, safe place for children to play. The garage has several large built-in cupboards and additional storage suspended from the ceiling.

All in all, this is a truly gorgeous home with a great floor plan. Its only downside is that it backs to Trabuco, though there is a wider sidewalk and landscaped area along the road, so it isn’t right up against the house. While Trabuco is quiet now, traffic may pick up as people move into Cypress Village and the new junior high school opens. However, with its competitive pricing and beautiful upgrades, I don’t think this home will be on the market much longer. Take a look before someone else snaps it up!

Discuss below or on the Talk Irvine forums.

Today I visited a home in the Bella Rosa community of Northpark Square. This gated community is quiet and nicely maintained. The realtor described the home as “perfect for empty nesters,” so I went into it with that in mind. Here’s what I found…

The basics:

Asking Price: $979,800

Bedrooms: 3 (plus office and den)

Bathrooms: 2.5

Square Footage: 2,600

Lot Size: 4,831

$/Sq Ft: $377

Property Type: SFR

Year Built: 2003

Community: Northpark, Bella Rosa

There are two sets of HOA dues, for a total of $217 per month, plus Mello Roos.

Downstairs, I found the rooms to be mostly light and bright, with pretty hardwood floors and lots of windows. The den at the front of the house is perfect for a home office, as it is somewhat secluded from the rest of the rooms. Moving down the hall, I passed a formal living room and dining room. I then came to what appeared to be a second dining room, but is actually the breakfast nook, set across from the kitchen in an alcove large enough to be its own room. The kitchen is large, but lacks many of the features that are common in newer homes. It doesn’t have an island and the appliances are white, rather than stainless steel. On the plus side, it does have a double oven, a pantry, and lots of cabinet space. The kitchen opens to a large family room with a full wall of built-ins and several big windows.

As with all of the homes in the Bella Rosa tract, the master bedroom is downstairs. This is why the home is considered ideal for empty nesters. Pros: The room is large, with a nice-sized bathroom and closet, but not as outrageously huge as the masters in many other new homes. There is very little wasted space. Cons: the bedroom is right next to the family room, so noise would be a factor if one person is still up watching TV when the other goes to sleep. It also didn’t feel as bright as the other rooms downstairs.

Moving upstairs, there are two average-sized bedrooms and a top-of-the-stairs den/office area with a built-in desk. The rooms share a full bathroom. If you are an empty nester, the upstairs suite is the perfect place for your children and grandchildren when they visit. The setup will also work for a family where the children still live at home, assuming the parents are comfortable sleeping on a separate floor.

This home has both a courtyard and a backyard. Both are paved, with no grass. As with the home I toured last week, I would rather have had one large backyard than two smaller outdoor spaces. The courtyard was empty, proving that there is little use for it.

After viewing the entire home and considering it both for a family and for empty nesters, I can honestly say that I don’t know think it’s the ideal setup for either one. For a family, I prefer the master bedroom to be on the same level as all or most other bedrooms, and to have a large backyard with a grassy area. For empty nesters, it seems too big and too expensive, unless they have very frequent overnight visitors. If I was going to buy a 2600 square foot house, I would rather get one just across Culver from Northpark Square in Northwood. The same size house comes with a bigger yard, lower HOA dues, no Mello Roos, Irvine schools, and a lower price tag.

Discuss below or on Talk Irvine.

Usually it’s easy to tell the difference between a model home and a house that someone is living in. But when I visited 75 Fanlight in Woodbury, my first thought was that it might be staged (upstairs, however, it became obvious that the home is currently occupied). With upgrades throughout, this home is gorgeous and move-in ready.

The basics:

Asking Price: $1,329,800

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 4

Square Footage: Approx 3,500

Lot Size: 5,092

$/Sq Ft: $380

Property Type: SFR

Year Built: 2006

Community: Woodbury, Mille Fleurs

The HOA dues are $105 per month and there are Mello Roos.

Let’s start with the things I like most about the house. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and a large bonus room. Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, so you never have to worry about kids fighting over the shower. This is a huge plus for anyone with teenagers. The secondary bedrooms are a bit small, but both had chair rails, giving them a cozy, cottage-like feel. Both rooms are right off the bonus room, creating a perfect suite for children or teens.

Just down the hall, the master bedroom is large and bright. As with most new houses, it comes complete with an enormous bathroom and walk-in closet. There are built-ins throughout and plenty of room to create a relaxing retreat for busy parents. All of the rooms upstairs have recessed lighting, another plus in my book.

Moving downstairs, the house loses some appeal for me. While I prefer a very open floor plan where rooms flow into one another, these rooms are very broken up. Everything comes off of one long hallway leading to a great room at the end. Distressed hardwood floors span much of the downstairs, with the exception of carpeting in the family room and the downstairs bedroom. A big design flaw: the dining room isn’t adjacent to the kitchen. The powder room is down another long hallway, not really convenient for guests if you’re entertaining.

One glance in the kitchen, however, and you can see that the downstairs isn’t a total wash. It is a chef’s dream, featuring an eight-burner stove, a double oven, a built-in fridge and a sink in the island (which has a cute bookshelf on one end). The adjacent family room is bright, but leaves little options for set up, as the walls are taken up by window, built-ins, and a large fireplace.

The backyard is small, but has a nice grassy area and a built-in BBQ. The home also features a small courtyard off the main hallway, between the formal living room and the dining room. I would have liked to see these two outside spaces combined into one large area though, rather than breaking it up as they did.

So what’s the verdict? Would I spend over $1.3 million on this home? No. For that kind of money, a house has to be perfect. And while this one is gorgeous and has plenty of bedrooms, an office, and a bonus room, it just feels too closed off downstairs and a touch too formal. It might be ideal for a family with older children, but not one with little kids.

Discuss below or on Talk Irvine.