RANDOLPH – It is a truth – one probably too little acknowledged by buyers in southern Maine – what bargains there are to be found, if you look for a house a little farther north.
Here is a perfect example: A classic Craftsman-style home, built in 1935, on a quiet, dead-end street in the center of town, just across the river from Gardiner and Exit 49 on I-295. Which location makes it not only a very quick commute to Augusta and environs, but also a very easy ride to Brunswick and Freeport. Portland is 50 minutes away.
This 1,521-square-foot, eight-room house on a sweet, 0.65-acre lot is listed at $119,900.
The south-facing home here has wonderful vintage character, with so many period details intact and in fine condition, and its main floor is quite open for a home of the era. Behind the farmers porch, the living room is two-section, extending from twin French windows on the west side, to a stone, wood-burning fireplace at the far end.
The dining room, which like the living room has a tin ceiling and hardwood flooring, is also doubled; a table goes nicely by the lovely bay window, or to the rear, where a French door opens to the side yard. The kitchen, for its part, extends into a sitting area with a gas stove, off which is a four-season sun porch. The full bath with pedestal sink and cast-iron tub is tucked behind the kitchen, which most buyers would want to update.
Upstairs are two bedrooms, front and back (the latter needs some work); a large walk-in closet; and a sitting room, all good-sized. Here, too, is excellent potential for converting the sitting room to create a second full bath (plumbing is directly below).
The yard is pleasantly private and well landscaped, in this established neighborhood of period homes. There’s a detached, one-vehicle garage, and a charming potting shed built like a miniature Dutch Colonial.
Taxes are just $2,618 (2016-17) on the home at 50 Central St., Randolph. The property is listed for sale by Pat Ladd of Homestead Realty in Winthrop. For more information or to schedule a showing, please contact Pat at 377-7303 or at patl@fairpoint.net.
The Central Maine Home of the Week is produced by the Marketing Department of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. Please send feature home suggestions to jrolfe@pressherald.com.
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