11 Smart Rd is hands down the best valued listing in Acton as of today. [Update: Sold $39,000 over asking]
I got back from the first open house at 11 Smart Rd in Acton on Saturday with the strongest desire to rave about it.
IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE LOOKING FOR A 3 (+1) BEDROOM HOUSE IN ACTON?! If you are pre-qualified for a loan up to $650,000, you need to see this.
This house is hand to heart, the best value for money listing in the area.
Kudos to Heather Murphy from Keller Williams Realty Boston Northwest for a solid listing. She priced it attractively, had nice marketing brochures on site, ready answers to questions and was just generally so approachable. Two thumbs up!
An evolving neighborhood
One of the first things that I look out for before stepping into the house, is the neighborhood. I make it a habit to make a whirl around.
Watch for signs that the neighborhood is changing (for the better) and know that there’s a good chance properties of today will appreciate tomorrow.
For that, while 11 Smart Rd is nested amongst some older ranches, there are already younger colonials peppered in the vicinity and even a plot of land cleared for - presumably - a new construction. That’s potential there.
Unassuming from the outside… outstanding inside!
To be honest, I wasn’t holding my breath when I saw the exterior of the house. It was unassuming; simply an expected type of curb appeal for Acton homes of this price range.
There were no signs of distress, and the little yard out front was nice and tidy. I did however notice that the front steps and hand railings were in a pristine condition, so it braced me for a well-kept interior too.
My heart did an imaginary cartwheel upon entering.
First impression: MINT.
It was so beautifully maintained and updated, I thought an investor did a great flip on it. I even asked Heather if it was the case, but as it turns out, the owner is just someone who has poured a lot of love and care (and taste) into the house!
The walkthrough
I knew that a video would do the home better justice so I whipped out my iPhone for it. I’m sorry, I had no plans for a video posting except to forward it to clients who are looking for homes in this price range, so all I did was walk around with a goal to capture the space and avoid capturing people’s faces.
Here’s my walkthrough, with minor edits made to cut out frames where I accidentally caught a face on camera.
What makes this a great purchase?
First of all, while this is technically a 3 bedroom house (since it’s a 3-bedroom septic system), there’s an extra room that could be used as an additional 4th bedroom. That’s paying for less but getting more!
Second, the number of updates that the owner has done. Notably, new septic (2018), kitchen remodel (2018). A 2009 roof isn’t bad either; there’s enough life in there for at least the next 5 years.
Third, the price. $600,000 for 1,880sqf is a great price/sqf in Acton, all things considered.
Side note, I like that Heather didn’t bother with a little pricing strategy like listing it at $599,900. She knows that this is a house in the $600k range and goes for it. Brownie points for style. :)
Listing Sheet
Sigh. MLS’s user interface and photo quality ppi is my gripe. Great photos get compressed at upload, doing no justice to the home at all.
All listing credits to Heather Murphy of Keller Williams Realty Boston Northwest.
Priced right, quality homes like this do not live to see another weekend of open houses. Pretty certain this would receive multiple offers and go over asking.
The open house on Saturday was held from 2-4pm. Just look at the number of footwear remaining when I left at 3pm:
Yup, definitely over asking.