120-Year-Old Queen Anne Given a Crisp Renovation

Noteworthy new listings….

A Santa Barbara Structure of Merit, the 1903 house at 100 W. Valerio Street ($4.375 million) was bought for $1.499 million in 2017 and given a thorough renovation. (Before photos are online under the 1703 Chapala Street address.) The Free Classic Queen Anne architecture contrasts delightfully with the crisp, timeless interiors. It’s currently set up for short-term vacation rentals, with various one-bedroom suites (including one with a tub in the bedroom), and surprisingly for an old house, the kitchen is spacious but the living room is not. The outdoor seating area on the south side, away from the prying eyes of the apartment complex to the north, casts a nice spell.

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It’ll be interesting to see how 850 Romero Canyon Road ($11.25 million) fares at this price. On one hand, there are said to be many buyers out there hoping something good—or at least good enough—will come on the market. On the other hand, the house sits close to the street, with a neighbor nearby, and some of the choices feel dated even though it was built in 2009.

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The seller of 3620 Campanil Drive ($8.95 million) paid $4.75 million last May and made many improvements, including raising the ceilings. As a result, the single-level house is eminently livable—with a large kitchen, living room, and family room—and the location is lovely. While the surfaces feel fresh, the 1972 architecture remains wonky: the front door around the side of the house; the attached garage enters into the dining area; and the roof sits rather heavily (and the metal doesn’t exactly lighten things up).

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The location of 740 Santecito Drive ($4.679 million), off Camino Viejo, is super convenient and the backyard is ready to party. Updating the surfaces, however, will only get you so far: the three guest rooms all share a hallway bath.

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1259 Dover Lane ($1.695 million) has it worse: the three bedrooms, including the primary, all share one bath. The 1951 house has been in the same family’s possession since 1958, and at 1,277 square feet, there isn’t a lot of room to move. But the backyard terraces—I counted nine different levels—have a funky Riviera charm, with a nice view as the payoff for reaching the gazebo.

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Someone paid $4.05 million for the 1956 house at 1919 El Camino de la Luz ($4.595 million) inAugust 2022, then bought the vacant lot on the bluff below a month later. The conventional wisdom was that he’d combine the two lots, but instead he has decided to try and offload the upper property—which needs work—while he apparently tries to build down below.

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The remodeled 1957 house at 530 Ricardo Avenue ($2.575 million) looks like it’ll have wide appeal, given the ocean view, big pool deck, and turnkey state (inside, anyway). Plus, you can flash people on Meigs Road from the hot tub.

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6 Comments

SARI

I die a little inside every time I see rentable housing stock be converted to “short-term vacation rentals”, knowing that so many working people are looking for housing in SB. And with so many proposed hotels being added to the mix, I question why?

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Shane

When the owners applied for permits they claimed they wanted live there and allow their in-laws from another country to live in the unit below. Now it’s up for Airbnb. Worst neighbor with overgrown hedges blocking numerous driveway line of site on both surrounding properties.

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BW

I always thought it was funny she marketed it as “The Santa Barbara House” when it really lacked in any SB-specific charm. It’s nice but could be anywhere. No SB flair to be found.

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