Start Building Your Dream Home Now in Montecito

October 18, 2022|by Our Partners

With a new price of $1,725,000, 1705 Glen Oaks Drive in central Montecito deserves a look. Why sit around hoping more inventory comes online when you could start building your dream home now?

The good news: according to an analysis by land-use planner Eva Turenchalk, the house can be up to 5,000 square feet or so, because the county limits are based on the technical size of the lot, which is actually 1.14 acres. Or go through the as-built process, which would be quicker and gets you the size of the previous house plus 30 percent—which, of course, you could add onto, including an ADU and pool. Either way, there’s really only one neighbor, and the property has already been fenced and hedged, with utilities on site and an active water meter.

The question is, which style? New regulations mean the house will have to start two feet off the ground. Farmhouse works well, as you can see from handsome new properties on Olive Mill (which are required to be much higher). Or Mediterranean. Or maybe something modern, in the Studio William Hefner vein, with a subtle stone facade to the north and large open windows to the south. No matter what, you’ll want to make the most of the mountain views and mature oak trees. And bear in mind that a lot split might even be possible.

There are precious few vacant lots in Montecito these days, especially as well-situated as this. With just a couple dozen homes, the Glen Oaks community is charming, exclusive, and convenient to Montecito’s Upper and Lower Villages and Summerland. It’s in the Montecito Union School district, and the Ennisbrook Preserve—and beyond that, the Hedgerow—is a stroll away. The plan to link the Randall Road Debris Basin park to E. Mountain Drive means that one day you’ll likely even be able to walk to the San Ysidro Ranch and the hiking trails above Montecito.

To visit 1705 Glen Oaks Drive in person and see the potential for yourself, contact the Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group at 805-565-4014 or [email protected].