living the good life on whidbey
Admiral’s Cove on Whidbey Island is a community overlooking the sound, a few miles from the Port Townsend ferry and close to the naval air station. Container ships travel back & forth from Asia to Seattle with the Olympic Mountains in the background.. Many military & civilian retirees call this community their home, enjoying easy access to beach walking, birding & the artist haven of Port Townsend, a ferry boat ride away. Summer is a time for enjoying our mild Mediterranean climate and people are out on theirs decks sunning and barbequing.
This home had the bones of a great island getaway. However it first required a big scrap out, cosmetic remodel and redesign & rebuilding of its deck. A glass guardrail would not only make the deck feel more open but also allow better views while seated in the living room. But first, we needed to remove a rogue’s gallery of derelict vehicles including an RV, SUV, trailer, boat & motorcycle. The house inside was filled with abandoned possessions including a partial military ID. We wondered if the former owner had some form of post traumatic stress disorder. A neighbor told us he just drove away one day with a car full of chickens….
View of home taken soon after auction. Vehicle removal requires working with the sheriff and motor vehicle department to clear title.
The existing deck was poorly constructed and rotting. It’s method of attachment to the main house was not safe and would fail any home inspection. The wood pickets were a poor aesthetic choice, given the view, as well as a maintenance headache. We thought of building a stair but the home’s internal stair easily enough opens to a spacious family room with sliding doors accessing the yard beyond. The deck area also seemed small and would benefit from expansion to make room for tables & chairs (and party guests).
The bathroom vanity was replaced with a wall hung unit which seemed more elegant and modern. Flooring is continuous underneath which can be installed before or after allowing for greater flexibility. Low flow toilets are an inexpensive upgrade since their rebuilding can nearly equal their complete replacement cost.
The RV was expensive to remove and the home owner across the street, with her remodel recently completed, was more than happy to see it go.
The remodel include new carpet, trim, painting & lighting. The existing thermal break aluminum windows were in good condition.
New cabinetry, granite counter tops, appliances & track lighting.
A November sunset from the newly remodeled deck.
less about curb appeal & more about the home’s interior & deck
The home is placed on a sloping site with a daylight basement on its back side. This basement contains a family room, two bedrooms & a bathroom. The basement bathroom effluent is pumped up to the septic tank & drain field in the front yard above and whose access covers can be seen in the photo below. Since the existing dark aluminum windows would remain, we chose a beige color for the siding and repainted the dark trim bright white to give the home a more inviting look. A new high bay bright white garage door and more mature plantings further helped. However, sometimes a home’s initial design, for example dark windows with no variation in size, can create a challenging aesthetic when it needs to remain unaltered. The home can be painted and landscaped, putting lipstick on the pig whose pen has treasures you’ll miss if you don’t venture inside.
