Seller's Comments & List of Improvements
In 2001 we fell in love with this creekside lot with wonderful light and the fresh air blowing straight in from the Golden Gate. We bought our Rosalind gem from the original owner, and were impressed with her stewardship of the house. She added an engineered retaining wall in the basement, a "lifetime" metal tile roof, and a drainage system for the side of the house. Mrs. Downey also subscribed to a yearly pest report plan, kept up with maintenance, and the 1950s Sunroom patio addition was brilliant.
We've grown to adore our neighbors, which wasn't the case at all in our previous digs in Berkeley. The Urban Creek Council Restoration project out front brings huge flocks of birds to our feeders, and we are impressed by the range of flora and fauna our area attracts. We have front row seats to everything from a great horned owl in the magnificent park conifer, native orchids in the creek, to neighbors-turned-friends who take daily walks past.
Chris commutes from Del Norte BART to the Financial District in SF and says it takes about 40 minutes door to door including the walk if he times the trains right. We planned to stay for a long while since it's such an uncommon slice of green space, so we made quite a few changes to the property including:
- Kitchen & laundry room from studs + subfloor up adding (sink #2, disposal, dishwasher)
- New electrical with 200 amp service
- Made downstairs modern code compliant/legal (firewalls, fire doors, electrical...)
- All new ducts + 90 percent efficiency furnace
- New front and side walks and back patio with drainage system below
- Refinished hardwood floors & added hardwood to kitchen
- Turned window into a french door and stairs down to the Sunroom
- Replaced Sunroom doors with french doors
- Replaced all aluminum windows with vinyl, repaired 5 older wooden windows
- Painted house inside and out
- Put in concrete & stairs in the basement storage area in prep for wine cellar
- Replaced 1970's bathroom sink & vanity with matching vintage fixtures
- Added baseboards (originals all had been removed)
- Flattened and and tiled the concrete Sunroom floor
- Added spark arrestors to chimneys
- Turned unfinished under front steps area into large storage space/walk-in closet
- Sheetrocked over acoustical tile ceiling in downstairs room
- Insulated 90% of the attic
- Improved level and covering of downstairs floor
- Took out 70s light fixtures throughout & replaced with modern/vintage repro
- Replaced original downstairs kitchenette sump pump
- Installed 17 ft. earthquake sheerwall + bolting to downstairs front wall
- D+H Landscaping front and back sprinker and drip system
Lisa and Chris - second owners of 5615 Rosalind
