In New Canaan, the state of the market
A stone-and-shingle Georgian home of 13,526 square feet at 712 Oenoke Ridge in New Canaan entered the market in September with a listed price of $7,995,000.
Besides normal showings, its sales efforts have included an October cocktail party and on Feb. 5 the house will be the host site for a 1 p.m. Valentine”™s Day party to ramp up interest among residential brokers.
“We just showed it last weekend to a couple from California,” said Carol Hollyday, a Realtor with William Pitt Sotheby”™s International Realty in New Canaan who is marketing the property with fellow William Pitt Realtor Rita Kirby. “We”™re hoping it will be sold in the spring market.”
The home was built in 1998 on four acres ”“ with specimen trees ”“ in the manner of the country estates created by legendary architects McKim, Mead and White, according to its sales material.
“It”™s a really extraordinary residence inside and out ”“ absolute perfection,” said Hollyday. “It incorporates cutting-edge technology. You can be in London and see what”™s going on in your house. It”™s phenomenal what”™s been put in behind those walls. Award-winning botanical gardens on the exterior and perfection on the interior; it”™s every broker”™s favorite house in New Canaan.
“We feel it”™s a good value,” she said.
The house was fully renovated in 2011 by the owners at a cost of more than $3 million. It was, according to sales material, “already gorgeous, designed by Judy Larson and Bill Gardner.”
The renovation included new electronic technology, finishing the lower level with family and entertainment space as well as a wine bar, and finishing the third floor as a large guest suite.
The kitchen is billed as fabulous and contains a fireplace seating area, dining area and two islands, and opens to a butler”™s pantry (“spacious”) on one side. On the other side is a family room (“stunning”), off of which is a children”™s play room. On first floor there are also offices (“his and her”), an entry foyer (“beautiful”), and formal dining and living rooms.
The basement level has a second family room with fireplace seating area, TV/movie screen and bar, children”™s playing room, a glassed wine cellar (“large”), an exercise room (“large with glass walls”) and full bathroom (“amazing”).
On the second level, the master suite has a fireplace in its vestibule and a master bathroom. There are an additional four bathrooms on the second floor, one on the third level and one on the lower level. “And they”™re all beautiful,” Hollyday said.
The top floor has a large sixth bedroom with sitting area. A detail of note: “Beautiful millwork throughout” and 10-foot ceilings.
For more information, call William Pitt Sotheby”™s at 203-966-2633.
