Purchased for $3.65 million fourteen months ago in a relatively original state, the three-bedroom unit #1501 at 1070 Green Street (a.k.a. the “Green Hill Tower” which was constructed in 1961) has been completely remodeled by April Sheldon Design and Black Mountain Construction.
The floors are now European oak with radiant heat and big views abound, as does the marble.
And having just been listed for $7.5 million, the 2,456-square-foot Russian Hill condo is now back on the market and seeking a record-setting $3,054 per square foot.
Full Disclosure: The listing agent for 1070 Green Street #1501 advertises on SocketSite but provided no compensation for this post.
I’ll continue saving for 1750 Taylor #1601.
I’ll continue saving for a trench drain.
It seems with each new project, that 1000$ /sf is now considered a bargain for condos. As a home owner that paid 600$/ sf for my apt (TIC), that’s good news. A rising tide lifts all boats.
There’s something really odd going on with the backsplash and cabinetry on the left hand side of the kitchen.
I am starting to feel less and less special when everyone is using marble, hansgrohe bath fixtures, same kinds of cabinetry and recessed lights. The views are the only unique thing to this listing. It isn’t too difficult or expensive to recreate everything else.
Saving money to get what you want is only half the battle. You really need to going out and earn/make more money. The first bucket of gold is the hardest.
“The views are the only unique thing to this listing.” <== and thus the Location x3 advice?
Many of these luxury home listings appear to be built as showrooms for fixtures and finishes, as opposed to a place where one might actually live.
When I sold a home sometime back, the stager said that the idea was to remove everything idiosyncratic to the current residents so that a prospective buyer could imagine themselves living there. This has been taken to the extreme by removing all evidence of human life.
“Removing all evidence of human life.” That is funny and poignant. It is one thing to provide a blank canvas to the prospective homeowner (less profitable) than it is simply to outfit the entire place according to the finishes du jour. I was checking out Avalon’s new rentals in Hayes Valley and the website goes on to describe the manufacturer of the tile used in the kitchen and baths. Only to find out it was your basic white tile. I guess I could try to charge more rent if I identify the source of each and every item. Or show off my educational pedigree as a landlord.
That’s similar to the adjective laced menu description trend. Why list “burger and fries” when there’s an opportunity to write a whole paragraph? The pickle slices alone deserve their own sentence.
Yes, I think the descriptions should be proportional to the portion of the meal. Often times it is not. I dislike seeing a microscopic dot of food on my plate especially after reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace in the form of a menu.
Why have a milkshake when I can have The Milkshake of Despair?
Great job with the bathroom. Don’t love the kitchen – it’s okay, but I would expect more at this price point, especially considering its prominence.
It’s very Mandarin Oriental. I’m guessing a young techie will snap it up. Entertainer’s set up.
Staging can be done so well, too well, that you miss the obvious unless you come prepared with a checklist. It can also be a form of camouflage.
A friend of mine and I (both architects) loved a unit she was thinking of buying when we first toured it. Except for our clipboard checklist, we wouldn’t have noticed that first visit that there was simply no heating system whatsoever (previous owner had removed radiators).
The last time I shopped I kept a list of purely functional items. They didn’t have to be present and perfectly provided, but a solution needed to be at least available:
Place for major wall art you will not giver up
Place for certain pieces of furniture you will not giver up
Place for storage for 250 LF books 25 LF LPs and 20 LF CDs
Where does that fancy stereo go? Getting the wiring from there to there?
Plan dimension of car
Visualize all the necessities for 2 cats, including the litter boxes.
Who do you shower, brush teeth, shave, etc. in that beautiful bathroom without spending more time cleaning it?
Where do your toiletries go in that beautiful bathroom
Tech world considerations
Does the pasta pot fit in the $1500 sink, under the $2500 faucet?
Where is the vacuum and generally all that cleaning stuff go
Then there are suspicious finishes. Flippers can show extreme confidence when they only need a finish to stay acceptable for a year or so.
I scream when I see those beautiful cast free standing tubs set on a polished wood floor. Usually just out from the wall enough for an architectural statement, but not enough to get back there to clean. I can imagine the sensuous experience of climbing in, perfectly scented water at a perfect temperature, wine paired with shampoo brand. A perfect way to relax after work. Then jump out, quickly towel off and run around like a chicken toweling off the floor, banging my ball sack against the premium italian porcelain. Sort of ruins the experience for me.
You should just ask whomever it was that you were showering to tidy up.
You do make a good point, though, about not being seduced by the appearance.
Excellent practical advice. You should post your full checklist here.
$1,500 sink and $2,500 faucet? Do they really exist or are you kidding? Too rich for my blood. Faucets and sinks are basically used for cleaning stuff right? I rather drop coin on home goods I spend time using like the bed, office chair and desk, or toilet seat on a comfortable height toilet which never/rarely clogs.
Pass on any free-standing tub. For those who must have wood floors in the bathroom, you can get tile that actually mimics the look of wood floor. Much more practical in a wet area.
Staging has its place – it helps the design challenged visualize the best way to arrange furniture. Good structural design of a home trumps. Many contractors laugh and swear at architects for making impractical designs. If and when I was in the market for another home, I want to stay in it for several days before buying so I can see if my family jewels (and then some) get banged up.
Our checklist includes a place for a baby grand piano. We don’t live anywhere our piano won’t fit.
You would be surprised how relatively little space a baby grand takes up. I had a tenant who was a Conservatory of Music pianist and teacher with a baby grand inside a 650 sq. ft. apartment. The living room was about 200 sq. ft. Hallway was very narrow with tight angles to the living room but she simply took the legs off and got it in and out through the living room window. Eventually, she saved up enough money and bought a house in Bernal Heights. Smart chick.
UPDATE: Russian Hill Condo Misses The $3K Mark But Fetches $6.9M.