Open House Review: 143 Arden

Contributed by http://www.irvinehousingblog.com” target=”_blank”IrvineRenter

Yesterday, I reviewed 154 Kingswood #117 in Northwood Pointe’s Arden Square.  This week, I will show you 143 Arden #72, which is located just across the street.  Both have three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and comparable pricing – they are actually the same model, but the floor plans are reversed.  There is a slight difference in the entryway. 

As it happens, there are two other similar units in the same neighborhood that also just came on the market – 71 Arborwood and 181 Kingswood #91.  An interested buyer should definitely tour all four properties, since the size and pricing is nearly identical on all of them.  As of May 20, 154 Kingswood is listed as Pending on Redfin.  143 Arden had previously been in escrow but fell out right before they relisted it, which accounts for the longer time on the market.

Here’s a closer look at 143 Arden.

The basics:
Asking Price: $799,800
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.5
Square Footage: 1,700
Lot Size: 3,200
$/Sq Ft: $470
Days on Market: 40
Property Type: Detached Condo
Year Built: 2001
Community: Northwood Point – Arden Square

HOA dues are $114 per month and Mello Roos is $600 per year.

This house has a very long driveway that leads to a two car garage.  The driveway could fit four cars, a plus since there is little street parking.

The house opens to a small entryway, with the kitchen on the right and the living room ahead and to the left.  Like the Kingswood property, this kitchen has white melamine cabinets.  However, while Kingswood had granite counters and nice tile floors, the Arden home has white tile counters and plainer white floors.  This kitchen has a large eating area and a big opening that looks into the dining and living rooms.

143 Arden has carpet in the living and dining rooms, in contrast to the wood floors in Kingswood.  The carpet is in pretty good shape.  The fireplace is surrounded with nice tile and there is a niche for the entertainment center but, unlike Kingswood, it doesn’t have a built-in unit.

The downstairs bath has a pedestal sink and there is a large closet under the stairs.  The backyard is pretty small and fully hardscaped, with some bushes around the edges.  It is very similar to the Kingswood yard.

Both secondary bedrooms are carpeted and have two-door sliding closets.  The carpet is much nicer and plusher than in the Kingswood bedrooms.  The shared bathroom is quite similar, with nice tile floors, white melamine cabinets, a solid surface counter, and a shower/tub combo.

The master bedroom has the same carpet as the others and a large walk-in closet.  The bathroom has nice floors, but has white tile counters and melamine cabinets.  The shower is also white tile.

Overall, Kingswood has more upgrades in the kitchen and bathrooms and has wood floors downstairs where Arden has carpet.  Upstairs, Arden’s carpet is nicer than Kingswood’s.  I also prefer Arden’s location, which is on an outside corner as opposed to Kingswood’s inside corner.  It also backs to a residential, single-loaded street, so there isn’t a house directly behind it.  Kingswood backs to another home with very little space between them.

Which one would you choose and why?