If You Lived Here
An Updated Townhouse with Retro 1970s Charm in Columbia
Clip: Season 3 Episode 14 | 5m 10sVideo has Closed Captions
A 3-bed, 2.5-bath townhouse in the charming village of Long Reach in Columbia, Maryland.
John and Christine tour a 3-bed, 2.5-bath townhouse in the charming village of Long Reach in Columbia, Maryland. Built in 1977, this gem has undergone recent updates while retaining its retro 1970s charm. For John, whose family moved to this neighborhood back in 1975, it is a trip down memory lane!
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If You Lived Here is a local public television program presented by WETA
If You Lived Here
An Updated Townhouse with Retro 1970s Charm in Columbia
Clip: Season 3 Episode 14 | 5m 10sVideo has Closed Captions
John and Christine tour a 3-bed, 2.5-bath townhouse in the charming village of Long Reach in Columbia, Maryland. Built in 1977, this gem has undergone recent updates while retaining its retro 1970s charm. For John, whose family moved to this neighborhood back in 1975, it is a trip down memory lane!
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipCHRISTINE: Okay, I'm just gonna say it screams '70s.
JOHN: Well, this screams classic Columbia.
PETER: Yeah.
JOHN: My family moved here around 1975 and this is what it looked like.
PETER: This neighborhood has a lot of additional trim and features on the houses, barn wood that kind of sets this neighborhood apart from other neighborhoods.
JOHN: It's so good to be back and I'm so excited to see inside this house.
PETER: Go on in, take a look, and I will meet you on the patio when you're finished so we can talk about the pricing.
JOHN: Sounds great.
CHRISTINE: Okay.
JOHN: Let's do it.
CHRISTINE: I wonder how much of the original features are still in the home.
JOHN: Outside looks original.
CHRISTINE: I know.
All right, let's take this step down.
JOHN: Sounds good.
CHRISTINE: And I mean a step down in a good way.
JOHN: That's right.
Into a newly refreshed '70s living room.
CHRISTINE: When you walk in, you do not feel '70s at all.
JOHN: Not at all.
You know, that fireplace looks Californian.
CHRISTINE: It's very modern looking.
JOHN: Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
CHRISTINE: And look at the deep window sills.
JOHN: Yeah.
I like those a lot.
CHRISTINE: We're not in the '70s anymore.
JOHN: No.
Well, let's go check out the rest of the house.
CHRISTINE: Okay.
JOHN: Oh, we have a half bath.
CHRISTINE: Oh, a half bath.
JOHN: Top to bottom.
New tile.
I love this vanity, I think it kind of goes with the new refreshed vibe of the living room.
CHRISTINE: It's true.
JOHN: And I love this drawer.
Lots of storage space.
CHRISTINE: Okay.
That is nice to have.
JOHN: Yeah, for sure.
CHRISTINE: Yeah.
JOHN: All right, Tina.
Hey, a big kitchen.
CHRISTINE: It's a huge kitchen that's unexpected.
JOHN: Yeah.
I think it's actually kind of two rooms, don't you think?
CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.
JOHN: So on your half we've got the kitchen.
CHRISTINE: Right.
JOHN: And on this half it's more like the breakfast room.
I love that butcher block.
And that's a lot of storage space... CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.
JOHN: Fresh look.
CHRISTINE: Right.
And they have new countertops accented by this pretty backsplash that leads to this pass through.
So '70s.
And you know what you'll be passing through?
A tuna casserole with peas.
JOHN: Ah-ha-ha.
But, do you need a dining room in this place?
CHRISTINE: That dining space there is larger than the dining room.
JOHN: Why not just put a nice farm table in here and then you could re-envision this space.
CHRISTINE: Yeah.
I mean, you could bump out this wall and just make an extension of the living room.
JOHN: Yeah, that would be dynamite.
So many options.
CHRISTINE: So many options.
JOHN: I'm down with that.
And I also want to check out downstairs.
CHRISTINE: Oh, let's go.
JOHN: Come on.
Okay.
All right.
Bonus room.
CHRISTINE: Right.
This is a really great space.
I mean, it's a little industrial looking right now, but when you put the couches, you put the TV, ping pong table... JOHN: Ping pong.
CHRISTINE: '70s.
JOHN: Classic.
CHRISTINE: Or home office.
JOHN: Could be.
CHRISTINE: Yep.
Okay, let's check out this space.
Wow.
JOHN: Hey, this is unexpected.
CHRISTINE: Talk about storage.
Washer, dryer.
JOHN: Brand new, big plus for this home.
CHRISTINE: Okay.
Upstairs?
JOHN: Come on.
Up we go.
CHRISTINE: Upper level.
All right.
You check out this bedroom.
I'll check out this one.
JOHN: Okay, well, I've got a nice-sized bedroom.
Nice window.
Good light.
CHRISTINE: I've got a nice closet, window.
A nice size room.
Perfect for the kids.
JOHN: Looks familiar.
Pretty much like bookends.
(laughing) CHRISTINE: All right.
The full bath.
I like the tile here that they used in the kitchen.
JOHN: Yeah.
A few updates.
CHRISTINE: Mm-hmm.
JOHN: It has a good look.
CHRISTINE: It does.
Okay.
Primary suite.
JOHN: Hey, this is a good size.
CHRISTINE: Got a nice reading area.
And look at the light that's coming through.
JOHN: And in the back we have a nice walk-in closet with built-ins.
Must-have.
CHRISTINE: Nice.
Okay.
Oh, and a redone bathroom with walk-in shower.
And one of the best shower heads I think I've seen.
JOHN: This was a great starter place.
CHRISTINE: Definitely.
JOHN: All right, but now it's time to guess the price, which is going to be very difficult.
CHRISTINE: Well, let's see.
You go first.
I like when that happens.
JOHN: I bet you do.
(laughs) CHRISTINE: Hey.
JOHN: Okay, Peter.
PETER: All right, well welcome back.
What did you think of the house?
CHRISTINE: Well, I have to say my favorite spot was the kitchen.
PETER: Okay.
CHRISTINE: Just that space and what you could do with it.
I loved everything about it.
JOHN: She did.
You know, so many options.
And inside, it's still a little bit of the '70s.
You still can feel it.
PETER: Sure.
JOHN: But the updates were great.
PETER: So do you have any questions about the house?
CHRISTINE: Yes.
Is there a homeowners association?
PETER: There are actually two.
The Columbia Parks and Recreations Association, responsible for taking care of the walking trails, the tennis courts.
And then you also have a secondary, uh, homeowners association for this particular neighborhood.
It's roughly $100 a month together.
JOHN: That's great.
CHRISTINE: That, that is nice.
JOHN: Wow.
PETER: So this is a three-bedroom townhouse with two-and-a-half bathrooms, 2,400 square feet.
And it was built in 1977 with a lot of updates in the last couple years.
JOHN: Well, I think it's a really great place to start in Columbia.
And you said built in '77?
PETER: '77.
JOHN: I remember it well.
I am going to give you a guess of 377.
PETER: 377,000 for you.
CHRISTINE: You said 377?
JOHN: 377.
1977.
CHRISTINE: You know what, uh, I'm... Oh, that's clever.
I'm gonna go 380,000.
JOHN: Oh, $3,000 away.
(laughs).
PETER: One of you would win the prize of guessing exactly the right number.
CHRISTINE: Oh, I bet it's me.
I bet it's me.
PETER: It is, $380,000.
Right on the money.
JOHN: Oh, come on.
CHRISTINE: Do you believe that?
JOHN: No, I don't.
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