A Cutie on J Street in Salt Lake City

I had the chance to preview a home in Salt Lake City, Utah, this morning on J street. Up on the northeast side of the valley, up behind the University of Utah (the Greater Avenues) area. Homes in this area are old, beautiful, often perched on a hill and frequently they have larger lots and tree-lined streets. I APPROVE.

This house (428 J Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84103) is coming on the market in the neighborhood of the mid-$500,000s. I’ll update you here as they firm up the price.

So first, this is J Street. Huge trees, and that street/yard with tree/sidewalk/yard/house separation I love so much. Many Art Deco influences, and a good mix of bungalows and mid-century designs.

(Also bicyclists, but they’re not included in the sale.)

Sunny and lovely, and can I point out the window to the right? Lots of decorative trim, middle divider bar, and then a little slider below that. Love it.

The backyard was large and terraced, which is necessary for the slope the road is on. But large trees and lots of nice shade.

And a lovely patio with a vine-wrapped trellis and ACTUAL GRAPES YES I TRIED ONE TO BE SURE IT WASN’T PLASTIC.

By virtue of the road’s slope, this house had nice views of the University over the neighbors’ yards.

I will never not love tiny, backbreaking tile patterns, like we see here in the bathroom.

And an interesting thing to look out for on these old homes, the basement has been dug out. Which means, literally, you jackhammer out the floor of the foundation, dig down into the dirt, and pour a new concrete floor to make the basement ceiling height taller. In older homes this is a premium feature (and a real pain in the butt to do), so a big plus. Often we won’t see the edge left rough and painted like this, but it was apparently a design decision.

This is a cool opportunity for somebody to be in the city yet far enough away to enjoy a quiet neighborhood and a large yard. There is also good potential here; the kitchen and bathrooms are fine as they are, but some sleek new cabinets, countertops, and light fixtures would add a lot to the value very simply, and though slate floors are durable and easy to care for in our wintery climate, hardwood commands a premium. Homes in Salt Lake City anywhere near the University of Utah and anything vaguely bungalow-shaped sell very quickly; I expect this won’t be on the market for long. Listings like this out of my Salt Lake office tend to go under contract in less than a week, so if this strikes your fancy, let me know ASAP.