A fixer can be a house that needs major structural help, a take-it-down-to-the-studs project. And it can mean deferred maintenance, outdated and worn. Or, as we like to say in the real estate business: Needs love. Therein lies the beauty: You can give a fixer property your kind of love. Put your style and creativity into it.

1 Highgate Road in Kensington is the ideal fixer because it already has the foundations of a spectacular house: location, view, natural light, size and flexibility. In its current state, 1 Highgate is a bit ugly. A jumble of junipers—trees, bushes, shrubs—fills the front yard. Pull them out for a blank slate and go succulent-crazy or cottage garden. Or shape those junipers into a menagerie of dinosaurs, bunnies and topiary twists.

If you like retro, then by all means keep the multicolored shag carpet, the pink-tiled bathroom, and the faux-wood paneled walls. Own it with pride! Or turn it into a modern palace. Either way, you have a 2-bridge Bay view; 1/3-acre level lot; a huge downstairs flex space with separate entrance; and a 2-car garage + workshop.

Transforming a fixer takes effort, time and money. But the payoff of customizing to your tastes is aesthetic joy and comfort—a house that fits your needs. Come visit this tarnished gem and make it shine again. www.1Highgate.com. (UPDATE: 1 Highgate Rd sold for $1,500,000 on June 10, 2022).

Kira Halpern
DRE # 01886087
510-375-0822
#openhouse #kensington #eastbayrealestate #fixer