Living in an Eichler
These homes are one of the few homes you can get for under a million dollars that are considered art pieces. There are coffee table books, magazine articles, architectural societies, and even postage stamps that cover these homes.
The bargain is increased even more when you consider that the interior courtyard/atrium is an integrated part of the house, but does not go into the square foot count.
As a partner in a CPA firm, I have many very rich clients. I have always been proud to show them my home, which I feel is executive quality, in spite of its affordability.
The “mid century modern” look of these homes attracts owners that are very creative, and have an artistic background. It is very nice to live in this neighborhood, where so many residents understand the beauty of their homes. Many of their homes are spectacular on the inside.
Often the neighbors get together for progressive dinners or parties. Many of the locals are gourmet cooks.
There is a convention in the tract, that if you want company you leave your front door open. If you want company during cocktail hour you put a pink flamingo in your front yard.
Why I am selling
I bought this home in 1985 and until now I had no intention of ever moving. I have kept the house on the basis that I would never leave here.
But I have an opportunity to completely change my life and retire in a foreign country. The temptation for this experience has overwhelmed me and caused me to sell the Eichler unexpectedly.
Features of the home
The flooring in most of the house and the atrium is porcelain tile. The tile was meant to be used in very high traffic commercial installations. Porcelain tile is the same color all the way through (not glazed) and is fired at a much higher temperature than ceramic tile. This allows it to be used outdoors. The tile was installed at 22.5 degrees to the wall, which gives the rooms a fluid look compared to the boxy 45 or 90 degree installations. There is about 100 square feet of extra tile if ever needed for repairs.
The kitchen and baths have been upgraded with granite counters, and the cabinets have handle-less latches that give them a very clean look.
The design of the kitchen is very clean and modern. The dishwasher is a stainless steel Bosh unit. The cook top has been changed to gas. The refrigerator appears built in but it is not. It is available to the buyer of the house for a reasonable price.
The garage has been optimized for maximum storage while maintaining the space for a car. The steel shelving and cabinet will remain with the house. The steel cabinet is nice for storing extra cans and bottles of food.
The heating system is based around the Hydronic system. Basically, water pipes are embedded in the concrete slab, and hot water runs through the pipes to warm the slab. This gives a very subtle radiant heat that does not blast hot air at you like a conventional system. The floor is nice and warm in the mornings during winter.
The “boiler” for the home’s hydronic system was replaced about 10 years ago, if I remember right. A modern thermostat has replaced the original 1960s unit. Several companies are available to maintain the hydronic system.
There are three mini-split air conditioners in the home. In Europe these are very popular, and are finally catching on in the states. The compressor unit is outside and Freon tubes connect to the quiet inside unit. They are the best solution for chilling an Eichler since there is no crawl space to run ductwork.
In the back yard there are three large trees. The original owner planted them and knew what he was doing. Besides offsetting the minimalist interior of the house with a nice soft background, they help considerably with the heating and cooling. In the summer, the trees shade the big glass wall in the morning. In the winter, the leaves drop off and sunlight comes in to warm the house.
The fence has been replaced but is the same height as the original. The extra height makes the yard and house private. This fence negates the need for window covering on the back wall/window.
In the side yard there is a raised garden I have used to grow herbs. On the other side of the house is a nice dog run, if you have a dog.
The property has two lemon trees, two mandarin orange trees, a mini peach tree, a small fig tree, an apple tree, a loquat tree, and a lychee nut tree,
There are sprinkles installed that water the lawns and the various planters, including the atrium planters.
The outdoor lighting is 110 volt in conduit, so the gardeners do not destroy it like they used to destroy the Malibu lighting.
Since I am a part time musician, I needed a place to play. I ended up removing the non-load bearing wall between two bedrooms, and created one larger room. It has been double walled and the ceiling has been treated to reduce sound leakage. The doors are thick solid core doors.
I have always thought that if I quit my group, I would use this room as a dedicated entertainment room with a nice wide screen TV and cool seating.
Since my computers and all of my musical equipment is in this room, I spend most of my time there.
The air conditioner for this room is very powerful and quiet. I like that I can run the air for just this room since often I really don’t spend much time in the rest of the house.
I understand that if someone wants to return the rooms back to original there are contractors that are available to do this chore.
The house has a foam roof. Foam roofs in a home of this nature are very nice. They are coated in a bright white paint that reflects the sun’s heat. And of course the foam is a great insulator. These two factors combine to give a great relief from heat on summer days. The life of the roof is indefinite as long as you re-coat the roof. There are specialty contractors for this purpose.
By the way, the window washer charges $45 to do the whole house, in case you are wondering.
The Location
I won’t even try to mention all of the local attractions, but here are a couple favorites.
Across the street there is a hiking biking dog walk trail that runs along Esplanade Street. It is one mile from the house to Seventeenth Street, so it is a nice two-mile loop. This is actually a destination hike for many people. If you want hilly hiking trails Peters Canyon and Santiago Oaks parks are nearby.
There is a Trader Joe’s about 4 or 5 minutes from the house, as is a Pacific Ranch and a Whole Foods Market. Also there is an Italian market called Claro’s that specializes in imported Italian cold cuts, and Mattern meats that specializes in German meats and cold cuts.
Of course there are all kinds of restaurants around. Christaki's Greek, Bahia Mexican, Z-Pizza, and Johnnie Reb’s BBQ are all personal favorites, On Thursday nights about 20 or so Eichler owners get together at the Bangkok Taste Tai food restaurant. It is a funky little place with great food and low prices. You bring your own wine or beer, no corkage charge. And then there is downtown Orange (The Plaza) with many interesting restaurants and shops.
The clean Eichler Look
I imagine the buyer of this home will want to make their own artistic statement and will want to re-decorate. But if you need a head start, I will be selling most of the furnishings in the house. Much of the furniture is custom made to integrate the style of the house.
--Greg Walker