Backyard oasis
Mt. Lebanon Tudor with 1.6 acres priced at $1.975 million
When is the right time to downsize and sell your house?
MaryAdele and John Krolikowski have lived in a stone Tudor at 54 Roycroft Ave. in Mt. Lebanon for 22 years. Their two children are married and live in Mt. Lebanon and Atlanta.
“I have observed it is harder to leave the family home the older you get,” said Mr. Krolikowski. “It isn’t easy to leave now but it will get harder over time.”
So the couple decided to put their 2½-story house with seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms, two powder rooms and 1.6 acres of woods and gardens on the market for $1.975 million (MLS No.1456287) with Melissa Prunzik and Melissa Palmer of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (412780-9567 or www.howardhanna. com). There is a virtual tour and inperson tours are available under COVID-19 guidelines.
“There is never a great time to do it, but this is an adequate time for us to move ahead,” said Mrs. Krolikowski.
The gently sloping property, which covers four lots, features a fountain, a large stone patio with a gas- and wood-burning fireplace, a large side porch and stone paths that wind among beds of flowers, shrubs and 95 tall trees, each with a tag identifying its species.
“What truly makes this property special is the unique, private setting,” said Ms. Palmer, the agent. “The property wraps around the home perfectly, which creates a private backyard oasis. You feel like you are in the countryside.”
Mr. Krolikowski is the gardener in the family.
“I got the short straw,” he said, laughing. “She wouldn’t do it so I had to.”
The self-taught gardener cleared the paths and planted hundreds of perennials and flowering shrubs. The garden has twice been on the Mt. Lebanon Public Library Garden Tour.
“I have a rule: If anything dies, I just say I hated that plant anyway,” he joked. “Remember, if something grows let it be there. You have to adapt to Mother Nature because she won’t adapt to you.”
The trees include several sugar maples that Mr. Krolikowski and friends tap to make maple syrup. “Many of these trees are 80-100 years old so we don’t have much to do with them. We just stay out of the way.”
The 5,385-square-foot home was built in 1938 and includes a living room with a vaulted wood ceiling, a master suite with a private terrace and an open kitchen and family room that were part of a threestory addition done in 1982 by prior owners. There is also a butler’s
pantry with a vintage refrigerator, a large laundry room, a wine tasting room and a game room with bar. Tommarello General Contractors finished the basement in 2004 and updated the kitchen and master bathroom in 2011. The family wanted a higher ceiling in the basement.
“We dropped the original basement floor by 18 inches, which meant breaking up the concrete floor and digging it out by hand,” Mr. Krolikowski said.
They are the third owners and have kept a list of all contractors who have worked on the house. “The plumber, the electrician and Tony Tommarello know everything about this house,” said Mrs. Krolikowski.
The property’s total assessment is $919,000. Over the past three years, six houses have sold in the 100 block of
Roycroft Avenue fro prices ranging from $195,000 in August 2019 to $570,000 in July 2017 (www2.alleghenycounty.us/RealEstate/GeneralInfo. aspx?).
The outdoor patio is Mrs. Krolikowski’s favorite space.
“We use the terrace with the gas fireplace all year long,” she said.
“It burns wood and has a spit for cooking turkey or lamb and there are built-in speakers for music,” he added.
The couple have used the patio for many celebrations, including a wedding and their 25th anniversary party.
“The gardens, fountain and outdoor entertaining space are so inviting and peaceful,” Ms. Palmer said. “When you combine four separate parcels with a coveted Mt. Lebanon address, you know you have something special.”