Buying Here: Dravosburg
For some people, a onebedroom house is too tiny. But for Marlene Harhai of Mount Pleasant and Tom Vodicka, her partner of 22 years, it was just right. But Mr. Vodicka’s death in early 2012 has prompted her to sell the house they moved into in 1990 and lovingly spent a decade renovating.
“It was a great home and just had such a warm feel,” said Ms. Harhai. “It was one that,
you know, sort of made you forget about any stresses in the day.”
The 2 story, red-brick house at 12 Fourth St. in Dravosburg (MLS No. 956736) is listed for $74,400 with Joanne Giancola of Northwood Realty (412-889-0218 and www.northwood.com). An open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. today.
The Realtor said the interior might come as a surprise based on what you can see from the exterior. The couple renovated and updated the master bedroom and converted the second bedroom into a spa-like bathroom complete with a jetted tub. The 12-by-13-foot bedroom includes a skylight window and decorative fireplace.
“It will give you a large home feel and it will be cheaper than renting,” said Ms. Giancola. She added that the attic could be renovated into a second bedroom.
Built in 1911, the house has some nice old architectural details including arched windows and a brick-columned front porch with an ornate white-spindle railing. Ms. Harhai said the house was in poor condition when they bought it. “There were no updates that had been done for 50 years at least.”
Mr. Vodicka did all of the planning and all of the labor. He worked as the plumber, electrician, carpenter and mechanic and didn’t receive help from have anyone other than Ms. Harhai. He stripped and replaced all of the plaster with plasterboard and add insulation in every room. Ms. Harhai said that the house is special because of the amount of craftsmanship that
went into it.
The 9-by-7-foot modern kitchen is a highlight of the home. It has sleek white cabinets and stainless-steel KitchenAid appliances, including a refrigerator, gas cooktop stove, dishwasher and microwave.
Ms. Harhai said that her favorite room in the house is the 13-by-13-foot living room, which has gold and salmoncolored walls, white crown molding and an additional fireplace.
The 12-by-11-foot dining room and the powder room are both on the first floor. Other updates include new siding on the rear of the house and the asphalt shingle roof. Both were done in 2006. There is a washer and dryer in the basement.
The house sits on a quiet street and has a large paved driveway that leads to a detached two-car garage, which was built in 1997. The grassy backyard is spacious and relatively flat. There is a back porch off the kitchen. The property is close to Century III Mall in West Mifflin and is accessible to public transportation.
The property has a 2013 county assessed value of $70,800 (www2.county.allegheny.pa.us/RealEstate/Default. aspx). Over the past three years, five properties have sold on Fourth Street for prices ranging from $48,500 in March 2013 to $28,000 in October 2011 (www.realstats.net).