A piece of Dallas history is for sale at 5803 Swiss Ave., the home built by Neiman Marcus co-founders Carrie Marcus Neiman and husband Abraham Lincoln Neiman. Marcus lived out her last days in the house, and it has had only two owners in its 93-year history.
Translation: This house has been well-maintained, and it’s not a gut job. List price: $1.3 million.
Listing agent is Elizabeth Mast of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, who specializes in the Swiss Avenue Historic District. Mast does a lot of research on all of her listings and dug up some old photographs of the property, which can be seen in the slideshow.
The 5,100-square foot home has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. According to Mast, some rooms were renovated in the 1950s, including the solar, just off the formal living room; kitchen; and master suite. More recently, two of the three full baths on the second floor have gotten facelifts, with marble counters, subway tiles in the shower surround, and vintage-inspired hex tiles on the floor.
What makes this home special is its potential, says Mast. “Compared to the other homes on Swiss, this one has an open floor plan, sweeping living spaces and expansive rooms that flow so well,” she says. “It is perfect for entertaining, I think. It would easily host a large Christmas party.
“If you want to update these rooms for a modern family, it would be a great property to do so,” she adds. One area of opportunity is the formal dining room, butler’s pantry and kitchen, which could be combined into a great space more suited to today’s lifestyles.
Up that beautiful staircase are three small bedrooms and the master suite; there also is an elevator original to the home. The master has a large sitting area, but the new owners might want to steal some space from that and give it to the master bathroom, which definitely needs an update.
Also upstairs is a partially finished attic studio with another full bath. An teenager who wants privacy would love it up there, or it could be used as an artist’s retreat. The view to the backyard is a lovely one.
Before putting the home on the market, Mast consulted with a structural engineer who said that the foundation, for the home’s age, is in excellent shape. The new owners, should they be interested in returning the home to its former glory, should pay special attention to the brick facade and the cast metal overhang.
Mast notes that there’s a 768-square-foot basement that is not included in the total square footage, and it can be accessed through the rear patio. Out back there is also a good-sized pool.
Investment-minded people will appreciate the income-producing apartment over the two-car garage just off the home’s driveway. It’s occupied right now but could fetch a prettier penny once updated — and that would be money well spent.
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A version of this story originally was published on Candy’s Dirt.
The foyer today.
