A mid-century-ish house with only one owner is for sale in northeast Dallas, and it comes with lots of original wood, as well as a kooky checkerboard carpet that — yikes — extends right into the kitchen.
It's located at 8454 Swift Ave., in the Hillridge neighborhood, an enclave of houses built in the 1960s, north of I-30 and east of Ferguson Road. The value in this blue-collar to middle-class neighborhood has more than doubled since 2018, with most homes in the area appraised in the mid- to high $400Ks.
This home was built in 1962, and has 2,160 square feet, with 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, on an 8,842-square-foot lot that includes a storage building in the backyard.
The asking price is $390,000, and the listing by Debra Rosser of Ebby Halliday calls it "a blast from the past." It has no discernible updates made to the interior. The outside brick is original and not painted. And there is mature landscaping including a decades-old tree in the front yard that was surely planted when the house was built.
Original fittings include
- a tiled terrazzo floor in the foyer
- a family room with wood paneling
- an entire wall in the family room with built-in shelves and desk area, boasting period scalloped wood trim
- dining room, also wood-paneled, with built-in cabinets and drawers for silver and china — featuring cabinet doors with cool punched-tin facades
- a kitchen that is also wood paneled, a little odd for a kitchen
- formica counters and built-in electric cooktop (they're saying lately that gas cooking is not good for you)
Dining nook at 8454 Swift features wood paneling and checkerboard carpet. 8454 Swift
The bathrooms are original tile, which is always preferable to "updated" bathrooms that will look dated in less than five years. Alas, since this house was built in the '60s, the tile is white and mottled gray, and not the fun pastels of the '50s that vintage fans love the most.
Two of the bedrooms have true-to-the-period built-in bureaus, so handy.
8454 Swift
Facade of 8454 Swift Ave. features ornate iron window shutters.
The entire house is carpeted, and that includes carpeting in the kitchen, which is a disaster. It's the same cool multi-colored square-patterned carpet that starts in the family room and has been extended all the way to the kitchen, but who puts carpet in a wet area?
The listing describes a big kitchen, large living areas, a smart layout, several bonus rooms, generous storage, and great neighbors. There's also an enclosed patio-sunroom, not currently counted in the square footage, a nice sized-yard, and a rear-entry two-car garage.
According to the listing, the home officially hits the market on Friday, August 8, with the first showing opportunity during an Open House on Saturday August 9, from 10-11:30 am. They plan to review offers the week after the Open House, and recommend bringing "your strongest offer" from the start.
