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Do you have children and pets and want a
private home at the end of a cul-de-sac
with almost zero traffic?
Here's a wonderful level entry family home in the quiet Garry Oaks neighbourhood
in Nanoose Bay, just north of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. It is a very private 2 level home
on
approximately one acre of spectacular tabled view property, with five
bedrooms, 4 upstairs and one downstairs (could also be office or den), three
bathrooms (2 full upstairs and one half downstairs), two garages
(heated with high
ceilings and workshop area) and a
semi-enclosed overheight carport (RV or boat?). It has a large breakfast nook,
full kitchen with island, separate dining room, family room, great room, and three decks (2 fully
covered at ground level, one upstairs). The separate laundry area in the garage eliminates noise in
the house from the washer and dryer.
It has a grassed, fenced area around the house that allows children and pets to
leave and enter through front and side doors, without leaving the
protection of the enclosed area.
The master suite upstairs has a large ensuite with jetted tub (with
skylights overhead and private bay window view of forest), walk-in
closet and separate shower stall, and a very private walk-on deck that
looks straight on to the forest canopy, with glimpses of ocean and great
views of the valley below and the Beaufort Mountains (including Mt.
Arrowsmith - closeup below) in the background.
The house is situated on the south-west face of Notch Hill and is bright
and warm during the winter, with plenty of light streaming through the
multitude of large (fully screened) windows on all sides of the house.
In summer, it stays relatively cool due to the light thermal breeze that
wafts through the house, circulating up the side of the hill from the valley floor.
Deer and grouse wander through the property on a regular basis.
The forest on the property is open, with walking paths that allow you to
enjoy the rare Garry Oak and Arbutus trees that live here because of the
warm sunshine and dry climate. This property is influenced by the extra
hills above Lantzville that create a secondary rain shadow effect.
There are several garden areas, but most of the property is in
its natural state and requires very little maintenance. If you have a
green thumb, opportunities abound for additional grounds work. If you
like blackberries, it has a large walk-up bush behind the fence that
yields dessert for 3 people every day for about 3 months out of the
year.
The property drainage is excellent due to the crushed rock
base, and there are no muddy areas or pooling of water anywhere. The
extra long veranda that runs the length of the house ensures that feet
are clean by the time people reach the door. The house stays clean, is
easy to care for, and there is a powerful built-in vacuum system to
ensure that it stays that way. The exterior vinyl siding and vinyl decks are a snap to clean, and look brand new after a good wash.
Although the house is technically 15 years old, it was actually
finished in 2000 and is in near-new condition.
The 2x6 construction is well insulated to R20 standards, and the double-glazed vinyl clad
windows keep heating costs down. The electric heating system, with 2
forced air vents that bring in fresh air is the most economical system
these days. Natural gas is available to the property if desired. There
is also the possibility of sub-dividing the lot between the upper
(existing house level) and lower portions (each portion has direct
access to different roads).
We are communications electronics specialists by profession, and the
house is fully wired with multi-line telephone and high speed cable
internet in most rooms, as well as a satellite feed from the roof into
the distribution system.
This is a fully computerized 'smart home' with a stand-alone
microprocessor pre-programmed to control lights, heating, yard
irrigation, etc. You can use a standard PC to adjust the parameters via
a very user-friendly software program (provided).
The great room (dropped floor and raised ceiling) has a retractable 10' home theater screen, and the
state-of-the art DLP projector is included with the home. When not in use, the system virtually disappears and the room is available for
normal use (see http://SoftwareForHomes.com).
There is plenty of parking space for an RV and boat, and one of the
garages is a semi-enclosed carport with a high ceiling and over-height
entry. The fully enclosed, heated 2 bay garage (with automatic garage
door system) allows entry directly into the house. If you enjoy
waterfront life, the Schooner cove resort
is about 5 minutes away, and has an excellent boat ramp and full resort
facilities, including pub and restaurant.
The small Garry Oaks development is mature and very attractive, with
many trees in forested areas. The lots are all large and although you
still have a sense of neighbourhood with glimpses of other homes through
the trees, the houses are not jammed against each other as they are in
high density neighbourhoods.
There are excellent walking trails in the immediate area (no need to
drive), including the Fairwinds system that traverses five small lakes
and the magnificent view from the top of Notch Hill, with abundant
wildlife viewing. There are numerous ocean beach access parks in the
immediate vicinity, and a spectacular archipelago of islands within easy
reach by kayak or canoe (the Winchelsea Islands).
There are schools, shopping centres, restaurants and professional
services nearby, and the major North Nanaimo shopping mecca is only
about 10 minutes away by highway. It is also just as easy to drive to
Parksville if you prefer a quieter experience.
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