Fixer Upper Homes in Nampa, Idaho
Hey, it’s Dave Edwards, Treasure Valley Dave. So, you’ve checked out all the Nampa cookie-cutter homes, right? What about something a little different, like the older fixer-upper homes in Nampa, Idaho? Properties of this kind are not always available on the housing market. Let’s check a couple of them now.
Blue Fixer-Upper
This one is just a short distance from downtown. It was built in 1939. Wow, that was quite a few years ago, huh? But what’s different is that you can’t get all these classic homes in a typical neighborhood. No two look alike. They’re all a little different.
The place is different from the hoity-toity north end of Boise. This is where normal people live, and you can have stuff here, like a garden. There are no HOAs either. I don’t know if you can have goats, but that’s probably a city thing. You can have six chickens, so that’s nice. Have you seen the price of eggs lately?
It would be the right candidate for a fix and flip, or you can move in and fix the home as your budget allows. It’s got good bones and a lot of good updates. The owners kept some original features, but it could use some TLC.
It has sturdy siding from the outside, and the roof looks good. At the foyer, you can see that it has so many cute original features. For instance, you have your door knocker, which you can open from the inside to see who’s there. Well, you won’t see that in a new house, will you? Not the original wooden doors either.
Wow. We also have a little coat closet for when your guests come by to play pinochle. I’m feeling it. And then we go into the front room to admire its cove ceiling effect. It’s hard to take it all in at one time, huh?
This area has the original windows. We do have storm windows over here on these little ones. Double hung, wow. We haven’t seen those for a while, have we? The fireplace looks like it uses gas because I see a key on top of it.
This is a decent-sized room. The light fixture looks original. And the texture on the walls? Nice!
Home Updates
I said they had some updates in this front room. The air conditioner looks very modern and is working quite well. It’s very cool in here.
Oh, let’s go in here to the formal dining room. Wow, all these windows have been replaced with modern dual-pane ones. We have a matching light fixture here and the original wood floors.
Then, let’s boogie over here to the kitchen, where we still have the original cupboards, exhaust fan, and country sink. I’m not sure what this shelf is for — it could make a heck of a spice rack — but there’s plenty of room here for a breakfast table.
Let’s take a few steps to return to the front room. Then, we have more built-ins — those are classic. And here’s a bedroom with a very tall ceiling, period light, and additional built-ins. But as good as that is, we need a bathroom.
It’s a good thing; it’s just right outside the bedroom. We got the window right there in the shower. It looks like we have the original mirror. And that toilet, wow, look how big that tank is. You won’t find that in the Corey Barton, will you?
Okay, let’s go to another bedroom with a tall ceiling. Wild light fixture. And these original floors. So that’s two bedrooms down here. And then we did go by these stairs, so let’s see what we’ve got up here.
Oh wow, this would make a lovely bedroom, especially with… Ta-da! Another bathroom with a shower. It looks like there are some more modern fixtures in here. I’m feeling that.
For the floor, we just have painted plywood. I’d put something down on there. We also have a bit of storage on the right and the left and then our walk-in closet. So you see what I mean? With just a little imagination, you could spiff this place up and make it attractive to live in or sell.
Blue Fixer Upper Home Specs
You probably want to know some details about it.
This 1939 home has four bedrooms and two baths. I’ve only counted three. Where is the other bedroom? I bet it’s in the basement.
The total living space here is 2,272 square feet. It’s almost 2,300 square feet, which is excellent for a house built in 1939, huh?
We can step down a couple of steps from the kitchen area to reach the basement. It’s so cool down here, temperature-wise. It has a working fireplace and a window that doesn’t let much light in. There’s another room back there with a window and storage space.
Further down, we see the washer/dryer. The water heater is definitely newer, as is the HVAC system. So now, we’ve just come out that side door because I want to check out the backyard.
Backyard
Outside, we have a cute little detached garage. There’s a little carport here. If you have too many projects going on in the garage, you could park outside and still be covered.
And with a fence, you could put your dog back here or your chickens. All these fruit trees, look at all this, woo. They’re just going to waste. Someone needs to buy this.
This house is in the older part of town, so you have an alley. So you don’t put your trash cans out in the front; you put them back in the alley.
We don’t see this kind of fixer-upper every day. It has a lot of character and all those original features. It needs someone to come in, spiff it up, and make it a bit nicer. After all, you can buy a brand-new house, and you won’t get these giant trees. You’re going to miss this part of town.
Location and Asking Price
So where are we? We’re three blocks from Albertson’s. We’re six blocks from the downtown library right here in Nampa.
Oh, did I tell you the price? Have you been hanging around for that? They’re asking for $299,900, but we can get it down slightly. Put a little money into it, and you could sell it for a bit more. Or you could live in it for many years and raise your kids right here in this fine, little neighborhood.
Cream Fixer Upper
Here we are at another place, still very close to downtown historic Nampa in a historic neighborhood. For starters, it’s on a very peaceful and quiet tree-lined street. Yeah. So, what’s up with this place?
Again, this could use a little bit of work. It could be a fixer-upper home. You could live in it and fix it as you go. This is pretty livable.
It has a traditional porch out here. I see some screens on some windows, so in the summer, you could sit out here, have your tea, and wait for your neighbors to walk by.
The first thing I see is we still have the original floors here. Original baseboard, original trim. And that arch is pretty wild, huh? And it is very cool here. We have a newer air conditioning unit going on.
The adjacent space is the dining area right here. It does have a little segmentation because of the arch in the ceiling. And it’s next to the kitchen.
This kitchen is smaller than what you’ll find in a modern house. Still, it’s big enough. And here’s something you won’t find in your Hubble home: a built-in ironing board with a socket to plug in your new electric iron.
So, while we’re here, let’s check out what’s happening downstairs. The first thing we’re greeted by is this tiny, little room over here, which might make an excellent hobby room. It has two windows, and they let in a lot of light.
We also have another room with ample windows. Oh my, look, there’s a bathroom down here. It’s different from the original, but it seems functional enough. The water heater looks new, and the AC unit is not a 1905 model.
Backyard View
I see we’ve got fencing. That means that you can have dogs out here and not have to worry. I see some fruit trees. And like you’d expect in an old part of town, we have alley access.
What’s nice about an alley is it does give you more distance from your neighbors. You do have a little garage there. You won’t get your F-350 in there, though. Interesting, there’s a room up there in the attic area.
Bedrooms
So here we are, back in the dining area. We came through the kitchen, and then there’s the bedrooms right there.
In 1905, the new homeowners were thrilled to come in here and check out all these built-ins. They could open up these double-hung windows and let some cross-ventilation through. I don’t know if Mr. Carrier invented the air conditioner by 1905, but they didn’t have a residential unit then. Then it has a bathroom, which is very handy.
I suppose this is where Ma and Pa set up their feather bed. I don’t think that kids came in here often. Look how shiny the floor still is! This is just a particular room right here.
Cream Fixer Upper Specs
- Three bedrooms
- Two baths
- 1,446 square feet
- Built in 1905
- One-car garage
The owners are asking $319,000 for it. We could offer a little bit less and see what happens. But yeah, you could do some work, but a lot of the work’s already been done with the upgrade with the air conditioner and the water heater. It’s very comfortable here.
But what if you made this like a period place, made it an Airbnb, or lived here? Think about it.
Want to See More Homes and Move to Nampa?
Thanks for coming along with me on this little journey of checking out a couple of houses at the lower end of the price range. As you’ve seen, they both have good bones. You could do some cosmetic touches and live here very happily.
They’re in areas with tree-lined streets, walking distance to downtown, just six or seven blocks away till you get to coffee shops and antique stores. You’d have to hit that antique store if you’re going to outfit this properly.
Anyway, I’ll also check out some more modern ones, so I don’t want to leave anybody out. If you want to check out more houses like these, please contact us at 208-860-2004 — we can help you.
As always, Treasure Valley Dave, looking forward to helping you get home.
