On the Market: Elevated Cottage in Crestmont
Not content to simply live above it all, the owners of this quirky cottage decided to take it to the next level and turn it into a stylish modern house.
![house for sale willow grove rebuilt cottage](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/01/house-for-sale-willow-grove-rebuilt-cottage-exterior-brightmls.jpg)
1538 Prospect Ave., Willow Grove, Pa. 19090 | Bright MLS images via RE/MAX Action Realty
The house for sale you see above began life in 1975 as just another cottage in a row of low-slung cottages on a quiet side street in the Crestmont section of Abington Township.
Well, almost just another cottage, for this one had some personality quirks. It had an enclosed projecting “front porch” like its neighbors, but that porch was attached to the house’s basement.
And that basement sat entirely above ground.
That alone gave its owners an elevated perspective on their neighborhood, and they attached a deck to the side of their house’s main floor to take advantage of it.
It seems that sometime last year or thereabouts, whoever owns this house now got tired of just living in an elevated cottage. Whether they had been watching lots of HGTV shows or reading magazines like Dwell, we can’t say, but the idea hit them that they could turn this cottage into something completely different:
The suburban-cottage version of those sleek modern city condos you occasionally see in real estate sections like this one.
They did away with that projecting enclosed porch downstairs and added a new, totally open one upstairs. They also moved the front door around to it from the other side of the house.
![house for sale willow grove rebuilt cottage main living area](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/01/house-for-sale-willow-grove-rebuilt-cottage-main-living-area-brightmls.jpg)
Main living area
“Totally open” also describes the main living space on the upstairs main floor. By expressing the slope of the cottage’s roof, the owners gave the combination living room/dining room/kitchen a high vaulted ceiling that makes it feel extra roomy.
![house for sale willow grove rebuilt cottage living-dining area](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/01/house-for-sale-willow-grove-rebuilt-cottage-living-dining-area-brightmls.jpg)
Living and dining areas
![house for sale willow grove rebuilt cottage kitchen](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/01/house-for-sale-willow-grove-renovated-cottage-kitchen-brightmls.jpg)
Kitchen
This space makes entertaining a breeze, and it means that your guests can gather ’round the kitchen island and mix with one another in the living room at the same time.
![house for sale willow grove rebuilt cottage master bathroom](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/01/house-for-sale-willow-grove-rebuilt-cottage-master-bathroom-brightmls.jpg)
Master bathroom
The master suite at the back of the three upstairs bedrooms is just as simple and stylish. They did its bathroom up real nice as well, with a stone-topped dual vanity, brass-trimmed mirrors and lights, and a full tile shower stall.
![Not content to simply live above it all, the owners of this quirky cottage decided to take it to the next level and turn it into a stylish modern house family room](https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/01/house-for-sale-willow-grove-rebuilt-cottage-family-room-brightmls.jpg)
Family room
Down in the ground floor “basement” you will find a spacious, carpeted family room with its own side entrance. There’s also a full bath and a fourth bedroom, which means you could use this floor as an in-law or guest suite.
All this is located in a quiet residential section of Abington that’s a short walk from Crestmont Regional Rail station. Glenside, Jenkintown and Willow Grove are all a short drive away.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 4
BATHS: 3
SQUARE FEET: 2,140
SALE PRICE: $344,900
OTHER STUFF: This house’s sale price was reduced by $5,000 on Jan. 2nd. The listing agent is related to the seller.
1538 Prospect Ave., Willow Grove, Pa. 19090 [Marina Zaspel | RE/MAX Action Realty]