Welcome to 7827 Sterling Drive, a charming home located on a peaceful street lined with trees in the King Estates neighborhood of Oakland. This home offers flexibility for a multitude of lifestyles.

When we first met the Seller in the Summer of 2016 we were holding open another home a block away, on Greenly Drive.  James walked into our open house and mentioned he had a home located on the next block over that he and his wife had restored about 10 years ago.  He and his family moved out of the area and have been renting it the past few years; his tenants had just moved out and he was preparing to paint it, and deciding whether he should sell or rent it.

After the open house we walked over to take a look.

We spent about 45 minutes walking through the house and discussing the Seller’s needs.  It was a charming home, full of style, and it was clear they put a lot of sweat-equity, hard work, and care into the house.  When they purchased the home it was a “handyman’s special” – according to the Seller that was an understatement.  The floorplan was a little unusual and after spending the next four years stripping down walls to the studs, replacing holes in the roofs, pouring foundations, replacing tile, rehabbing rooms and re-working hallways they had a comfortable, functional home that they could entertain and grow their family in.

The Seller’s wife handmade all of the decorative shutters the line the outside windows and picked a custom, artistic palette of paint for the interior.  They completely re-built the back cottage so family had a comfortable place to stay while visiting.  They had originally planned to turn the studio into a master bedroom but decided they wanted to keep it as a separate space.

After finishing the house they terraced the garden and planted vegetables, fruit trees, and bouganvilla.  In the front yard they planted orange and plum trees and a tigerlily and magnolia; in the back is a mandarin and apricot tree.  Rhubarb, which still happily grows, was harvested for rhubarb jam and tomatoes proudly grew.  A tree swing was installed under that grand oak tree, and a gate was put in the back fence so the neighboring kids could easily play.

Time passed and although the Sellers loved their home they were relocated out of the area for work.  They weren’t ready to let go of their prized home and decided to rent it.  On a visit to the house in the Summer of 2016 James stopped into our open house and after talking it through with us thought that maybe the time was coming to sell the house.

Based on the market when we first met, James and his wife decided to paint it and continuing renting, it just didn’t feel like the right time.  We set them up with a Seller’s search account through the MLS so they could stay on top of the market.  We stayed in touch, and earlier this year they made the hard decision to sell.  They had a terrific tenant and didn’t want to displace her, but ultimately the time had come.

We are proud to have been chosen to list this incredible home that has such a sweet history.  The main house is 2 beds + 1 bath with hardwood floors, updated bath and a quaint living room that looks out onto the Oakland Hills. The spacious kitchen has been updated and opens to the backyard, perfect for year-round enjoyment + entertaining.