33 James Street Surrey Hills is a property that may not immedidately impress you -  in fact, you might walk straight in and then straight out.  But give this one a chance: it does have a lot going for it and it would suit a young family very well.

Big pluses here are that it is located in a quiet street wthat is within walking distance to the Union Road shops and Chatham Primary School. While the backyard is not overly big, you do have Grovedale Park across the road, with plenty of room to kick the footy or fly a kite. The house itself is quite good, with original 1920s facade,  double carport, private backyard and the arrangement of rooms is not too bad.

The front appearance of this house understates this property and a high fence, large trees and an abundance of brick paving does not help. A new picket fence, some careful landscaping and a cosmetic update to the facade would do wonders here.

The concept design would address the rear of the house to incorporate a larger rear open living area. At present, this does not work well and the rear studio is not all that well sited, taking up too much of the backyard.  The master bedroom would be improved, sacrificing the bedroom beyond for a walk-in robe area and an ensuite. The end of entry hall would also be widened. A modern trend in houses today is the need for small ‘study’ areas as often mum, dad and the kids have their own computer – two of these small areas are incorporated in this design and that would be beneficial.

33 James Street Surrey Hills is scheduled for auction at 11am on March 13. Sue Wooldridge from Noel Jones expects $1.4 million plus here.