Dear Future Buyers of 5133 Granada Street:
Welcome to “Little Machu Picchu”! A house I bought back in the summer of 2012. Let me tell you a little bit about the time we spent together.
I’d been on a long, three year quest of saving, loan approval and was so excited to finally find the place I’d call home.
Listed for $699K, sold for $922K! 37 offers! The house was just what I was looking for. Rehabbed, but not without keeping some of the uniqueness of her bones. She was secluded enough for privacy, but not out of the city and the yard was a dream come true! Plus there’s a small attic with plenty of storage space and a carport just for me. It was a match made in heaven.
I have to say the yard was a barren wasteland when I first arrived. The orchard up top, one orange, one tangerine, three lemon, one nectarine, one apple, one grapefruit and one pomegranate, were intact but hadn’t been taken care of properly for years. My first step was to tackle the retaining walls. We replaced two right away and after several months we were ready to amend the soil of the trees, add in drip irrigation then plant away!
Most of the succulents, agave and cactus were planted from a pinch of existing ones around the neighborhood, thanks to my amazing neighborhood! I brought in the Palos Verde, Golden Trumpet, Jacaranda, and Coastal Pine trees. I also planted the two Avocado trees, the Banana trees and the Cumquat Tree. Later, I brought in vegetables and had some of the greatest harvests you’ve ever seen! Tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, onions, artichokes…you name it, I grew it. Even some wild mint showed up! Everything was planted by me, by hand and with lots of love and effort.
The soil is absolutely magical and was always my favorite place for me and my two cats to spend a day off together. Wait until you see all of the flowers the agave, succulents bring and GIANT white flowers bloom on the tall green cactus, but only at night in the summertime. It’s absolutely fantastic!
The house itself required very little in my opinion. It was perfect! Though I added the redwood fence for even more privacy (a hammock view of the yard from there is to die for) and built out the basement a little for extra storage. Her plumbing, electrical were in great shape and the new counters, cabinets and bathroom remodel were expertly crafted. I did add new faucets and hardware in the kitchen and bathroom and I framed up the kitchen windows to showcase the spectacular view of the mountains. I added a nice screen door to allow for summer breeze (it’s still in the basement should you decide you want the same). The little shed outside made for the perfect office/music practice space. Many a great song was sung over a firepit in the backyard too. Also, the view of the moon from the hill at night is a sight to behold. You’ll spend so much time in the yard it will feel like you physically live on the entire property.
I really hope you’ll love and care for this place as much as I did. It’s a magical little home buried within the wonderful neighborhood of Highland Park. I’m off to new adventures, but I’ll never forget her.
I was so proud when my friends from Argentina visited me and gave her her special nickname, “Little Machu Picchu”. Should the name feel good to you, feel free to pass it along. She is a house deserving of the name of that majestic mountain!
Love, Liz
Los Angeles CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale