5 Must-See Open Houses This Weekend

Some gems you can check out this weekend.

open houses bucks hatfield rebuilt house

Bright MLS image via Weichert Realtors

The COVID-19 coronavirus may have shut down the schools, canceled sports games and concerts, and marooned you at home, but it hasn’t brought everything to a screeching halt yet. All of the agents whose houses are featured this week will carry on with their previously scheduled open houses as of this writing.

Of course, you should take the precautions you’ve been advised to take when venturing out: Wash your hands frequently and well. Carry hand sanitizer with you. And even though you may want to stroke those granite countertops, resist the temptation to run your hands over all the surfaces. Also, be prepared to bump elbows with the agent rather than shake their hand.

And as the coronavirus situation keeps changing rapidly, you might want to double-check with the agent on the day of the open house to make sure it’s still open.

Bucks County: 129 Maron Rd., Hatfield (above) | 3 beds,  2 full, 1 half baths, 2,451 square feet, $415,000

Open house: Sunday, March 15th, 1 to 3 p.m.

Believe it or not, you are looking at a 72-year-old house in the photo above. The reason why it looks a lot newer than that? Its owner stripped it to its foundation in 2008 and rebuilt it with 2×6 studs and energy-efficient features. The majority of this house’s double-pane low-E windows, for instance, face south, which keeps your house warmer in winter and cuts down on your cooling bill in the summer.

It looks to us like the house got expanded in 2008 as well, for what’s now the front door is off to one side, one floor up from the garage. It leads to a small vestibule, which in turn opens onto a soaring, cathedral-ceilinged great room with a huge fanlight window and a loft overlook. Beneath the loft is a beautiful eat-in kitchen, upgraded and renovated last year, and behind it is a large deck that’s perfect for entertaining. Below this main floor is another perfect-for-entertaining space: the wainscoted family room in the walkout basement, where you will also find the original house’s front door.

The original house got a very nice makeover as well, It now boasts a cathedral-ceilinged master bedroom with a sumptuous bath and its own private deck plus two other spacious bedrooms and a hall bath. And because the original house’s upper floor connects to the addition’s main floor, you can enjoy aging in place amidst lush woodlands in a house built for one-floor living as well.

129 Maron Rd., Hatfield, Pa. 19440 [Jordan Mariano | Weichert Realtors]


open houses chester kennett square expanded foursquare

Bright MLS image via Century 21 Pierce & Bair, Inc.

Chester County: 512 N. Mill Rd., Kennett Square | 4 beds, 3 full, 1 half baths, 2,050 square feet, $419,900

Open house: Sunday, March 15th, 1 to 3 p.m.

Isn’t this just the cutest little foursquare farmhouse you’ve ever seen? Don’t let its modest front fool you: this house in East Marlborough Township, built in 1930, got a major makeover and expansion in 2016. That makeover gave it a huge new wing in its rear, an open main floor with wide-plank heart pine floors, a wood-burning fireplace, a spiffy new kitchen, a main-floor master suite that opens onto a side patio and a wraparound back porch with a brick fireplace and grill. And you can convert that porch into indoor space if you wish — the owner will provide the walls, windows and doors you need to enclose it. And its outside is now covered in HardiePlank lap and batten-board siding, which means no exterior maintenance headaches for you.

512 N. Mill Rd., Kennett Square, Pa. 19348 [Tiffany Varghese | Century 21 Pierce & Bair, Inc.]


open houses delaware bryn mawr contemporary

Bright MLS image via Keller Williams Realty

Delaware County: 503 Ramblewood Dr., Bryn Mawr | 5 beds, 3 full, 1 half baths, 6,303 square feet, $1,150,000

Open house: Sunday, March 15th, 1 to 3 p.m.

This 1980s contemporary in the Radnor Chase neighborhood in Bryn Mawr’s southern reaches also got a maintenance-free exterior makeover that gave it HardiePlank siding and an expansive Trex rear deck in 2012; its roof was replaced last year to boot, and the warranty will transfer to you along with the house.

Although this house has a contemporary heart, you will find here and there nods to other architectural eras. For instance, the formal dining room has a traditional chair rail and the kitchen and family room feature cabinetry and a fireplace that draw on Art Deco for their inspiration. Likewise, the cabinets and vanity in the master suite’s sumptuous bathroom (upgraded in 2019) are more traditional in style. That master suite, by the way, is spacious and multi-faceted, with a built-in coffee nook and a seating area.

Its walkout basement is also built for entertaining: it has a game area, a second full kitchen, an in-law or guest suite and an in-ground pool, hot tub and patio just outside it.

503 Ramblewood Dr., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010 [Kristen Kearns | Hardy Real Estate Group | Keller Williams Realty via Zillow]


open houses philadelphia wash west bradford alley rowhouse

Bright MLS image via Keller Williams Real Estate – Media

Philadelphia: 718 Bradford Alley, Washington Square West | 2 beds, 2 baths, 800 square feet, $399,900

Open house: Sunday, March 15th, 1 to 3 p.m.

This historically certified house sits on a charming little lane with only one access point in the middle of that block of Washington Square West that protrudes into Society Hill. Its secluded location just above South Street means you get the best of both worlds: peace and quiet and access to lively nightlife, entertainment and dining at the same time. Plus you have Starr Garden for a down-the-block neighbor.

A recent renovation gave it a main floor with an exposed brick wall, new hardwood floors and an up-to-date kitchen. That makeover also updated and upgraded its two bathrooms. A top-floor master bedroom is tucked under its mansard roof, and a courtyard in back that it shares with its neighbors gives you an attractive, shaded oasis where you can enjoy your morning coffee or the afternoon sun.

718 Bradford Alley, Philadelphia, Pa. 19147 [Matt Lenza | The Matt Lenza Team | Keller Williams Real Estate – Media]