240 SCOTT POINT DR., SALT SPRING ISLAND, B.C.
ASKING PRICE $2,125,000
SELLING PRICE $1,875,000
PREVIOUS SELLING PRICE $365,000 (1998)
TAXES $9,067 (2011)
DAYS ON THE MARKET 527
LISTING AGENTS Chris and Darlene Hobbs, Sotheby's International Realty Canada
The Action: On a quiet stretch of Salt Spring Island, waterfront properties spend an average of nine to 12 months on the market. So it wasn't unusual for more than a year to pass before this custom, waterfront home banked 25 showings and a feasible offer.
What They Got: The bones of this summer cottage were designed and handcrafted by original owner and fine arts professor, Ian McNairn, architect Barry Downs and carpenter Aage Villadsen in the late 1960s. But in 1998, the same architect and the carpenter's son and grandson were brought back to enlarge it into a 3,671-square-foot residence assembled utilizing specialized skill in joinery, mortise and tenon, splicing and doweling.
Set on a sloped 0.83-acre lot, the custom home is divided into three quadrants linked by glass corridors and adorned with posts and beams, Myrtle hardwood floors and countless decks and south and west-facing windows.
A central courtyard provides the main entry into an open kitchen, living and dining area with a fireplace, wraparound deck and ceilings that open to a sitting area above.
The second wing contains a master suite with a walk-in closet, deck, largest of three bathrooms and an upper loft, plus a family room directly below with a patio and deck with access down to the shoreline.
The third wing of the property provides a guest suite above the double garage.
The Agent's Take: "It's not opulent, but has extreme quality and character. It really was something special," agent Chris Hobbs said.
"We don't often see on Salt Spring – or often see anywhere – these hand-hewn carpentry and old-world techniques."
What also brought buyers to this home is its serene setting. "In the last five to six years, there are many more full-time owners – although often with a second house or condo in the city somewhere," Mr. Hobbs said.
"Scott Point is on a big finger of land that juts out into the ocean, so the majority of houses on Scott Point are on the water. This one was more fortunate than most with its view and sun exposure."