14000 River Road - Potomac Outside - $2,975,000

Where does Potomac end? Driving out to this home on River Road will make you wonder. It is a long drive out River Road, past Travilah, past the Water Treatment Plant, Past Tobytown. This home is on the left side of the road, way up on a hill. The lot is surrounded by a high fence and electric gate, presumably to keep out the ever present (and destructive) deer. Immediately you wonder if along with the house you will need a four wheel drive vehicle when it snows.

The home from the outside is beautiful. It looks like an old southern estate with clean good looks, retro columns, and a big front porch. I immediately loved the look.

Once you scale the narrow, tree lined driveway you reach a level spot at the top of the hill where the home is sited. The three car garage is side load with individual doors. They seemed over sized, but then again everything looks oversize in this home.

The center foyer is open and spacious. A pair of large walk in closets guard the entry for coats and storage. A home this size needs the coat storage as it will often be used to entertain. Some thought was put into all aspects of design in this home. The dual stairwells stand like sentries along the foyer walls. They curve upward to a bridge that spans the center of the home with a enormous skylight that allows natural light to flood the main living space. Very nicely done.

The rooms are large, but seem huge because of the openness of the cathedral ceilings. The kitchen is well appointed, but not overdone. It may actually be a bit out of scale (on the small side) for a home of this size. The other rooms on this floor were proportional and well designed. You have to see this one.

Upstairs, all of the bedrooms have en-suite baths. The master bedroom is actually a whole wing of the home. The main feature is his and hers custom baths. One has a spa and the other a steam shower. Not my style, but you gotta love the creativity. People will be impressed with the attention to detail and flexibility of the space.

The basement is completely finished. There is plenty of room for entertainment and a dedicated spot for a home theatre, which is a hot button in this market. There is storage space and potential to build additional finished space in a large walk up attic. The builder will be happy to quote additional customizations including an elevator.

The lot is about 3.5 acres. Most of it is cleared and completely fenced. There is room for a stand alone 5-6 car garage if the existing 3 car does not house your entire car collection. The pool is nice, but small. It may just be the scale of this renovation makes the pool SEEM small.

For this home to show better some additional attention should be paid to the basement area. Many of the lights were burned out when I was there, and this extensive space can really be a selling point. Without light, many agents and buyers will avoid the basement all together. The driveway on a home this size should not be so narrow. An option to widen the driveway should be offered, including moving the trees that line the existing driveway.

This home will find a buyer near it's list price of $2,975,000. There are certainly better values on the market, but this has the curb appeal that will woo a buyer into signing a contract. Just because no one is paying full price, this will sell at $2,700,000.