House of the week: A century-old Arts and Crafts home in West Mount Airy for $715,000

Sometimes a buyer falls in love with a house, but life breaks up the romance.

“It took our breath away,” recalled Daniel Chakhalian about the first time he and his wife, Matti, saw the seven-bedroom, 3½-bath house in West Mount Airy.

“The neighborhood just felt safe and quiet,” Matti said. “I was pregnant with my son, and it felt like the right move. It felt like we were living in a piece of history.”

The Arts and Crafts house was built about a century ago — the Chakhalians don’t know exactly when. It had been vacant and needed a good bit of work, but the couple looked forward to renovating it.

This was in spring 2019. They had been renting in Roxborough, and the house and the neighborhood were intriguing, especially for people who grew up far from Philadelphia.

Daniel, a surgeon, is from Vancouver, Canada, and Matti, who worked as an accountant before becoming a stay-at-home mom, is from the Central Valley of California.

“We ended up renovating the whole place,” Daniel said. “Insulating, painting, electrical.”

They had planned on staying in the house, but life intervened.

The COVID pandemic came along in 2020, and the couple realized that Daniel’s medical career might not mesh with a busy renovation schedule. They might not remain in Philadelphia, and even if they did, it might be better to be nearer to a downtown hospital.

The foyer has hardwood floors and leaded glass windows, and the living room has beamed ceilings and a fireplace.

The kitchen was recently updated and has a breakfast nook. The primary bedroom, on the second floor, has an en suite bathroom.

There is a full basement with plenty of storage space, a new roof, and new electric.

The 4,200-square-foot house is listed by Eric Prine of Compass Pennsylvania for $715,000.