House of the week: A carriage house in Royersford for $534,900
This nearly 4,000-square-foot home doesn't look nearly as large from the exterior, but inside features three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms.
The carriage house in Royersford is a bit large for a middle-aged couple with no children at home, but Randi Bogard and David Schlimme say it’s perfect for them.
For one thing, the huge shower is ideal for Schlimme, who is 6-foot-4.
The house’s size “is very deceiving,” Bogard said. “You have no idea from the outside.”
They loved the gourmet kitchen and the loft overlooking the open living room, and having an extra bedroom for Bogard’s adult children when they visited. But the big attraction was its proximity to outdoor attractions such as Valley Forge National Historical Park, the Perkiomen Trail, the Chester Valley Trail, and golf clubs.
The couple — both in their 60s — are dedicated outdoors people. Schlimme, an electric company contracts manager, has climbed Mount Everest twice, and Bogard, a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry, accompanies him on many of his hiking explorations.
They met in 2019 at the kickoff of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, near the famous statue of Rocky Balboa.
Now, as much room as they have now in Montgomery County, they are looking for even more space — perhaps a ranch in Colorado.
When they bought the house in 2021, the year it was built, Bogard was living in Fishtown and Schlimme in Phoenixville with a house in Nashville.
The three-bedroom, 3½-bath house is almost 4,000 square feet and is in the Overlook Townhome Community.
The first floor has an open floor plan, and the kitchen has a breakfast bar, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, 42-inch cabinets, and a subway tile backsplash. The powder room, laundry and two-car garage are easily accessible.
The living room has high ceilings, which Schlimme refinished with planked shiplap. There is a gas fireplace around which Bogard added the stone, and she also painted brown accents on the walls in several rooms.
The primary bedroom is on the first floor, with an en suite bathroom. The two other bedrooms are on the second floor, with a full hallway bathroom and a sitting area overlooking the living room.
There is a large wraparound deck and a finished basement with full bathroom.
The house is in the Spring-Ford School District.
It is listed by Abe Thomson of Keller Williams Philly for $534,900.