193 Maple St., Rockford MI 49341

193 Maple St. has sold. Thank you for your interest.

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About this website

We are selling the property at 193 Maple St., Rockford MI, after living in it for about three years. I will try to portray the house honestly and fully. I am happy to answer any questions about the property personally, with the caveat that I am not a licensed electrician, plumber, roofer, anything. I'm just the fellow that has lived here for a while. The domain 193Maple.net will no longer be useful to me after the sale of this house and I will happily transfer it to the new owner after close.

About the Location

193 Maple is located in the city of Rockford, MI, in northern Kent county. All the amenities of Grand Rapids can be reached with a 20-30 minute drive. The beaches of Lake Michigan are less than an hour away. However, the true appeal of the location is the city of Rockford itself.

193 Maple is within easy walking distance of downtown Rockford, which is home to many restaurants and specialty shops. You'll be able to walk to Herman's Boy for freshly roasted coffee and homemade fudge, bagels, and cheeses. Just around the corner is the Krause Memorial Library. Several parks are within walking distance, including access to the White Pine State Park, a 92-mile walking and biking trail from Grand Rapids to Cadillac. The beautiful Rogue River is the focus of downtown, and you can enjoy a dish of custard overlooking the Rockford Dam. During the summer, you can buy your fruit and vegetables by walking to the Rockford Farmer's Market each Saturday morning.

193 Maple sits on a corner lot, at Maple and Fremont. North of 193 Maple is a house belonging to the Rockford Congregational Church, used by them (I believe) for youth events. The house is well kept but rarely used. One home is west of 193 Maple, and shares the white picket fence. Beyond that house is the Rockford United Methodist Church. Several of the homes in the immediate area have been undergone improvements recently.

Rockford and Grand Rapids experience relatively mild weather both in the summer and the winter due to the influence of the "lake effect" from nearby Lake Michigan. It is very unusual for temperature to drop below zero in the winter, and the heat never seems to become unbearable in the summer. However, Rockford does get quite a bit of snow, and it falls regularly enough that the ground is white for several continuous months in the winter.

193 Maple is situated in the Rockford Public School district.

Here are some community links:

About the House

Background

The house at 193 Maple was built in the 1870s sometime. It appears on a map that hangs in the Rockford Area Historical Museum, dated 1880. The house was first occupied by Del Towers, who owned a plant on the Rogue River. According to what I've heard, his wife was interested in the fashion of electric lights, so Del ran electric lines from his plant to this house, and then on to the Rockford Baptist Church (just north of 193 Maple). Thus, 193 Maple became the first house in Rockford to have electricity.

The picture in the museum shows only the front (south) part of the house; the northern half was added later (we don't know when). The Northern half of the house contains all the plumbing: two bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry.

At some point the house was converted to a duplex, so there are some odd walls and extra plumbing where there was an upstairs kitchen. Later the house was converted back to a single-family dwelling.

Click here to see the map with 193 Maple circled.
Click here to see the entire map.

Outside

According to the survey, 193 Maple is a lot-and-a-half, making it slightly larger than other homes in Rockford. A sidewalk circles the south and east sides of the house and is bordered by several mature Maple trees. The lot was landscaped (before we moved in) with many shade-loving plants such as hostas and rhododendron. A line of pine trees and a privacy fence shield the side yard from view from Maple Street. The lot is 80' x 123.75', or 9900 sq. ft.

The wooden deck connecting the house to the pool is not in terrific shape, but is usable. The previous owners had a hot tub, removed before we moved in, and a cut-out is left in the deck where it was. I use the concrete pad remaining as a handy, safe place to set up a grill. Also, the previous owners had dogs which used the area beneath the deck as a kennel, so some odd access doors to the underside of the deck remain.

The previous owners left a small playhouse next to the pool. It's in good shape and a handy place to stash pool toys. I'd like to leave it behind.

There are grassy areas separate from the pool which are good for outdoor play. It takes me about one hour with an old manual "reel mower" to cut all the grass. The driveway is flat and I've never needed to shovel it to get cars in and out in the winter. As a corner lot, there is quite a lot of sidewalk to shovel, though, and the city of Rockford requires it to be cleared within 24 hours of snowfall. (It would be a breeze with a snow-blower, though!)

A large front porch is the perfect place to spend a summer evening and get to know the neighbors. A porch swing is included in the sale (if you want it). A smaller side porch offers access to the dining room from the Fremont Street side of the house.

One of the best features of this house is the large garage, 22' x 34'. Rockford prohibits overnight street parking in the winter months, and you'll love not having to shovel or scrape off your cars in the winter. The garage has comfortable room for two cars plus a small workshop, and has an extra-high ceiling. A shelf gives you storage over the cars, and the roof is high enough to hang bicycles directly over your cars, too. The previous owner built shelving around one corner which will remain as handy storage. Three large florescent fixtures light the garage. In 2008, a power garage door operator was professionally installed.

Pool

A deck behind the house leads to the lighted, in-ground pool. The pool is approx. 16x32 feet, with a "newer" vinyl liner (replaced sometime before we moved in). It is surrounded by a concrete deck, and fully landscaped. The pool is completely hidden from the street; I met neighbors who had no idea there was a pool next to this house. The picket fences can be padlocked for security and safely. We replaced the pool pump, filter, and chlorinator in 2008. We'll do our best to leave the pool in ready-to-swim condition, if the time-frame of closing allows. We'll leave you all the tools we have to clean and service the pool, and a Loop-Loc winter cover. The pool is ready-to-go for Summer 2010.

Exterior

The exterior of the house and garage is white aluminum siding. Windows are mostly wooden double-hung covered with metal triple-track storm windows. I built and installed shutters on the South face of the house; they're made of pine but they've been primed and sealed before being painted so they should last. This spring (2010), the porch floor, ceiling, and steps, and the picket fence, received fresh coats of paint.

I replaced all the doorknobs and deadbolts when we moved in so all the doors are now keyed the same. Both the front and side doors have nice old wooden storm doors. They both have interchangeable panels so you can put a screen in the door in the summer. The back door to the deck was a nice, wooden door, and there's a storm door stashed in the garage, but both had been torn up by a dog sometime prior to our purchase of the house. The door to the garage is a steel fire door, leading to a platform and a few steps down into the garage.

There are five exterior light fixtures, all on switches in the house.

The roof was replaced approximately four years ago. We had attic vents added before we moved in. The chimney is newer above the roof line, but it is no longer used as we installed a high-efficiency furnace and a direct-venting water heater in spring 2009. There are no rain gutters to clean or downspouts to clog. I believe this was done to avoid the ice dams that often form on rain gutters in this area.

The foundation is stone.

Systems

HVAC

Forced air heat, no air-conditioning. The furnace is a 95%-efficiency gas furnace, installed spring 2009. We find that the house is rarely warm enough to need air-conditioning. Ceiling fans are installed in two upstairs rooms to make sleeping more comfortable. The house is well shaded in the summer and it actually stays cooler inside if windows are kept shut. Only some of the wooden windows still open; many are painted shut or stuck. Screens can be put in the storm doors for additional air movement. The new furnace could have air-conditioning added, but we never found that we missed it.

Windows are single-pane double-hung wood with aluminum storms. They insulate reasonably well with the storm windows closed.

Electrical

100 amp service from Consumers Energy. Because the previous owners had a hot-tub, there's a 220V sub-panel in the garage. I added a (non-inspected) 220V outlet for the dryer which uses that box. Some of the wiring is old cloth-clad, some is newer Romex type. The garage circuit is protected by a GFCI breaker.

I have added RG-6 (television) cable and CAT-5e (internet) cable to a few rooms in the house. There's a PVC conduit going from the closet in the 1st-floor bedroom up to the attic, so adding cable TV to other rooms should be possible. Currently cable is run to three upstairs rooms and the downstairs living room and bedroom. The house is wired for phone, with some random jacks that don't seem to be connected. You could use the CAT-5e that I've begun running for phone lines if you like.

Plumbing

City water from the City of Rockford. New direct-vented water heater installed spring 2009. It looks to me like mostly galvanized pipe with some PVC and copper. Only the back half of the house has plumbing. The basement has a spigot and a cleanout. On the first floor is a bathroom with a shower stall, a laundry room, and a kitchen. A pipe has been run for the ice-maker. Upstairs is a bathroom with a cast-iron tub with shower. In a closet upstairs are some plumbing hookups (a remnant from when this house was two apartments); I never checked to see if they were still connected.

Natural gas service from DTE Energy. Natural gas lines were all removed and replaced with flexible tubing shortly after we moved in. The supply to the dryer was disconnected so gas is now only connected to the furnace and water heater.

Room by Room

Basement

The older (south) half of the house has a full basement. The floor is on two levels, with a step down to the portion of the basement with the furnace and water heater. The lower part will have standing water after heavy rain (in three years, we've had this happen about four times). Shelves allow off-the-floor storage, and a well-lighted workbench is equipped with several outlets and a pegboard. The furnace and water heater are both raised so they should never be in standing water. The whole basement is well lighted with utility lights. The floor to the lower part of the basement is not complete; there are areas of sand which allow ground water to seep up and later drain. We have kept our Christmas decorations off the floor in the basement without damage, but this is not a place to store precious heirlooms or to put a pool table.

The newer (north) half of the house has a crawl space. It's littered with old rocks, bricks, and rubble. There's no lighting. I hope you never have to go back there. I only did once, to hook up the ice-maker.

Entrance Hall

An entryway open to the second floor with room for some coat hooks, a mirror, and an umbrella stand. Hardwood floors and an antique light fixture possibly original to the house.

First floor bedroom (library)

A perfect room for a home office with built in bookcases filling an entire wall, or a handy first-floor bedroom. Inside the closet is hidden the wiring hub for cable and internet--a good place to put your wireless router with plenty of room left for clothes or storage. The floor will be carpeted on February 2. Currently painted in rich maroon and brown, with crown moulding and high baseboards. Three windows and a spacious 9-foot ceiling.

First floor living room

A huge room spanning the width of the house with a large bay window facing east (filled with rhododendron blooms in the spring) and a picture window facing west toward the pool. Windows are supplied with custom curtain rods and curtains (included only if you think you'll use them!). A beautiful light fixture might be nearly as old as the house. Hardwood floors continue from the entryway. High baseboards and crown moulding at the nine-foot ceiling give this room a classic look.

First floor dining room

The rich blue paint highlights the ceiling detail in the dining room. A door leads to the small side porch and a large window fills the room with natural light. Finished hardwood floors.

First floor laundry

A small utility room off of the dining room has cabinets, a utility sink, and room for a washer and electric dryer. The dryer vents into the garage, which keeps too much cold air from penetrating the house in the winter. If you don't have a washer and dryer already, we would include these with the house.

First floor kitchen

A spacious countertop/bar separates the kitchen from the dining room. You'll love all the newer countertops and plentiful cabinet space. Several large pantries provide loads of food storage and room for a trash can. The Bosch dishwasher was newly installed in 2008, and the stove, range hood, and refrigerator were purchased new in 2007. The extra-high faucet on the stainless-steel sink was installed in 2009. Besides the overhead light, there are spotlights over the counter/bar and an extra light over the sink. Large multi-pane windows fill the room with light. A tile backsplash is easy to clean. The floor is vinyl. The refrigerator and stove are included if wanted.

First floor back entrance

When you come in from the garage or pool you'll be in a small mudroom area with some coat hooks and access to the bathroom and kitchen.

First floor bathroom

A small bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower stall. Repainted and a chair rail added. New shower head. A surprising amount of storage room given the size of the room. A ceiling power-vent vents into the garage.

Second floor south bedroom

We used this room with its large closet and many windows as the master bedroom. We added a ceiling fan and painted it a subdued blue. There is a built-in bookshelf. Also, I added a few wall-mounted bookshelves to serve as a nightstand next to a diagonally positioned bed--if you can use them I'll leave them, otherwise I'll take them down and patch the holes. Windows in this room do open and a nice breeze comes through in the summer.

Second floor west bedroom (nursery)

Though we used it as a nursery, a double bed fits perfectly to make this a cozy bedroom. The large closet has built-in shelves. The wiring conduit for cable/internet has access in this closet. This room has a newer vinyl window instead of the wooden windows found elsewhere in the house. The previous owner re-plastered the ceiling and added a switch and wiring for an overhead fixture. I used that wire and switch to add a light in the attic, but a ceiling fixture or fan could easily be added to this room.

Second floor "Family Room"

For a year after we moved in we used this room as the master suite, and the small adjacent room as a huge walk-in closet. We loved all the space but guests therefore had to trek to the downstairs bathroom. Eventually we converted this to an office/family/exercise room and converted the huge "closet" to our guest bedroom. For a family with a new baby, this could be a master suite with attached nursery. There are two additional closet areas in this room, the result of a remodel when this house was two apartments. There's a ceiling fan--handy if you decide to use this room as a bedroom--and a huge picture window.

Second floor north bedroom

Just big enough for a double bed, this room could also be a very large closet or sitting room/nursery as part of the master suite. We found it perfect as a guest bedroom. The door provides access to the garage roof, which we heard was once the second-story apartment entrance. (On this door only, the deadbolt is keyed inside as well as out, so you could prevent roof access.) The windows open and we refinished the brass hardware. There is some plumbing in the closet of this room; I don't know if it still hooked to anything.

Second floor bathroom

We replaced the faucet and shower on the cast-iron tub. This is a no-frills, fully-functional bathroom that could use some improvements or enlargements down the road.

Attic

The access to the attic is small and requires a ladder, so it's not a functional place to use for large storage. I ran some low-voltage wiring through here and added floor-boards as I went. The floor is well insulated with blown-in cellulose. There is a single utility light in the attic, controlled by a switch in the side bedroom/nursery. The switch and wire were intended to be used eventually for an overhead light in the bedroom.

Contact information

193 Maple is listed through Susan Kazma Hilton at Real Estate One Success. To arrange a showing or place an offer, contact Susan at 616-724-1500, through her website, or by emailing sue@grar.com.

To ask a question or request particular pictures, please do not hesitate to contact the homeowners by emailing Eric at eric@ericandchar.com.

Geocache

There is a geocache--a small buried box filled with "treasure"--located on the edge of this property. If you are a geocacher, you are welcome to adopt the cache. If you are willing to have the geocache present but would like someone else to look after it, I can arrange for that. Or, I can remove it entirely from the property.