CICERO, N.Y. – When Gillian and Jeffrey Fisher built their dream home in Brewerton in 1987, they soon realized they might have made a mistake.
“We never loved it,” Gillian said. “It was too modern. We wanted a home with a character.”
Her father-in-law owned a place that he thought might do the trick.
The turn of the century farmhouse at 6301 State Route 31 in Cicero had the kind of personality Gillian was looking for.
The home had large rooms, solid wood floors, a wrap-around front porch, and a big bay window, with a built-in window seat, in a front sitting room. The large yard meant there was plenty of space for the couple’s children and dogs to play in.
(The home’s location was not bad either. Across Route 31, there was a doctor’s office, a dentist’s office, and a daycare.)
The house was also, Gillian admitted, in “really bad shape.”
They started renovating the home in 1991 and were finally able to move into it in July 1992. Life there was a little rough at first.
“We used to have to wash our dishes in the bathtub,” she remembered.
The couple made a formidable duo. Gillian called herself the “dreamer,” her husband, who owns his own construction and demolition company, was the man who put her plans into action.
“He has just about every tool in the book,” she jokes.
Much of what they used to update the home was picked up from antique shops and salvaged from Jeffrey’s demolition jobs.
The beautiful hardwood floors in the new master suite and large family room were rescued from Gould’s Pumps in Baldwinsville.
New bathroom vanities were made from old buffets and entertainment centers.
Utilizing her dreams and his know-how, they created what she thinks is the perfect marriage of “character and modernization.”
The home’s centerpiece is the amazing gourmet chef’s kitchen.
The incredible five-by-twelve-foot center island is made of quartz. It can seat seven people and has its own prep sink.
(There are three sinks between the kitchen and the large butler’s pantry.)
Gillian says that the kitchen is both functional and “beautiful.”
“I love to cook in it,” she says.
Its features include custom birchwood cabinetry, a baking station, professional six-burner gas range with an electric oven, a 64-inch commercial-style Frigidaire side-by-side refrigerator and freezer, and two dishwashers.
A large family room, with exposed beams, just off the kitchen, part of a 1997 addition, and a back patio, with koi pond, waterfall, and fire pit, was the main hub for family parties.
“It has been such a fun house,” she said. “We love it, love it, love it.”
With their children having moved out, the couple feel it is time to sell their home of almost 30 years.
“It is an empty house now,” Gillian said. “Kids love this house.”
She thinks it would be great for young families that would like to run a home business out of it.
They will be moving to Liverpool to a new home that they are building.
“It will not be a simple one,” she promises.
Like her previous one, it will have some character.
For more information about the home, please contact realtor Candy Costa, of Candy Costa Real Estate LLC. Her information is below.
THE DETAILS
Address: 6301 State Route 31, Cicero, N.Y. 13039
Price: $479,900
Size: 2,679 square feet
Acreage: 1.26 acres
Monthly Mortgage: $1,608 (based on this week’s national average rate of 2.95 percent, according to Freddie Mac, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment. Fees and points not included.)
Taxes: $4,880 (Based on assessed value of $151,000)
Built: 1900
School District: Cicero-North Syracuse
Kitchen: The kitchen of this Cicero farmhouse would be any chef’s delight. The kitchen’s centerpiece is an amazing quartz island with prep sink. It was so heavy that the floors beneath it had to strengthened. There are seven barstools at the island. The kitchen also features custom cabinetry, a six-burner gas range, baking station, two dishwashers and a 62-inch commercial-style refrigerator and freezer. A convenient walk-in butler’s pantry has its own sink and plenty of storage. The pantry has a quaint “pass-through” door which used to be used to pass things into the original dining room.
Living areas: Owner Gillian Fisher chose this home for its large rooms. It has been extensively renovated over the last 30 years. The spacious family room, with exposed beams and new hardwood floors, part of a 1997 addition, is just off the kitchen. The open space has a dining area and was the main entertaining place in the house. There is a front sitting room with a built-in window seat and a home office.
Bedrooms: There are five bedrooms in the house. The master bedroom is very big with a walk-in closet and its own balcony.
Bathrooms: There are three bathrooms in the home. The vanities in two of them show the creativity of the homeowners. They were made out of old buffets or entertainment centers. They liked using “old things” to make their home one-of-a-kind.
Outdoors: This home was built on State Route 31 in Cicero. Fisher says the home is not in a neighborhood but borders a cul-de-sac with lots of children. The home is built on 1.26 acres and there is a lot of room for kids and dogs. Gardens flourish on the property and owner says they pick apples, pears, berries, and cherries. The owner loves the large wrap-around front porch. A three-season back porch is bathed in the morning sun. A back patio has a fire pit, koi pond and waterfall. A massive 48-by-32-foot Gabriel-style barn was Jeffrey Fisher’s favorite place. “He is often there until it is time for lunch,” his wife joked. It has space for two antique cars, a boat, a TV, his tools, and a woodstove.
Agent: Candy Costa
Candy Costa Real Estate LLC
Address: 3226 East Avenue, Central Square, N.Y. 13036
Phone: (315) 505-6609 (office) or (315) 447-0668 (cell)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.candycosta.com
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