9
COMMENTS
Adam Carolla Selling His 'Overbuilt' L.A. Hills Home for $1.3M
By Aaron Crowe
Jul 13th 2010 @ 12:16PM
Jul 13th 2010 @ 12:16PM
TEXT SIZE:
A A A
Comedian and podcast king Adam Carolla is selling his first home -- a French Normandy-style home above Hollywood that he says was structurally "a dump" when he bought it. But Carolla says that the improvements he's made make it worth the $1.3 million asking price for a bachelor; a young, gay or straight couple; or basically anyone without kids."You could throw a party in the basement and make as much noise as you wanted and the neighbors would never care," Carolla told HousingWatch in a telephone interview.
The home was dilapidated when he bought it, and as a lifelong contractor, he put sweat equity and at least $350,000 in improvements into the house, he says. He made the home earthquake proof, replaced the electrical and plumbing, and put on a $75,000 slate roof.
"I overbuilt it, really, and just overdid it," Carolla says of the work he did on the house.
So is the bachelor pad worth what he's asking?
The home was built in 1924 and has had three owners. It was the third house built in the "Hollywoodland" area, back when the iconic sign had the word "land" attached to the end of it. The 2,281-square-foot house looks like a castle and has a lot of character to it, which Carolla added to with the pitched roof and vaulted ceiling.
The home, listed by agent Karen Misraje of Teles Properties, Inc., has an office, a grand step-down into the living room with views of the canyon and city lights, a fireplace and bar, and a designer kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances such as Viking range and Subzero refrigerator. The den or family room has a wet bar, fireplace and entertainment center, which includes a TV and electronic equipment. The master suite has a master bath, fireplace and walk-in closet. It also has central heating and air conditioning that Carolla had installed. Outside there's a patio, lawn, fountain and hot tub with views of the city and Hollywood sign.
It all sounds like a great bachelor home, which it was when Carolla was working as co-host of the "The Man Show" in the mid-1990s.
Carolla says the architecture, view and quality of the work make it worth the asking price of $1,395,000, adding that there are plenty of homes in the area built much later but not in nearly as good as shape. Comparable homes in the neighborhood have an average sold price of $1,236,000. All of the work put into Carolla's house make it much better than the surrounding homes, he says.
"That area is dotted with tons of '60s, '70s and '80s piles of s---," he says of homes built decades after his home.There are also plenty of stairs -- from the street up to the house and more from the fenced yard to the front door -- that won't make it a must-buy for an elderly couple, but allow a view of the Hollywood sign in the nearby Hollywood Hills. Carolla said he hasn't counted the stairs, but calls them a blessing and a curse.
"The stairs are a pain in the ass, but I like it because when I get to the top I was sitting in my perch, in the catbird seat," he said of the Beachwood Canyon home in Los Angeles.
More Real Estate Stories
The Most Affordable Cities to Buy a House on Forbes.com
America's Best Cities for Young Professionals on Forbes.com
America's Cleanest Cities on Forbes.com
He didn't start living there until 1997, after working on it for a year, and moved out in 2004. He and his family live in the Hollywood Hills and also own a beach house in Malibu. He rented out the Beachwood Canyon home, at 2846 Westshire Drive, after moving out, but decided to sell after getting tired of the headaches of renting it.
"I love the house but realized that I'm not going to move my family back into it," he says.
As his first house, Carolla said he has a lot of fond memories there, but he isn't sentimental about having his handiwork sold to someone else. He's more a fan of the home's architecture than of his work on the house.
Buying a home rebuilt by a Hollywood celebrity is a great conversation starter. A full view of the Hollywood sign doesn't hurt, either. Though owning the most expensive home in the neighborhood isn't always a good bet. Also, the multiple staircases and pricey slate roof may or may not attract offers at the premium Carolla is asking. Stay tuned to see who gets the last laugh.
Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area.
More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
Get tax advice from our experts.
******************************
Want to learn more about home buying and home finance? If so, you won't want to miss
our online discussion with industry experts,
"What Works Now: Smart Moves When Buying a Home,"
created by AOL Real Estate in participation with Bank of America Home Loans.
Watch it now on AOL Real Estate.
Want to learn more about home buying and home finance? If so, you won't want to miss
our online discussion with industry experts,
"What Works Now: Smart Moves When Buying a Home,"
created by AOL Real Estate in participation with Bank of America Home Loans.
Watch it now on AOL Real Estate.
I wouldn't live in a racist's house if I was paid $1.3 million. Carolla is on record as making derogatory remarks about the Filipino people.