TOUR OF THE HOUSE, GARAGE AND GAZEBO

SALES AGENT CONTACT
Ashley Cranney (801) 885-0912
ashley@therealtyteam.com
OR   
Mandy Jack (307) 887-9619

mandy@therealtyteam.com 

NOW, lets take a walk through the house, showing the different rooms and floors, as well as the Gazebo and the HUGE (32'x36') Garage, where you can keep ALL YOUR TOYS. We will also point out all the items that will be included in the sale with the house, that will also add to the value. Some rooms are shown with different furniture in them (taken while the previous owner was still here) to allow you a different perspective of how different furniture can be arranged to suit different lifestyles. Also some of it was replaced and re-arranged by us, while we have been here. In the living room you will notice a credenza-looking piece of furniture, which is actually a Tele-vator that houses a 65-inch Sony Flat Screen TV (NOT included but we could be persuaded to part with it for the right price, available separate from this sale (AFTER the sale). That furniture and the Wireless Joeys that we got with the Hopper (from Dish) allows us to place the TV, literally ANYWHERE, in any room, without needing to have a cable connection to it. Actually all we need it one (1) electrical cord between the outlet and the cabinet.

Now, it's important to note that this house is not the typical Wyoming house. Apparently, as Realtors in Wyoming have pointed out, the MAIN floor is the one that one walks in through the main door. Then, there may be a basement and / or a second story or loft. 

NOT SO HERE.  This  house has THREE FLOORS, as it was built on a slab, and as such it has TWO MAIN ENTRANCES. One, the primary entrance is located on the FIRST or GROUND FLOOR. The other, a secondary main entrance is located on the SECOND FLOOR, which is also the MAIN (or Social) FLOOR. On the THIRD FLOOR, in the loft is the Master Bedroom, closet and master bath. This floor overlooks the main floor. 

Now, what's very interesting about the  layout of this house is that it can serve different scenarios. It can be one house with a separate in-law suite below, or it could be a VRBO or it can serve as a separate short-term rental for the bedroom and bathroom downstairs, as it can be separated even from the lower living room and laundry room, as that main ground floor bedroom even has an exterior door directly to it, in the rear across from the Gazebo and Garage entrance. So many options that it can satisfy. That sure beats a simple main floor with or without a basement, doesn't it? 

So, on with the tour... are you ready?  Here we go.

Coming in the 1st (Ground) Floor entrance there is a mud room that opens to the 1st floor suite (2 bedrooms, a bath, laundry room, and Family Room with a kitchenette and TV). This is a great place to sit on a hall tree to change footwear, leave coats ready for the different elements, etc. We also keep a shoe/boot tray next to it to place wet shoes or boots in it, to dry. 

In the original house, in this area was the 2-car garage, which was later (in 2006, so we were told) remodeled into this suite, and a 32'x36' detached garage was added. It is our understanding that the guest bedroom in the back, the bathroom and the laundry room were already here, behind the garage, apparently for the extra bedroom/bath, for guests. So this can now serve as a mother-in-law suite or added guest rooms with privacy from the main residence. Someone even suggested using this as a 2/1 rental or VRBO. The cabinets in the kitchenette are built-in and therefore go with the house, with room for a small convection microwave, a coffee pot and room for storing dishware and some food stuffs. There is already an electrical connection there as well. All it would need is a door installed at the entrance opening (left of the front door).








Next to the family room is a bonus room or extra (3rd) bedroom (which includes a closet)... The door to this room has a see-thru glass French panel, which implies that the main purpose (to the owners who remodeled this room) was to have this serve as an office; however, when we bought it, it served as the owner's 9-year old daughter's bedroom (not the more private 2nd Guest Room). Go figure!


Below two photos are as it was before we closed on it, as the daughter's bedroom. Notice the closet in the room, which makes it a bedroom, no matter what the Wyoming Realtor says.


And between the 1st floor Living Room with TV and kitchenette, the 2nd Guest Bedroom or Office and the Main Guest Bedroom is the Laundry Room, which also has a laundry tub and a new in 2021, Bradford White 'Defender' Propane Water Heater, which is one of the high-end and safer units, we have been told by electricians and plumbers. The door at the end of the Laundry leads to the exterior and is one of three entrances from the exterior. The others are in the rear of the house through the Main Guest Room, and the third is the main entrance on the first floor.


   
The washer and dryer appear to be original appliances but could have been replaced by a previous owner (all we know is that they were there when we purchased the house). We were going to include a ONE YEAR HOME WARRANTY in the sale of the house, so the buyer would feel more protected should anything break down, which works well in Florida. However, we have been told by many Realtors in this area that those programs do not work in this area and are simply a waste of money here, because the service provider companies do not want to drive down here from Idaho Falls (92 miles each way) or another major metropolitan area, to provide service.  The hot water heater is a Bradford-White Defender System, which has been identified as an excellent water heater. It is a propane system with a self-igniting pilot, and was installed by Star Valley Plumbing (2021).

Moving on from the Laundry Room, is the main Guest Bedroom of the 1st Floor suite, with a large closet and in-suite 3/4 bathroom... (sink, toilet and a shower, enclosed with a door. )
The Queen bed in this room is included in the sale and conveys with house.


                

The closet is seen on the other side of the bed (far wall) was enlarged to include the space under the stairs, and because that space is so cool (temperature-wise) all the time, it makes an excellent wine storage area.  This is a Queen-sized designer log bed, like the one on the 3rd floor in the Master Bedroom, which is a King-sized bed. Both of these beds are included in the sale. For the past several sales of this house, these beds have been included in the sale because despite their initial cost (@ $7000 for the King bed on the 3rd floor and $6000 for this Queen bed on the 1st floor, their weight and bulkiness makes it more feasible to leave them in the home, and so they have been, for others to enjoy.

Opposite views of the closet (a closet within the closet). This was an area under the stairs to the second and main floor, that was converted to additional closet during the 2006 remodeling. This is where the main water shut-off valve is located, too.

And on the opposite side of this closet (and other side to the entrance to this bedroom) is the full bathroom with walk-in shower, typically called a 3/4 bath since it has no tub.

THAT'S IT FOR THE FIRST FLOOR. Back to the family room and mud room 
at the entrance and up the stairs to the second and main floor.

Above, the stairs seen from the top, looking down at the front entry door and the entrance to the guest suite on the first floor. From the front door on the 1st floor, the stairs lead up to the 2nd and MAIN FLOOR. At the top of the stairs the house opens up to a large Great Room with different arrangements possible, plus a 1/2 bath (sink and toilet), Kitchen and pantry. In the middle of the open great room is  the impressive central stairs (leading to the third level, master bedroom loft, with modern master bathroom (toilet, large shower and sink) and a large approx. 7' x 7' walk-in closet with IKEA closet organizer. 

The door with stained glass at the bottom of the stairs is a HALF BATH. The door is actually an antique door with no handled-lockset, but it does have a locking mechanism. More on it further on (below). 

As we said previously, the house has seen several re-arrangements of the furniture, so below is the original version which we later opened up a little. You can make it your own, but this gives you a view that it can hold several arrangements to suit your own furnishings.

At the end of this area, in the arched area, we have placed a bar

The above and following photos are shown for you to see that multiple furniture arrangements are possible. We are sure you will be able to make it your own...























The above/below photos are included to give you perspective that multiple furniture arrangements work well in the open spaces. Below are what it looks like now.



Notice from behind the bar there are two big closets (two built-in double doored cabinets...  one on each end of the aisle) with shelves in them for extra storage. 

The one at the bar is great for glasses and even bottled spirits. The other side we use for general storage and as added pantry shelving. This one behind the Bar...

And the other side, open and closed.
The living room (or family room) can be arranged in different ways. Below was our first attempt. Later we switched it with the TV opposite, as it is now.

Opposite the Family Room (or Living Room) is an open area at the sliding glass door, which can be left open or have a smaller high-top table, next to the kitchen, as we have it now, leaving the larger table for when we have dinner guests. This area is also excellent overflow sitting for extra guests. Here we have 6 people, some at the sofas and some at the high-top table. 


And opposite that area is the spacious Kitchen and Pantry. The appliances are original, except the refrigerator which is BRAND NEW, but all the other appliances such as the stove (propane burners with electric oven) and the electric dishwasher  work well with no issues. The cabinet seen on the front left of the photo is matched to the kitchen cabinets, but it is actually on casters, so it is movable and can serve as a rolling buffet or as an island in the kitchen. It is made of the same design and countertop as the rest of the kitchen. The doorway seen on the second and third lower photo is the pantry, with swinging saloon doors.


Below: As it is today. Notice the excellent place to hang your plates in the antique hanger above the dishwasher. The open cabinet doors have glass fronts; and the 6-drawer and 2 door cabinet shown above is a very flexible unit on casters, so it can be moved and placed where it is most convenient. Its finish is exactly that onf the rest of the kitchen cabinets, including the counter top. 

The previous side-by-side refrigerator has been replaced with a BRAND NEW 36" Whirlpool 4-Door French refrigerator.  It has been left as it came to the house, with its packing plastics still attached so the buyer would know that it is in fact BRAND NEW (never used by anyone else), except that we connected the water line and ran a few gallons of water through it and a few buckets of ice, just to clean out the carbon filter, It is a Model # WRX735SDHZ-08, Energy Star certified with LED lighting, also gives you access to cubed/crushed ice and filtered water without ever needing to open it. The middle drawer gives you access to frequently used items without needing to open the whole refrigerator doors. Tap touch controls are also as easy to clean as they are to use and the door bins are adjustable to gallon containers. The exterior is fingerprint resistant. Plus adaptive defrost, Accu-Chill Temperature Management System, spill-proof glass shelves exterior temperature controls and Humidity-controlled crispers are just some of its many features. The freezer volume is 6.73 cu. ft, and the Refrigerated volume is 17.78 cu. ft., for a total volume of 24.5 cu.ft. 


An interesting feature among many others, is that you can program how many ounces of water you want dispensed (such as to fill a 20oz, water bottle, say) and the water dispensing will stop on its own when it has dispensed 20 oz. You'll have to read the Instruction Manual to see what all it does and how to work it. We'll just provide the best refrigerator we could find to match the level of comfort that the rest of the house exudes. However, learning how to use it is totally up to you. 😉



The ample Pantry, shown below, is big enough for our German Shepherd to lay in comfortably. BTW, the dog is not included in the sale of the house. 😉

Coming out of the kitchen, toward the stairs to go up to the third level Master Bedroom Loft, Master Closet and Master Bathroom, there is a Guest 1/2 Bath (toilet and sink) with a real antique door (below). Inside is a horse yoke collar, which encompasses a mirror that hangs over the sink cabinet. This horse yoke mirror will also be left with and will transfer with the sale of the house, because it seems so appropriate there. Next to the sink there is plenty of room to either install coat hanging hooks, add another cabinet, enlarge the current cabinet or even to add a stackable washer /dryer or another utility, to complete the two separate living areas (1st and 2nd/3rd floors).



ABOVE: This is the hanging, decorative mirror that will also convey with the sale.

THAT'S IT FOR THE SECOND/MAIN FLOOR. Now up the central wooden staircase to the secluded Master Bedroom Suite in the Loft.



Going to the 3rd level (Master Bedroom, Bath and Closet), from the top of the stairway, you can look down on the living areas and bar below, as well as look out the LARGE picture windows, which can be opened or closed with a remote controlled FOB, either individually or all together. These are Hunter Douglas motorized blinds. There are two (2) remotes to these blinds: one for the 2nd floor and one for the third floor, for easy access no matter where you are.


There are also large windows in the East side of the master bedroom. When the manual blinds for these windows are opened (with extension rods) on winter mornings, as well as through the storm doors glazing an incredible amount of solar heat fills the house from these windows. If it gets too warm there's always 'Wyoming A/C' (open the windows slightly to ventilate). It is not uncommon to see homes with some windows partially open even in winter, as most homes don't have heaters in the upper levels. In these homes the house's heat rises from the lower floors and collects at the highest level. So partially open windows allow some heat to escape as well as circulate fresh air. In the Spring/Summer, opening these windows and/or upper storm doors (with the screened inserts) bring in cool breezes to cool the house. Some days we would even use a tower fan to draw the warm/cool air out/in (as shown below).

There are two doors on this level, with an outer storm door as well. These storm doors are interchangeable as SCREENED and GLASSED for whichever season they are used in. Screens for summer and Glassed for Winter. So why the doors? Because there is a delightful 3rd level balcony off the master bedroom, which is very suitable to sit at for morning coffee or to enjoy a nice glass of (your favorite beverage) in the evening, before bed. 

ABOVE: The King Log Bed stays and conveys with the sale.
Opposite the King-size Log Bed is the closet and the master bath, as shown below.
Opposite the top of the stairs on the 3rd floor is a very nice and cozy reading area with an awesome view of the golf course and valley./mountains through the large picture windows  above the fire place.

The master closet is approx. 56 square feet (7.5 ft x 7.5 ft)with an opening window inside. It was originally composed of two 7'-6" lead pipes (one on each side), when we moved in. As previously stated we changed that to an organized IKEA system with more than that in each hanging space, plus shelves and 4 drawers (on each side). The photos below show what it looks like today, after the IKEA wardrobe project was completed.



And over the door, a hanging 5-hooks for hanging 
bath robes, etc., which we'll also leave for the Buyers.

Below: In the Master Bedroom, between the bathroom and the closet, is a cabinet containing a pull-out ironing board, with a place to also keep an iron within it.

Below: The 3rd floor looks down on the 2nd floor's open living area. The king bed is removed enough from the edge of the loft (as well as by its height) to make the Master Bedroom private. However, for additional privacy, designer blankets can be draped over the railing to shield the bedroom further, if you feel too exposed. 
From above one gets a great view of the Main Dining and Informal Sitting area by the fireplace (in winter) or in front of the sliding glass door to enjoy the fabulous views (in summer). Also there is a delightful place to sit to read or just gaze through the Cathedral Picture Windows on the 3rd floor level over the fireplace, which offer great views of the golf course and the valley beyond with its mountain ranges. You can actually see Caribou and Tin Cup from there quite beautifully on a clear day.




And next to the closet is the Master Bathroom with very spacious glassed shower and decorator over the sink lighting. In the garage we keep extra bathroom/shower and floor tiles in case you ever need to replace one.  Although the window in the shower does open, for ventilation, there is also an exhaust fan on a programmed timer, which can be set by the day and time, to ventilate this area.



SO THAT CONCLUDES THE TOUR OF THE HOUSE...
Now lets go check out the GARAGE and GAZEBO.

As previously mentioned, the house was originally built in 1996, as a summer 2 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath seasonal residence for its owners with the first floor of the house being a garage plus an extra bedroom and bathroom, and a laundry area; but it was remodeled in 2006, converting the original garage part into a family room so that the first floor could be a separate mother-in-law suite or private area for guests. It was also remodeled to have an office area and thankfully a closet was also incorporated into that room, so it also serves as a 3rd bedroom. 

The second floor used to have a total walk-around decking with the northern and southern exposures being covered as extensions of the lower roofs, but during the remodel of 2006, the covered southern exposure porch was closed off and incorporated into the interior living area, as an extension of the living/family room, adding the 6' x 32' of living area for a  TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE of 2,752 sf. 

The third floor was (and is) the Master Suite, with a private balcony and views to die for.  Even with the huge designer log bed taking up a lot of room, there is still lots of room for other furniture and even a sitting area.


For whatever reason (maybe to be able to keep extensive 'toys' as most people in Star Valley Ranch have), the 2-car garage was moved to a much larger detached building measuring 32'-0" x 36'-0" (1152 sq. ft.) which has a propane heater that keeps everything in the garage from freezing in winter, thermostatically-controlled. You will see by the photos how large it is, as we have storage shelves, and a 3' x 15' work table/bench, a one-ton truck, a car and lots of toys. There is no drain in the garage, but we will be leaving the two 'Auto Floor Guard' rubber mats INCLUDED IN THE SALE, that contain any water or snow that comes off of the vehicles, which later can be squeegeed out.  The metal/wood storage shelves (shown in some photos are NOT INCLUDED in the sale and have already been removed from the garage. One side has a 10' garage door with Genie electric garage door opener (EGDO) and the other side has a 16' garage door with another Genie EGDO. They include two (2) remote FOBs (which operate both doors) and an exterior door programmable coded Door Opener, which also open both doors. The code will be set to 0-0-0-0-0-0 (but it can be set to any 4-6 digit code and there are instructions on the wall remote that shows you how to change and set the code to your #. The propane heater is a Heatstar by Enerco Radiant Overhead  Garage Heater, It is propane fueled directly from the SALT RIVER LEASED 500 gal propane tank that sits just outside the back of the garage.  IF you choose to lease or buy a tank from an alternate propane company, you can call Salt River Propane and they will pick up the existing tank and the other company will either lease or sell you another one and place it where this one is, as that is where the propane lines feed. The size limit for an exposed (above-ground) propane tank in Star Valley Ranch is 500 gallons capacity. Greater than that it needs to be buried.   Check out the photos of the garage...

The photos below show that above the ceiling of the garage are 4" of blown batts insulation, ventilated on both ends, which together with thermal garage doors and sealers on all sides of each door, and the double-paned windows, keep the garage at the thermostatically-set temperature, throughout the winter, for very little propane use of the heater.
            

As you can see you can easily garage a large one-ton pickup truck. We have had an F150 with a high-top topper and an F350 Super Crew FX4, both of which will fit in either side and through either door. 
See also the rubber Auto Floor Guard mats under the vehicles, which are included in the sale. 
This is the propane thermostatically controlled heater. It will keep your garage at 65 degrees F all winter, if you want it. We kept it at 40-45 degrees F.

Also notice all the extra space available in this HUGE GARAGE (room enough for all your toys. The garage also has a 50 Amp outlet which can be used for a Welder or to charge an Electric car. again, the Auto Floor Guards (2) are included in the sale.

And, for whatever reason (perhaps to maximize the views) the Gazebo is an octagonal building. When we bought the house it was being used primarily as a cat house. No. really... a CAT house. There was an old futon in there and that is where the owner's cat would reside, as they didn't allow it in the house. Some of the upper panels had broken screens on them, while others had broken glass panels. As there are two (2) opening windows, we replaced ALL the upper panels with fixed glass. Another problem with it was that it sits lower than the 1st floor decking of the min house so the slab walkway leading down to it created an issue with the out-opening doorway. We could have fixed the problem one of two ways: 1) Cut the slab and perhaps build a step down, or 2) put in a new IN-swing door on it. We opted for the latter, as basically there is plenty of room in there, even IF someone wanted to add a hot tub/spa or sauna. We used it for extra storage. We are still not sure of the intended purpose of this building, but you can make it any thing you want.




The floor in the Gazebo, as all the aprons and concrete decks, will be painted the same color as the remaining concrete around the house, and as the foundation and post supports. It is a Cabot Acrylic (Latex) Stain in 'New Redwood' color. Extra paoint will be left available to buyers in the garage. We use the gazebo as additional storage so as not to crowd the garage.

CONCRETE APRONS & DECKS


Partially painted. First we used a 4000 psi to remove the loose previous red paint; then we painted over it, as was done on the foundation and concrete support posts, which turned out well.



... and the finished concrete paintwork.
The side yard extends from the garage to the Aspens on the right of the Garage.


By the way we will also be leaving the cowboy / cowgirl silhouettes, as well as the western saddle, which we keep on the ground floor railing, for the western-themed design, as after all, Wyoming is the 'Cowboy' State.


The YARD

Despite its troublesome beginnings, the yard is now easy to maintain. The sprinkler system works perfectly and we have High Country Landscaping (Gordon Barnes and his son Tony Barnes) come by twice a year to check it and fix any head that may be misaimed or has broken. The lawn has been fertilized regularly and pre-fed, to strengthen it for the winter, so that in Spring it is deep green and lush/thick. The Spruce trees are also treated yearly to keep unwanted pests from them. They are full of new growths and in excellent health. And the Quaking Aspens, what a delightful, soothing sound they make when the wind blows through them.

We have a JD Zero Turn Mower and a Spreader for fertilizer, and a rake. That's about all you would need. The JD Zero Turn mower (2022 Model Z355E) is only one year old, and will also be available for sale with a Polar 18 cu-ft Poly Dump Cart trailer (as seen in the photo, below) for $3,500 (but only after the house has sold/closed). The Buyer will get first dibs on it, and if they don't want it, then it will be sold to anyone else. See the photos below.



THE WILDLIFE

One of the best things found in the yard is the wildlife that visits. In the summer it is mostly the mule deer, and shy foxes, though we also get an abundance of birds as little as hummingbirds to as large as hawks and eagles. And in the wintertime we are often visited by elk and a mama Moose with her little ones. They are very used to people out and about, and as long as you respect their space (20 feet or more and don't try to 'pet' them) they are OK with your presence on their land. Here is Mary taking pictures of them and they were not at all upset by her presence (and not even with our German Shepherd, who has a very gentle demeanor).  However, fear not, there are security, motion-sensing lights all around the house to make sure that you don't run into any wildlife unexpectedly, at night.  


Here's the baby walking under our deck between the gazebo and the house.




The  WOODEN DECKS

Every year we treat the decks with Cabot Stain Sealer (Natural), usually in the Fall, to protect them from the snow pack during the winter so that come Spring and Summer they will be as beautiful as ever. Truthfully, we also apply it to our trailer wood boards. This is normally applied by brush or roller, but we were told by Log Care that it can also be applied (more quickly) with a mop. (though after you use a mop, you have to throw it away, as it won't be good for anything else.  We use Cabot Wood Toned Stain & Sealer (Natural), as shown below. One application is all that is needed (yearly). I also use it on the boards of my utility trailer. It's GOOD STUFF.  We will  leave the Buyer about a half a container (which is enough to do it again next year. It can be rolled, brushed or even mopped on. Simple, takes only about 4-5 hours to do the all the wooden decks and stairs.

Above: Third floor balcony
Below: Rear Deck (2nd floor)

Above: Side covered deck
Below: Front Deck and Exterior Stairway 


The stain & sealer goes on wet but dries in about 6-8 hours depending on temperature and humidity and remains rich and shiny as shown. One can walk on it after about 4 hours and put furniture back on it after 24 hours.

DOORS

Today we also had the entry doors (both sides) repainted two coats eachhe exterior doors (garage entry, back door to the house (which enter the main guest room on the ground floor), the laundry room door, and the front entry door are all being painted by our professional painter (both inside and out), as well as the door frames.
 
So that concludes the preview tour of the house and grounds.  NOW... you need to make an appointment with the Realtor, to see it for yourselves. And PREPARE to fall in love.


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LINKS TO OTHER PAGES

1. An Alpine Golf-front Chalet is now Available for Sale in Star Valley Ranch, WY...                                                                   

2. Repairs, Updates and Upgrades...            

4. The Finished Project      


  

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