Time seems to melt away at 470 Stoney Brook Farm Court in the gated Stoney Brook Farm community. The lush landscaping, with raised beds of palm trees and shrubs, rustles in the breeze, begging you to slow down and enjoy the view, if only for a moment.
The serenity from the landscaping is echoed inside the lovely 4-bedroom home painted in warm, soothing hues.
“It’s tranquil – a nice place to relax and just be,” homeowner Alan Richards said. For the last two years, he’s called the GHO-built house his home, playing host to family members, including three grandchildren.
Stepping inside the home, the extra high ceilings – which range in height from 11 feet to more than 12 feet – provide a sense of grandness and space.
“You don’t get that in new homes, usually,” said Berkshire Hathaway listing agent Bob Faller while giving a tour of the house. Even the doors to the bedrooms are taller than average, given the height of the ceilings.
The “west wing” of the house, as Richards calls it, serves guests with three beautifully appointed bedrooms, a hall bathroom and a laundry.
The hall bath has a double vanity, providing extra space for those getting ready for the day.
“The builder (GHO Homes) didn’t skimp,” Faller said, pointing out the granite counters, tall doors and large windows. The laundry room has upgraded 46-inch cabinets and a utility sink set in a granite top. Off the grand foyer is an office/den.
Past the “west wing” and den is the great room and gourmet eat-in kitchen. The kitchen is handsomely appointed with dark granite tops and 46-inch cabinets with decorative crown molding. A center island provides a convenient workspace and center storage along with electric outlets. There is a flat-top cook surface and a stainless double oven built in, one of which is convection.
The kitchen also has a generous pantry and the sink and dishwasher are set in a peninsula that has a raised top for comfortable seating for as many as eight people. A breakfast nook near the bay window provides for a quiet, calming place to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while the sun rises over the screened lanai and pool.
As for the great room, the space provides ample space for entertaining or just lounging and a ceiling fan helps to keep the air moving.
Tall sliding glass doors collapse into a center pocket, allowing breezes to enter the home from the pool area. The pool itself has three fountains that not only help keep the water from getting too warm, but also serve as soothing background noise while relaxing.
The master suite has direct lanai access through a pool door, providing convenient entry to the pool. The spacious suite easily accommodates bedroom sets and has his and her walk-in closets. The en suite features a soaking tub and large glass-enclosed shower along with a water closet. The dual vanities are separated by a handy dressing table.
Walking the grounds of the not-quite half-acre lot, it is evident Richards took great care in his landscaping choices.
“I brought it back to its true beauty,” he said, having planted a variety of palms and shrubs around the house. “It’s rewarding.”
The landscaping and yard are irrigated and the foliage is all low maintenance. Green thumb, brown thumb – makes no difference.
“You don’t even have to have a thumb,” Richards quipped. The plants are all well-established so little needs be done to keep them happy.
The beauty of the home and the feeling of relaxation are what he will miss most about the house, but
“It’s time to move on,” Richards said.
The Vero Beach resident splits his time between Florida and his lake house in Connecticut, where his car collection sits, waiting for him. While he loves the Stoney Brook Farm house, the property just isn’t big enough to build a garage large enough to house his treasures. He hopes to find another home elsewhere in the Vero Beach area.
Richards is a 1969 Camaro guy with five such muscle cars. He also has a 1929 Ford Tudor rat rod.
As large as a 2-car garage is, it’s not enough to handle his six beauties.
“I’m a kid with an adult pocketbook,” Richards said of his hobby – a hobby that is forcing his hand in leaving behind his tranquil, peaceful home for somewhere new. Wherever that new home winds up being, he knows it will be familiar. He’s looking for something similar to his Stoney Brook Farm – just with more land.
Vital Statistics
- Neighborhood: Stoney Brook Farm
- Lot size: 0.4-acre
- Construction: Concrete block with stucco, stone
- Year built: 2010
- Home size: 2,700 square feet
- Bedrooms: 4 • Bathrooms: 2.5
- Additional features: Lush landscaping, whole-home natural gas powered generator with underground tank, screened lanai with pool and covered dining, gourmet kitchen, extra tall ceilings and doors, gated community, community center with pool, tennis courts, basketball court, tot playground, fitness center, and meeting space.
- Listing agency: Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
- Listing agent: Bob Faller, 772-538-5206
- Listing price: $469,000
