A million-dollar 'unicorn' home in Ankeny features a personal elevator and woodland views
Skip the stairs and take a trip in your personal elevator to all three levels of this six-bedroom, five-bathroom Ankeny home, surrounded by quiet neighbors and abundant woodland scenery.
Located close to the Ankeny Golf & Country Club and the city’s expanding retail and dining opportunities to the east, the home and setting wouldn’t look out of place in areas similar to South of Grand or the executive-level neighborhoods of West Des Moines.
Realtor Nancy Shrader has listed the property at $1.05 million, and describes the home as a “unicorn,” situated in a neighborhood much coveted by clients. “It's not a cookie cutter place,” Shrader said.
“I have buyers in the past who have waited for a long time for ‘unicorn’ properties such as this, because of the lot size, the location, the privacy. Maybe everything inside is not brand new and cutting edge, but that gives them the opportunity to put those particulars in themselves and to match their own particular taste,” Shrader explained.
Owned by the same family since the home’s completion in 1998, the two-story, 3,720-square-foot structure, plus a finished basement, was inspired by Colonial-style homes. The paved driveway leads to a front façade Shrader dubs “stately,” and a main entrance that sits below a large porthole window. “The entryway is double tall, so it's a very grand entrance” Shrader explained.
The eat-in kitchen features a central island, and new owners can opt-to to dine within the screened-in porch. “You definitely can sit and have your bowl of cereal and see lots of birds, and the occasional dear and little critters,” Shrader said.
Inside, the hardwood flooring and trim design includes two imposing floor-to-ceiling columns in the main living space and the dining room is large enough to comfortably entertain friends and family, alongside purpose-built display storage for dinnerware.
Upstairs, the primary bedroom includes closet space and an en-suite bathroom with a whirlpool bathtub. A private second floor home office is also accessible via an outdoor stairway. The uncommon luxury of a home elevator whisks owners down to the walkout, finished basement that opens directly to the back garden and the forest preserve behind the home. And the attached garage can host a workshop space in addition to three cars.
Turnover on the peaceful street has been very low over the last few years. Shrader places special emphasis on the surrounding area and the comfort it brings. “The owners have lived there since 1988 and raised their family,” she said. “They told me that the value is in the location. Lovely neighbors. They're sad to have left.”
The home is listed at $1.05 million by Nancy Shrader of Keller Williams Ankeny. Contact Shrader at 515-965-9100 for more information and a private showing.
Where: 404 S.W. Country Club Lane, Ankeny
Asking price: $1,050,000
Year built: 1988
Square footage: 3,720 square feet
Lot size: 1.15 acres
Richard Lane is a freelance writer for the Des Moines Register. If you have a home we should feature, reach out to Susan Stapleton at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: This 3,720-square-foot Ankeny home goes for $1.05 million
