Waterfront Home Tour: Seabrook's Ultimate Beach House

During my visit to Washington's new oceanfront neighborhood, Seabrook, I had a chance to tour the under-construction beach house. This home was selected by Coastal Living Magazine as their Ultimate Beach House for 2010 and is slated to be finished by June.

While many builders are in the process of cutting back on amenities and selling a more affordable product with less upgrades, Seabrook's plans for the beach home are quite a contrast. Building on the waterfront always requires an eye for design and detail, as most waterfront buyers expect high-end finishes and unique character.

Based on renderings and the current state of construction, this home should have the feel of a traditional wilderness cabin with touches of modern design. The Western face of the home is dedicated to the Pacific Ocean views, with an expansive deck off the main entertaining floor. 2nd story bedrooms also enjoy the views with more privacy from their enclosed patios.

The genius of the design is in the semi-detached garage and guest suite. While they are separate building structures, they form a strong wind break along with the covered breezeway with outdoor cooking/entertaining area. The open courtyard surrounded by these structures is perfect for Northwest outdoor living-partially protected from wind and rain, it allows the owners to spend time outside even in the typical on-and-off Northwest weather.

The ocean shore adjacent to the home is a unique piece of property. High bank bluff with wind-swept trees meanders in off the coast and up a steep, forested ravine that carries groundwater to the ocean. The beaches are unusually wide and private-in most cases, when you take the long stairway down to the beach, you'll be the only person within sight.

The home will be staged June, and by Mid-July the grand opening with Coastal Living Magazine will be hosted. Tours for the public will be available shortly after. Current list price is $1.975 million.

Read the full Seattle Waterfront Homes blog.

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Sam DeBord is a Realtor and real estate broker with SeattleHome.com, a division of Washington State Realty, LLC. He is a member of the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors and a Green-Certified Pro.

Sam can be contacted at (206) 658-3225 or Sam(at)SeattleHome.com.