PHOTOS BY PHILIP HENSLER PHOTOGRAPHY

Les and Susan Huet didn’t move too far when they bought their house in a family-friendly Plum neighborhood 27 years ago.

“We lived just a mile away. We were the first house in a previous development,” Les says. “We had friends here and the kids were in elementary school.”

At the time, several builders were launching the new development, including R.A. Snozik. The couple toured a spec home at 404 Lynn Ann Drive and never looked back.

The home, and the neighborhood, have served them well. Now empty-nesters, the couple has listed their home for $359,900 with Lori Hummel of Howard Hanna Real Estate (MLS# 1489119, 412/287-1739, howardhanna.com) it is open by appointment in accordance with the state’s COVID-19 guidelines.

The center-hall Colonial features four bedrooms, two full bathrooms and one-half bathroom. It sits on two-thirds of an acre lot. There is a generous driveway and a two-car garage. The front entrance has a winding plant bed filled with low-maintenance bushes and flowering shrubs. A cozy front porch seats two. The all-brick exterior and double-hip roofline also make for nice curb appeal. 

Inside, the entrance hall has original oak floors and traditional stripe wallcovering. It’s one of several rooms that received custom decorating treatments.  

“A friend of mine was in the wallpaper and painting business. She chose the wallpaper and made the window treatments,” Susan says.

To the right, a 12-by-18 square-foot formal living room is filled with light thanks to a trio of large windows. Oak crown molding and light-gray carpet round out the serene space.

A wide opening leads to a dining room with a lovely tray ceiling adorned by an open-arm chandelier. There is a bay window and a modern zig-zag wallcovering that rides above a chair rail. The nice flow of the room, which is connected to the kitchen, has been home to many parties for the family.

“For Thanksgiving, we always had 20 people in the house,” Susan says.

The 21-by-12 square-foot kitchen underwent an accidental makeover thanks to Susan’s desire to change out the cabinet hardware.

“After we installed the pulls, everything else didn’t match,” she says. “It kind of snowballed from there.” 

The result was new stainless-steel appliances, lighting, granite countertops and a large-format porcelain floor with granite inserts.

The original cabinets and layout remain, and feature a wonderful island on which to prep food. There’s also a small office area that is the perfect landing space for household bills. Adjacent to the kitchen is a laundry room and mudroom. 

The kitchen’s sliding doors lead to a multi-level rear deck. The space is nicely planned out and has an angled corner with built-in bench seating, plus lots of space for a crowd. At the other end is Susan’s favorite reading corner.

“It was just a small slab of concrete when we moved in,” she says. 

To the left of the main entry is a 21-by-12 square-foot family room featuring a wood-burning fireplace with a brick façade and gas ignition. Rich wallcovering in pine green plays nicely off the light carpet, making for a comfortable space. Also on the first floor is a hallway powder room painted a light gray.

Upstairs are four bedrooms, including the 24-by-13 square-foot owner’s bedroom. It features a soaring vaulted ceiling and a window niche that perfectly fits the bed. There’s also a walk-in closet and a recently remodeled attached bathroom with new granite countertops, paint and a glass enclosure around the bath that makes things appear light and bright. There also is a separate water closet.

Two more bedrooms are each 11-by-14 square feet in size. They feature light-colored walls and fresh carpet. The third bedroom is 11-by-10 square feet and has a wall of windows. It is currently being used as an office, and looks great in that role.

“The No. 32 football jersey isn’t Franco’s, it’s mine from high school,” Les adds.

Because the house is spacious, the couple never felt the need to finish the cinder block basement, which acts as a great storage area — as well as a clean slate for the next owner.

Community life in this plan, where the couple formed a voluntary homeowners association early on, is robust. It includes weekly visits from food truck vendors, annual Easter egg hunts for the kids and neighborhood activities throughout the year.

“During the pandemic, the kids participated in a chalk-art driveway contest,” Susan recalls. “We are beginning to see more and more families walking by. It’s nice to see the second generation of homeowners starting to crop up here.”

Drawing on her years of experience covering the region’s real estate industry, Rosa Colucci’s Hot Property will offer an inside look into unique and historic homes currently on the market. Each week, Hot Property goes behind the For Sale sign to share the story of a special Pittsburgh area home.  And four times a year, Hot Property will give an in-depth look at the region’s real estate market in Pittsburgh Magazine HOME, track housing prices and sales and detail where the hot properties can be found. Rosa can be reached at onecordovaroad@gmail.com.

About: Plum Borough 

Population: 28,000 

Planes, Trains & Automobiles: A 45-minute commute to the airport. Daily transport via Port Authority. Street parking. 

Schools: Plum Boro School District. (PBSD.net) Serves 3,600 students with a staff of 450. Graduation rate of 96% and ranked in the top 20% in the state. Active sports and activities programs. 

Neighborhoods Plum Borough is the second largest borough in the state of Pennsylvania and the largest in Allegheny County. The community has lots of amenities for residents of all ages, including houses of worship, community centers, parks and sports facilities.