By Gretchen A. Peck

Realtors Cheryl Auerbach and Brittany Auerbach-Hebert, with Berkshire Hathaway’s New England Properties’ brokerage in Mystic, are the listing agents for the “House of the Week”—898 Ocean Avenue in New London, a four-bedroom, 2,502-square-foot center hall colonial on 0.28-acres near Ocean Beach Park.

David Hobbes and his wife, Victoria “Torrey” Hunter, bought the house in 2018. He’d grown up in Lisbon, Conn., and fondly recalled childhood trips to Mystic with his family. His educational and career pursuits led him to Boston and then to Los Angeles. He bought a house in Voluntown and came back to the East Coast to be closer to family, and on a fateful trip to Alaska, he met Torrey. They lived in the house in Voluntown for a tim, but it was smaller than they needed, so they began to look for a new place to live.

The couple considered Mystic, but it was New London that ultimately captured their fancy. They wanted a walkable community, a neighborhood with sidewalks and close proximity to the beach. David Hobbes spoke with Welcome Home about discovering New London’s southern end and the 1931-built shingle-style colonial at 898 Ocean Avenue.

“When we came to look at the house, we thought, ‘Wow. This is the place.’ We were attracted to the house, of course. I remember walking into it and feeling like the energy was incredible. … What really sealed the deal on this house was that it had an updated kitchen and bathrooms. A lot of these older homes don’t have that, and it can be such a huge undertaking to do those projects,” the homeowner said. He estimates that the kitchen was renovated in 2003.

“And then there was the neighborhood itself, with such diversity in architecture. It’s walkable and being so close to the beach and Harkness [Memorial State Park] makes it an absolute treasure, so we decided to move here,” he said.

Though previous owners had done some work on the house in recent decades, but there was still plenty of work for the couple to take on—and to take the home “to the next level,” he explained.

They put a new roof on, and in the process, discovered that period “Yankee gutters” had been covered over at some point. They chose to reveal them anew and restore them. They installed new windows by Andersen.

Inside the home, they’ve had plaster walls repaired and painted; they’ve added new appliances and a pellet stove for extra warmth during the coldest winter spells.

“There was a beautiful floor in the sunroom, which had been carpeted over, so pulled up the carpet to reveal it,” he noted. There are lightly finished hardwood floors throughout the home, with accented inlays in the formal rooms.

Thought the house has been updated over time, some of the original character remains, like the built-in bookshelves, the inlaid hardwood floors, corner cabinets in the dining room, and an antique telephone nook.

The main entrance of the home opens to a center hall and staircase. To the left is the formal dining room, which opens to the kitchen; and to the right of the entry is an expansive living room and sunroom. One of the two baths is on this floor, as well.

“What’s great about the kitchen is that it’s extremely functional,” Hobbes said. “You have the ‘triangle’ between your island workstation, the stove and the sink. And it’s also nice that my wife and I can cook in there together, without getting in each other’s way. There’s plenty of room.” Sliders open from the living room out to a large backyard deck.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and a full bath. One of the bedrooms, positioned at the front of the house, works well as a home office. The current owners also gutted the basement and improved the drainage around the house, so it stays dry, the seller said. It allows the space to be usable now, perhaps as a home gym.

The house is sited on a 0.28-acre lot. It’s within walking distance to Ocean Beach, the historic Lighthouse Inn, Waterford Beach, and private beaches along the Thames and Long Island Sound.

“We are both runners, and the running and jogging here is incredible. There are sidewalks, and you can cut through Mitchell Woods or run along the water — a variety of atmospheres to enjoy while you’re running,” the seller said.

A fan of classic cars, Hobbes also said this region of southeast Connecticut and western Rhode Island has some great backroads to explore by automobile, too. “And my wife, being from Alaska, really enjoys hiking, so we often go up to the northwestern part of Connecticut for some great hiking. We’re also big fans of Pachaug State Forest.”

The owners enlisted Cheryl Auerbach and Brittany Auerbach-Hebert—the Auerbach-Hebert Team at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, New England Properties —to sell their beloved home. Realtor Cheryl Auerbach had been their Realtor when they bought the home. “Part of our strategy when we decided to sell the house was to work with a Realtor who understands New London. The asking price for the property is $519,000.

Editor’s Note: At deadline, the seller had accepted an offer for the property; however, backup offers may still be accepted. Buyers’ agents are welcome to inquire with the listing agents.

Property: 898 Ocean Ave., New London

Bedrooms: 4

Baths: 2

Square Footage: 2,502

Acreage: 0.28

Asking Price: $519,000

Seller’s Agent: Cheryl Auerbach and Brittany Auerbach-Hebert, the Auerbach-Hebert Team, Cheryl’s Mobile: (860) 235-9099; Brittany’s Mobile: (860) 912-9902; cherylauerbach@bhhsne.com; brittanyhebert@bhhsne.com