By Gretchen A. Peck

Newly listed for sale this week, 206 McKinley Avenue in Norwich is an enduringly charming craftsman-style colonial, built in 1932. Situated on a 0.25-acre landscaped lot, this home is listed for $329,900. Jeff Valentine—a broker associate at William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, who leads the Valentine Team there—is the sellers’ agent. He spoke with Welcome Home this week about the character and quality of the house, the improvements the sellers have made, and the benefits of the particular location.

“It’s a proud neighborhood setting,” Valentine described the location. “There are lots of smaller, charming homes on this end of McKinley. This one is craftsman-style, and there are others that are traditional, classic colonials and cottage-style homes. They are nicely groomed and landscaped, and they’re well taken care of.”

The house has two finished levels, plus a walk-up attic and an unfinished basement, providing 1,786 square feet of living space and loads of storage.

Quarter-sawn oak hardwood floors are found throughout the living spaces and sleeping quarters. “They’re gorgeous,” Valentine noted.

The front door opens to a small foyer. Just inside it, are a formal dining room on the right and an expansive living room to the left. In keeping with the home’s period style, the living room is appointed with a fireplace, and the dining room has paneled wainscotting and a built-in corner cabinet for serving dishes and glassware. Just off the living room is a sunroom — a flexible space that could be used for any number of purposes, including a reading room, informal dining area, or even as a place to grow and winter-over plants.

The kitchen is a cheerful room, with an abundance of white cabinets, laminate counters—which are particularly durable and resilient for home cooks—and appliances in white finishes. The color scheme contrasts well with the hardwood floorboards.

The first floor also has a small bonus room, a partial bath and a large screened porch that steps out to the backyard.

Upstairs, interested buyers will find three bedrooms—including a primary bedroom with a walk-in closet — and a shared full bath.

One of the two bedrooms facing the front of the house, or the sunroom, could double as a home office, should the buyer require one, Valentine suggested.

The owners of 206 McKinley Avenue made some significant improvements to the house in the past year. For example, they topped it with a new roof, added a new gas boiler, upgraded some of the electrical systems, and painted the interiors.

For protective parking, there’s both a detached one-car garage and a covered carport.

The property’s location is noteworthy. It’s within walking distance to the Norwich Free Academy—NFA as it’s more familiarly known—a coeducational independent school for grades 9th to 12th. The Mohegan Sun resort and casino is close by, as are other local and state parks for outdoor exploring. A buyer who may be coming to southeast Connecticut for work at some of the region’s major employers, such as Pfizer, Backus Hospital, Hartford Healthcare facilities, Connecticut College, the Coast Guard Academy, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun resort-casinos, or General Dynamics/Electric Boat, will find this home affords a convenient commute. When the summer season kicks into high gear, a number of area beaches are also within easy reach.

An open house at 206 McKinley Ave., Norwich, will be held tomorrow, Saturday, March 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Property: 206 McKinley Ave., Norwich

Bedrooms: 3

Baths: 2

Square Footage: 1,786

Acreage: 0.25

Asking Price: $329,900

Listing Agent: Jeff Valentine, Broker Associate, The Valentine Team, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty; Mobile: (860) 912-7223; jvalentine@wpsir.com