BARTOW – One of Bartow’s most famous homes is back on the market.
The Victorian house from the movie “My Girl” is available for purchase and costs $ 675,000. The house was last purchased in 2019 by Sam and Sarah Brunt, who run several businesses in the county, including Stanford Wines on Central Avenue. Sam Brunt said they paid $ 390,000 for the historic property; it was listed for $ 425,000, according to previous reports. He added that the property was completely “in disrepair” when he and his wife bought it.
The house, which previously operated as a popular bed and breakfast, is two-story, according to the property list, and has 4.5 meter high ceilings. It was built in 1906. The main house has a total area of 7,508 square meters, which is filled with six complete master suites, including one handicapped accessible, two additional rooms that can serve as offices or den, two formal living rooms, a dining room and a commercial kitchen. The suites are equipped with showers and “separate whirlpools”. There are also two half baths on the ground floor. There are also seven fireplaces, wraparound New England style porch, 1 car garage, two driveways, and a 50-foot hotel-size pool.
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The two carriage houses that add 2,000 square feet to the property are 1 bed, 1 bath units with laundry rooms, kitchens, and living rooms.
“All of this glory sits on 3/4 of an acre and takes up 2/3 of the block,” the listing says. “This property is perfectly set up as an AirBnb that could be rented out for events / weddings (like it used to be). A world of opportunity (and equity) awaits the right buyer!”
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The Brunts, who lived in the house with 8 bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms, had the grand vision of transforming the house into an event space for weddings and similar celebrations. But the COVID-19 outbreak has left the couple in a bind.
Between the two, the Brunts have a bridal hair and make-up company, a boudoir photo company, a cigar shop and the Bartow wine bar.
The opening of the wine bar was part of diversifying their portfolio, which eventually led to their decision to abandon the idea of opening the My Girl house as a wedding venue. Additionally, Sam Brunt said the couple plan to open at least two more wine bars and have decided to focus their energies there.
Brunt said the departure was bittersweet because he and his wife love the house, it just doesn’t suit their needs.
“It’s time to move on from this project to the next,” he said.
Before deciding to sell, the Brunts put a lot of work into the house. Brunt said there was “so much junk to actually see how pretty the property actually is”.
“When we first bought it two years ago it was super overwhelming when you came here,” he added.
Brunt said they cleared 40 trees from the property because it was “really overgrown”. The couple also had the house painted and had electrical, plumbing and air conditioning work done to improve the condition of the house.
Brunt said he filled an 8 by 9 meter dumpster with trash from the house three times.
The property’s two carriage houses, Brunt said, need a complete overhaul – a warning given on the property’s listing.
The offer caught attention as it was the most popular house on Realtor.com last week. Brunt said five parties are interested in buying the property, two of which are restoring and turning over historic homes nationwide. He said Monday that he would wait for an offer from one of the interested parties until the end of the day.
“This is not the kind of place where people start making offers right away. You have to run your numbers,” Brunt said. “This is not a property for which you receive 40 offers in one day. It is not only used as a residential building.”
So maybe the Brunts won’t be able to take full advantage of the most intense housing market in decades. But once it’s bought, Brunt hopes to see its potential as an event space, and Airbnb has seen when a new owner “beautifies” the space.
He said the property’s neighbors loved having the house used as a bed and breakfast as well as a tea room as it was a quiet activity in Bartow.
“The neighbors miss this little attraction for the neighborhood,” said Brunt.
The house is popular with neighbors and tourists alike. Brunt said of the quarantine, if people tuned in “My Girl” to see Macauley Culkin, Anna Chlumsky and Jamie Lee Curtis in the classic tear movie, four to five families a week would stop by to take pictures on the porch. Brunt provided clips of the film’s tiny stars to aid in authenticity.
Geanie Folder, the owner of bohemian-themed cafe Unfiltered in Bartow, said if someone buys the house, she’ll put all of her energy into making it a venue. She cannot afford the house on her own as she focuses on Unfiltered and its sister shop in Punta Gorda. Plus, Folder said, she knows that the house needs not just cosmetic work, but structural work to restore it to its former glory.
“If someone can just come over and help, help bring it in, you know I’m there,” said Folder. “I’m devoted and I would be committed and we would surely see this thing through to the end.”
Like Brunt, Folder sees the home as perfect for multiple purposes: partly as an event space for weddings, corporate events, showers and artist retreats, partly as Airbnb and also as a haven for photographers looking for unique backdrops. She believes the house, if properly marketed, could make Bartow a “destination”.
“I believe the House can do a lot for Polk County when the opportunity is right,” said Folder.
The house has always held a special place in the heart of Folder. She lived in Bartow about 20 years ago and remembers going to the My Girl house and just standing in front of it in awe.
“It’s amazing. This house is amazing to me,” said Folder. “It just speaks to me. It has always been like that, even 20 years ago.”
Maya Lora can be reached with tips or questions at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @mayaklora.
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