SF Bay Area Remodeled Home with Pool, Hiking, View, Safety, and BART
Town house • Walnut Creek CA United States
4 Guests
3 Bedrooms
3 Beds
3 Bathrooms
Primary home
Exchange types accepted
Simultaneous
Non-Simultaneous
Non-Reciprocal & Globe
Hospitality
Statistics
Listed August 2023
Views 1361
General overview
My home is spacious and newly remodeled. It is located in the East Bay which means that it is surrounded by beauty, but also close to the action in the cities. I find it to be the perfect location for someone wanting to explore the Bay Area. My home is part of a friendly and safe community within two miles of great restaurants, BART mass transit, and three downtowns. (Lafayette, Walnut Creek, and Pleasant Hill) Nature and hiking are accessed from my front door! Even though my address is Walnut Creek, I live on the border of Lafayette. I do most of my grocery shopping there since they have a Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and other wonderful grocery stores and bakeries. Lafayette also has a popular walking trail that takes you on a 3-mile loop around the reservoir.
My home is a duplex townhouse, which means that there is just one side of the home with an attached neighbor. The other three sides are filled with windows and light. There are double walls on the shared side and noise is never a problem. The location offers easy freeway access.
Because I am new to house swapping, I would like to start with small groups or families with one child. (I will consider exceptions.) Once I gain a comfort level for swapping, I will probably expand my possibilities. It's not that I don't love kids! I raised three boys and have one granddaughter. Thank you for your understanding.
The space
The place is a two-story home with 2000 square feet that includes three bedrooms and three full bathrooms. (Two bathtubs!) The view is fabulous! The upstairs is the main living area at street level. It has a full bath and a guestroom/office. Downstairs has the large primary bedroom with a queen bed and ensuite bath. There is also a guest room downstairs with a twin bed and an additional full bath. There is a balcony with a table for six and a grill. The backyard is accessed from downstairs. The pool, hot tub and tennis/pickleball courts are all a one minute walk away. The nearest trailhead is less than a minute from the front door. My community is very safe and my development has an entrance gate that adds another layer of security. A passcode is required fro entry.
Guest access
The street level access has three small steps on the sidewalk and one step at the doorway for entry. There are two bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs that need to use the full flight of stairs.
Notes
Attached garage with automatic opener. I would consider a car swap, as well.
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Toys
Gym
Sauna
BBQ
Pool
Hot tub
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Kosher home
Meat-free kitchen
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Camping gear
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Long term
Weekend
Adventure
Romantic
Sport and leisure
Foodie
Relaxing
Luxury
City
Mountains
Culture
Hiking
Cycling
Golf
House rules
Unsuitable for infants under 2
Unsuitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Cat free
Dog free
Smoke free
Fragrance free
Low allergen
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
The East Bay offers natural beauty plus access to the best urban attractions. It is easy to go to San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Monterey, Carmel, Marin County, Napa, or Sacramento for a day trip and then return to the safety and beauty of Walnut Creek.
My home is just 2 miles from Lafayette BART (rapid transit) and it is a direct train into Oakland, San Francisco, or even SFO airport. This is a great option for going into SF so that you don't have to worry about bridge traffic, parking, or car break-ins. I do drive into SF sometimes and it is easy if you can avoid heavy traffic.
Having a car here is best. My home is one to three miles from almost everything you would need: groceries, shopping, movies, restaurants.
Day trips are plentiful! Go in any direction for places to explore. Drive times are estimated without traffic slowdowns.
You are surrounded by hiking areas with many trail heads located within a 5-20 minute drive. (If you don't want to drive, just step outside the front door and hit the trail.)
San Francisco - drive time is 40 minutes (22 miles) (more for Golden Gate area since you mostly drive through city streets to get there and it is on the far side of SF)
Berkeley - 20 minutes (13 miles)
Oakland - 20 minutes (10 miles)
Napa - 50 minutes (37 miles)
Benicia - 25 minutes (17 miles)
Sausalito - 55 minutes (33 miles)
Monterey - 2.25 hrs (118 miles)
One of my hobbies is thrifting (used goods stores), so I can give you the names of some great places to treasure hunt! I can also steer you to high end malls, outlet malls, and anything else you seek.
Getting to my home
My home is just 1.2 miles from the 24 freeway entrance/exit, so getting around by car is easy.
Nearest airport
Airports are Oakland (23 miles) or SFO (34 miles). You can take BART to either one, although I probably wouldn't do that during after hours.
Getting around
I have never tried to take the bus here and am not sure which services are available. Walking to stores is not easy as they are over a mile away and require hiking over hills. The main road is rather busy and steep for biking. Basically you either need a car or use Uber or Lyft to get around.
Map of Approximate Location
People Like Us Local Guide
I'd love to meet you for a meal or take a walk or hike.
Feedback
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Premium
Barbara
Hi Everyone! My name is Barbara and my beautiful home is in the San Francisco Bay Area. This will be my first venture into house swapping and I am very excited! I am in my early 60's and have recently retired from my high school counseling job so that I can travel any time of year. I love to explore the world and have been lucky enough to see a lot of it so far. I look forward to slowing down and living like a local in your region. All three of my sons are married, plus I have one granddaughter. I spend my days hiking, playing pickleball, socializing, and volunteering. I keep a tidy and uncluttered home and will be looking for the same. I live alone and have no pets, so swapping and hospitality both intrigue me.
"I travel to Europe quite often and would be happy in most places. Make me an offer! I prefer April through October for your part of the world."
Dates flexible
"January through March, please."
Dates flexible
"January through March, please."
Dates flexible
"I would love to visit during fall colors."
Dates flexible
"I've never been to Santa Fe and would love to explore the area."
Dates flexible
"Prefer March, give or take a few weeks."
People Like Us is the world's most trusted home exchange community. We believe in sharing, trust, generosity, respect, communication, equality, cooperation, honesty, hospitality, friendship, flexibility and adventure. We take pride in our homes and we care about the environment in which we live: our village, city, country and our planet. We care about the ethos of home exchange and we do it because we love the experience and the friendships that it generates.
This is the view from the house and balcony. There are some lovely sunsets here! I keep binoculars ready in case I see a bird or animal that I want to view more closely.
This is my tea corner with instant boiling water, a toaster oven for morning treats, and a fine selection of mugs. For those who need coffee, I have a coffee machine that I will bring out and place here.
Primary bedroom with Queen bed
Ensuite bathroom for primary bedroom.
This is the second bedroom downstairs. It has its own bathroom with a combo shower/bathtub. The bed is a twin.
This is the downstairs bathroom that is used by the bedroom with a twin bed. Note the Japanese toilet!
This is the upstairs bedroom and office. The sofa bed folds out to a comfortable queen bed. The upstairs full bath is nearby.
This is the upstairs bathroom.
The pool is open from mid-May to mid-October. The hot tub is open year-round
My community has two tennis courts that are also lined for pickleball.
You can go hot air ballooning in Napa. I would recommend making reservations way ahead of time.
I loved hot air ballooning! I thought I might be afraid, but it was easy and beautiful.
One fun experience to have in SF is a visit to Alcatraz. It was a federal prison that has quite a history. You need to take a ferry out to the island where it is located, so a ride on the bay is a bonus. The prison grounds have great views of the city and surroundings. Advanced reservations are recommended.
There are even hiking areas in SF! This was taken near the Legion of Honor Museum. San Francisco is a wonderful place to walk. One can explore the city streets all day, visit the Presidio, walk over the Golden Gate Bridge, or meander through the city's many fabulous museums.
There are so many hiking areas and trails in the East Bay that I will probably never have enough time to try them all. You will be amazed by the beauty.