Hillsborough's Flintstone House is on the market for $4.2M
The landmark Flintstone House is indeed on the market for $4.2 million dollars, but unless you are a serious buyer, don't expect to visit. According to listing agent Judy Meuschke of Alain Pinel Realtors, there will be no open houses or agent tours; and only serious buyers for the 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom dwelling need inquire.
The house became an instant icon when it was built in 1976 due to its unusual shape. It appears as a series of sprawling blobs perched in the hills over I-280 in Hillsborough. Meuschke says that the instant she posted the listing to the private Top Agent Network, her phone started ringing and that interest has been nearly overwhelming. She says she gets it: This is a one-of-a-kind property and probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (the current owner has lived there for 19 years, and is reportedly only the third owner of the house).
The home's exterior (when it was built it was off-white, but it has been a rusty orange shade since 2007) has piqued the curiosity of many, but Meuschke promises the interior is just as unique. "It's really a piece of art," she says. "It has amorphous windows and an almost Southwestern style. The owner has a fantastic art and furniture collection."
The very private nature of the owner paired with high public interest are the reasons Meuschke is vetting potential buyers. The agent says that in her decade-long career she has never experienced this level of buzz. "I've been overwhelmed by calls," she says.
The house was created by architect William Nicholson as an experiment in innovative building materials. The rounded forms are made by spraying a kind of concrete on metal frames molded over balloons. Most call it the Flintstone House, but it's also deemed the Barbapapa House after the circular, shape-shifting creatures featured in a children's book from the 1970s.
Meuschke says that this sort of property is sure to attract a distinctive buyer. "I'd imagine that it would draw artistic-minded people, given that it is a piece of art," she says. "Some people have said that it will bought by a tech person, but I think anyone with a creative streak would be interested."
This listing courtesy of Judy Meuschke Realtor
