Some homes claim to be oceanfront, but this one on Scenic Road in Carmel, CA, really is. Ocean. Front.

Listed for $14 million, the home is built into the rock, and is one of only a handful in the area located on the water’s edge. On the market for the first time in 40 years, it offers a rare opportunity to buy a home right on the water in the exclusive enclave.

“It’s one of five properties along Scenic Road that is west of the road. It truly stands alone as an oceanfront property, as opposed to the homes on the east side of the road,” says the listing agent, Nic Canning.

“You really get this natural feel, almost like a ship, where you’re just on the cusp of being on the water, and the water is right below you. So it’s a very unique perspective.”

Built in 1947, the 2,777-square-foot landmark property sits on a quarter of an acre. It’s next door to the famous Butterfly House, with its distinctive roof, which resembles wings. Built in 1951, that house was sold in 2016 for $16.5 million.

The architect Frank Wynkoop designed both homes. He was born in 1902, and his work was much sought-after in the area until his death in 1978.

“His goal was to maximize the view beyond that of a 180-, to almost a 270-degree angle,” Canning explains. He adds that, from the huge windows, you can see from Point Lobos to Sunset Point, the Pebble Beach golf links, and Carmel Beach.

The seaside retreat comes with lots of living space, with three bedrooms and four bathrooms. An office could be another bedroom, for a total of four sleeping areas.

The architect “layered the different rooms, so no matter where you are sleeping or eating, he wanted to pay tribute to the site itself. So he designed part of the structure around the granite rocks that protrude,” Canning says.

“The granite rock was there to begin with, and the house was built around it, and the windows were sealed around it.”

In addition to the granite rocks and walls, there is a feel of being surrounded by nature, through the huge windows and the use of wood paneling and beams. But the view definitely is the star.

“It’s hard to pay attention [to] the house, because of the view,” Canning says.

“The first sense is this kind of awe-inspiring ocean view. When you start to piece together the different spaces, you can just imagine what it was like when all the materials were new, because it has such natural elements that play well with the land.”

The home has had only two owners. The current owner has had the home for about 40 years, but Canning says she is selling because she spends most of her time on the East Coast these days.

The next owner should be prepared to do some updating, which won’t be cheap.

The buyer will need a “considerable amount of money restoring it. It’s mostly in ’70s condition or earlier,” Canning says.

“I have walked it with a handful of contractors and architects with different visions and ideas,” he says. “And there are many different ways to restore it to its greatness and bring it to modern-day living.”

For example, the galley-style kitchen, with a bar for seating, is not a common feature nowadays.

“You could open up those spaces, so that it’s more informal entertaining throughout, which could easily be done with this property,” Canning explains.

He estimates that it would cost at least $5 million to restore and upgrade everything.

Canning says he expects the buyer to be someone looking for a second home.

“My guess,” he says, “is that it will be someone who appreciates the charm of Carmel and wants to modernize” the property.

The post Rare Oceanfront Abode in Carmel Is on Sale for the First Time in 40 Years appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.