Either-Or: West Dennis vs. Charlestown

Two listings. The same price. What’s worth it?

Welcome to Either-Or, where we compare two listings with the same price—one in Boston and one outside. Build your own conclusions.


Photos courtesy of Redfin

Photos courtesy of Redfin

Exorbitant housing costs in Boston are nothing new. It’s really, really expensive to live here. With tiny condos going for millions without a second thought, it’s entirely possible that Bostonians are becoming conditioned to accept outrageously high prices.

To remind you that price tags in Boston are a special breed, we’ve been presenting two homes listed at the same price each week. This time, it’s a battle of equally quaint dwellings, where the decision comes down to favoring gas lamp-lit streets or gentle sea breezes.

The first is an antique single-family in West Dennis. It’s not too far from the Bass River and dons Cape Cod’s classic weathered shingles. The second is a pleasantly pink Charlestown condo. Both exude New England’s colonial charm. They share a price tag of $579,000.

The Snapshot Comparison

44 Cove Road, West Dennis
Price: $579,000
Size: 2,858 square feet
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 5

10 Albion Place #1, Charlestown
Price: $579,000
Size: 1,090 square feet
Bedrooms: 2
Baths: 2

 

 

The unit in Charlestown is a short walk to Sullivan Square Station, and offers an open-concept living/dining room. While built in 1880, the building has been updated with modern amenities like a gas fireplace, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. With a master bedroom and two full bathrooms, the condo is a perfectly good find.

Travel 90 miles outside of the city to Cape Cod’s West Dennis and you’ll find the “Olde Wisteria House.” It’s two and a half times larger than the Charlestown pad, and was built almost 100 years earlier in 1784. It has four bedrooms—all with en suite baths—plus one more bathroom, making it a suitable spot to open a bed and breakfast. The home sits on property that measures a little more than an acre, and includes a two-car garage.

Both homes boast enviable patios. In West Dennis, an outdoor seating area overlooks the backyard, and in Charlestown, a common deck atop the building features views of the Bunker Hill Monument. The Cape Cod home contains three fireplaces while the condo only has one. The seaside property also has a few more original details than the condo, including wide pine floors and ceiling beams.

The biggest difference between the two properties can be found in the price breakdown. The West Dennis home is $203 per square foot, whereas Charlestowns’s condo is more than double that at $531 per square foot. Both towns are located near the Atlantic and see a fair amount of tourists. If the properties are on the same level of charming, is city living really worth the lack of space?