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Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
Barbara and Harry Webski inside their on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford. The Webski's recently purchased and updated the house before putting it back on the market.
Barbara and Harry Webski inside their on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford. The Webski's recently purchased and updated the house before putting it back on the market.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford.
The on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The master bedroom inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The master bedroom inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
An original stained glass window at the bottom of one staircase inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in Shippan. At right, the master bedroom.
An original stained glass window at the bottom of one staircase inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in Shippan. At right, the master bedroom.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The dining room inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The dining room inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The firepit behind the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The firepit behind the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The kitchen inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The kitchen inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
Barbara and Harry Webski pose for a photo inside their on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. The Webski's recently purchased and updated the house before putting it back on the market.
lessBarbara and Harry Webski pose for a photo inside their on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. The Webski's recently purchased and updated
... more
A sitting room inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
A sitting room inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The walk-in closet attached to the master bedroom inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The walk-in closet attached to the master bedroom inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The kitchen inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The kitchen inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The small deck behind the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive has a unblocked view of Wescott Cove. Photographed in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The small deck behind the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive has a unblocked view of Wescott Cove. Photographed in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The master bedroom inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The master bedroom inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The living room inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The living room inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
The master bathroom inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
The master bathroom inside the on-the-market home on Sea Beach Drive in the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.
Photo: Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media
This Mediterranean style waterfront home at 22 Sea Beach Dr.in Stamford, Conn. was donated to the Mill River Collaborative in October. The nonprofit group will list the house for $1.2 million with The Malloy Group at Douglas Elliman, and the proceeds from the sale will fund capital projects and future maintenance at Mill River Park.
lessThis Mediterranean style waterfront home at 22 Sea Beach Dr.in Stamford, Conn. was donated to the Mill River Collaborative in October. The nonprofit group will list the house for $1.2 million with The Malloy
... more
This Mediterranean style waterfront home at 22 Sea Beach Dr.in Stamford, Conn. was donated to the Mill River Collaborative in October. The nonprofit group will list the house for $1.2 million with The Malloy Group at Douglas Elliman, and the proceeds from the sale will fund capital projects and future maintenance at Mill River Park.
lessThis Mediterranean style waterfront home at 22 Sea Beach Dr.in Stamford, Conn. was donated to the Mill River Collaborative in October. The nonprofit group will list the house for $1.2 million with The Malloy
... more
This Mediterranean style waterfront home at 22 Sea Beach Dr.in Stamford, Conn. was donated to the Mill River Collaborative in October. The nonprofit group will list the house for $1.2 million with The Malloy Group at Douglas Elliman, and the proceeds from the sale will fund capital projects and future maintenance at Mill River Park.
lessThis Mediterranean style waterfront home at 22 Sea Beach Dr.in Stamford, Conn. was donated to the Mill River Collaborative in October. The nonprofit group will list the house for $1.2 million with The Malloy
... more
This Mediterranean style waterfront home at 22 Sea Beach Dr.in Stamford, Conn. was donated to the Mill River Collaborative in October. The nonprofit group will list the house for $1.2 million with The Malloy Group at Douglas Elliman, and the proceeds from the sale will fund capital projects and future maintenance at Mill River Park.
lessThis Mediterranean style waterfront home at 22 Sea Beach Dr.in Stamford, Conn. was donated to the Mill River Collaborative in October. The nonprofit group will list the house for $1.2 million with The Malloy
... more
Stamford couple forms successful real estate team
STAMFORD — Barbara and Harry Webski make a good real estate team: she sells homes and he runs a construction business. And it doesn’t hurt that they’ve been married for 43 years.
“We’ve been doing this together a long time,” said Harry Webski, principal of Sunset Holdings LLC. “Way before there was an HGTV.”
Today, the Stamford couple is surveying the kitchen at their latest project, 22 Sea Beach Drive, trying to recall the names of that famous “Fixer Upper” couple. It’s Chip and Joanna Gaines, known for their home improvement show based in Waco, Texas. The couple made a career of renovating homes in their signature contemporary farmhouse style.
“So many times I’ve called him and said, ‘I’m at an open house, you have to come down here. I think you can do something with it.’” Barbara Webski said.
A similar thing happened last winter after the Webskis read an article in the Stamford Advocate about a Shippan home whose entire sale would benefit the Mill River Collaborative, the nonprofit dedicated to the ongoing restoration of the Mill River Park. The previous owners, Paula and John Todd, donated their home to the nonprofit to fund capital projects and maintenance.
“We came by here many times over the years, saw the house, and didn’t think much of it because it was in disrepair,” Harry said. “When we read the article, we came down and took a look, and thought it had some real potential.”
After purchasing the waterfront Mediterranean-style colonial in March for $900,000, the couple immediately embarked on the renovation with the intention of reselling it. The 3,000-square-foot, five-bedroom house is listed now for $1,895,000 through Barbara and Weichert Realtors.
As with most construction projects, there was little overlap between what the Webskis expected to do and what they actually did.
“We thought we’d do some interior and exterior repairs, but it became a whole project,” Harry said. “We started opening up walls and found out there was no insulation, so once that happens you have to gut it. The plumbing was old, the electrical was old, the heating system was old.”
The result is a glossy, high-end home that retains flashes of its 1920s charm — an original stained-glass window, stucco exterior and Mexican tile roof — alongside fresh bathrooms and a kitchen with quartz countertops and six-burner Wolf stove and oven.
“It reminded us of old-world charm, and we felt that if we renovated the inside and tried to make it really hip and sleek, we could give it that Hamptons look. That was our goal here and I think we achieved it,” Harry said. “Even down to the Wolf oven with the red knobs. Those are important to millennials.”
Without a doubt, the kitchen is the star of the renovation. The Webskis tapped an architect who suggested moving it across the house, adding a bump-out to the front exterior to create an open kitchen-living room-dining room.
“That’s what buyers want. [Barbara] knows what people are looking for and we try to build it that way,” Harry said, admiring the kitchen’s sunken farmhouse sink.
“You can even enjoy washing dishes with that beautiful view,” Barbara said.
Although the home is right on the water, it doesn’t have direct access to the shore. A lot next door is deeded to 19 homeowners who are members of a neighborhood beach association, but 22 Sea Beach isn’t one of them.
But on the upside, buyers won’t have to worry about purchasing flood insurance since the home is outside the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood zone, the couple said. The view is the same, but with less of a hassle.
The Webskis have other sales afoot. They’re almost ready to list a North Stamford ranch they renovated, adding a second floor and enhancing its Adirondack feel.
After 40 years of specializing in new construction — Harry’s homes are scattered across North Stamford, on streets such as Sunset Court, Haviland Road and Dogwood Lane — there are few buildable lots left, so he’s needed to redirect the focus of his business. He’s hesitant to call what he does house flipping.
“Some are tear-downs, or what people like to call ‘flips.’ It’s not so easy because you’re paying someone top dollar for their home and you’re trying to renovate it, but still only getting what market conditions call for. You still have to make a profit,” Harry said.
But he added, “I do this because I find it more interesting than spec building — just building a box.”
eskalka@stamfordadvocate.com
