196 Valley Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540

There are many unique homes in Princeton. This is certainly one of them! If you are looking for a cozy home that has both a very low carbon footprint and walkability to everything 196 Valley Rd. is perfect for you! First floor bedroom and full bath. Second floor 2 bedrooms and a half bath. Walk to all schools, the Princeton shopping center, grocery store, the community park pool and tennis complex as well as Witherspoon St restaurants Nassau St shops, Princeton University, McCarter theater and the Princeton train station. This incredibly maintained home has been lovingly cared for by the same family for 40 years. In the early 80's the house was redesigned by the current owners with some help from the Princeton University Engineering department. The Princeton scientists came up with the idea of using radiant heat as an ecological and economical solution to heating the home. Most people associate radiant heat with heated floors usually from tiles. The heating coils in this home are in the ceilings! Multi room zoning allows for each space to be heated to the needs of the room rather than just heating the entire house. It has been described as having the feeling of sunshine throughout the house with the heat gently settling down from above warming all surfaces. This is a unique heating solution for this area of the country. The average monthly utility bill (electric only) amounts to about $150. per month. The heat is absolutely silent since there is no water running through radiators or baseboards,, no furnace and no forced air through ducts. The centrally located wood burning stove does a great job of heating the main floor minimizing the need for supplemental power usage. The wood floors are beautiful throughout and there are lots of little wood projects that were completed by the owner who does wood working as a hobby. The pantry is a personal favorite. The kitchen is open to the living and dining areas. The large pantry has ample storage space. The first floor bedroom has a built in closet. Upstairs the bedrooms are perfect for the kids. The basement is partially finished. The fully finished side is currently being used as an office space and has a smaller room for storage. The other side is semi finished and is a workshop that can be easily finished to a new owners liking. The basement is accessible from the main floor of the home and through a set of bilco doors on the driveway side of the house. Every inch of the grounds has meaningful plantings to support the ecosystem that was created by the homeowner over the years. The garden is home to all sorts of animals and insects. There is also a feeling of privacy when walking through the garden and the yard. The mature Rhododendrons around the edges of the property provide a visual barrier as well as a sense of seclusion. The lot is .35 acres and Princeton allows a lot of flexibility, so if all the enchantment of living in a smaller environmentally friendly home is not for you just look up and down Valley Rd and all around town for ideas on potential additions or rebuilds. Showings start with public open house on July 3rd 1:00-3:00