CONSTANTIA, NY – When Kevin Anderton has guests out to his six-bedroom raised ranch at 229 County Route 23A in Constantia, just across from Oneida lake in southern Oswego County, he gets a lot of questions.
The most popular one is how can they “design” their homes to be like his.
Since 2020, Anderton has worked tirelessly to make the house, built in 1994, an “energy efficient compound,” with new Energy Star windows, LED lighting, dual geothermal heating system, and 60 grid-fed solar panels on the roof. Even after National Grid’s recent rate hike, his monthly energy bill is just $19.
(He sets his thermostat at 50 degrees, “the lowest setting I can,” and leaves it.)
When friends ask if his close to off-the-grid lifestyle is some sort of political statement, Anderton admits that his thinking is much more practical than that.
“I like to save money,” he said.
Besides efficiency, the house is a technological wonder, with remote-controlled and app-controlled power over the lights, thermostat, hot water and even the showerheads.
It is no wonder that he said that of the eight properties he and his wife, Colleen, have bought since they married 23 years ago, this one “is at the top.”
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Energy efficient Oswego County raised ranch has six bedrooms
“It has the privacy of the country, a retreat in the backyard,” he said last week, “and plenty of space to entertain.”
His family was living in a house in Cicero when they moved to Constantia on Memorial Day weekend in 2020, as the pandemic shutdowns were ratcheting up.
The couple were caring for three foster children and desperately needed more space.
“We needed more bedrooms,” Anderton said. “This one even had spares.”
While he transformed the interior with modern bells and whistles, the almost acre-and-a-half property was great for old-fashioned family pursuits.
His kids raised chickens in a coop, planted vegetable and flower gardens together, picked blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. They rode ATVs and four-wheelers. There were deer, wild turkeys and rabbits.
They enjoyed the peaceful serenity on the 52-foot-by-30-foot back deck he had built. Anderton installed glass ballast railings so as to not interrupt the views.
He freely admits he “overbuilt” the deck, thinking that he might someday add a hot tub outside of the massive primary suite.
It was kind of a pattern.
“If I’m building something for my enjoyment,” he said, “I do it big.”
He calls it “Kevin-ization” or making things “Kevin-ized.”
Anderton researched how to do things, figured then out, and brought his knowledge from his studies of technology and emergency preparedness to his home.
The raised ranch opens with a set of stairs.
Downstairs there are three bedrooms and a large family room. There is in-floor heat and a powerful new wood stove.
The family space was where they gathered, watching movies or football and basketball games on a 110-inch projection television.
He keeps a wood-working shop downstairs and there is plenty of room for storage.
The main level has a living room which easily opens into an eat-in kitchen.
The kitchen features beautiful wood cabinets, a farmhouse sink, and stainless appliances. The stove is electric. The fridge and dishwasher are new.
A wet bar area, with a bonus freezer, joins the kitchen with the massive primary bedroom.
The space, accessible through French doors, is about 900 square feet. It was part of an addition done by the previous owner.
Anderton and Colleen used the space as a bedroom, den, and office. The room is so spacious, they stacked seasonal furniture from the deck by the sliding glass door during the winter. The room can accommodate a king-sized bed.
He left the almost new TV there. It can be turned so it can be seen at any point inside the room.
The suite’s bathroom features vibrant blue tile and an incredible walk-in shower. Anderton’s cleverness can be seen in here too.
He bought the cubbies across from the toilet for all of Colleen’s “stuff.”
“I thought of her and her ease,” he said whenever he did any upgrades.
The suite is so private that Anderton said he could not hear the kids down in the lower level and vice versa.
The upper level has two guest bedrooms, another full bathroom, with a new vanity and medicine cabinet, and the laundry.
The home is freshly painted, has new carpeting, and new light fixtures. The entire house has new siding.
The detached two-car garage has a poured concrete floor and new roof and siding.
After all the work, Anderton figured he would probably spend at least another five to ten years at his home. But with the kids moving on, he thinks the time has come to downsize.
He plans to stay in the area and is looking forward to “using my imagination” to design another home.
An open house is scheduled for Sunday, December 14, from noon to 3 p.m.
For more information about this property, please contact Realtor Ryan Millard of Coldwell Banker Prime Properties. His contact info is below.
THE DETAILS
Address: 229 County Route 23A, Constantia, NY 13044
Price: $369,900
Size: 2,576 square feet
Acreage: 1.46 acres
Monthly Mortgage: $1,811 (based on the national average rate of 6.19%, according to Freddie Mac on December 4, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20% down payment. Fees and points not included.)
Taxes: $7,021 (Based on assessed value of $181,400)
Built: 1994
School District: Central Square
Kitchen: Kevin Anderton’s eat-in kitchen has stainless appliances and a farmhouse sink. The dishwasher and the refrigerator are new. The stove and oven are electric. Beautiful wood cabinetry provides more than ample storage. More room can be found in a bonus space that separates the kitchen from the primary suite. This area has a freezer and a wet bar.
Living areas: This raised ranch has 2,576 square feet. The top level has a living room which flows into the eat-in kitchen. Anderton brought floating shelves for the space from his previous home. The top level has the laundry room. The lower level has a large family room where the family watched movies together. Added in 2020, the wood stove down there helps cut energy costs. The level has his workshop and room for storage. The interior is freshly painted and has new carpeting throughout. Updated by Anderton since he moved in, the home has Energy Star windows, new LED lighting, dual geothermal heating systems, and 60 grid-fed solar panels on the roof. They have reduced monthly energy bills down to $19. Lights, thermostat and other smart technology is found throughout.
Bedrooms: The primary suite, part of an addition done by the previous owner is the home’s centerpiece. At about 900 square feet, the space is massive and is used as a bedroom, den, and office. It can accommodate a king-sized bed. Anderton is leaving the big TV which can be angled so it can be enjoyed at any point inside the room. It has access to the back deck. There are two additional bedrooms on the main level and three more on the lower level. Each has their own closet.
Bathrooms: There are two bathrooms on the main level. The primary features stunning blue tile and a walk-in shower. The guest bathroom has a new vanity and medicine cabinet.
Outdoors: Located just 30 minutes from downtown Syracuse, this 1.46-acre property is quiet and serene. Anderton’s foster children raised chickens, fruits and vegetables in gardens. There are deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, and chipmunks. The 52-foot-by-30-foot back deck is great for summer parties and quiet evenings. Anderton used glass ballast for railings to not interrupt the views. The house has new siding as does the two-car detached garage.
Agent: Ryan Millard, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
Coldwell Banker Prime Properties
Address: 8233 Park Ridge Path, Liverpool, NY 13090
Phone: (315) 727-4062
Email: Ryan.Millard@coldwellbankerprime.com
Website: Ryan Millard
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