Find Me A Beach House | Manhattan Beach

We have a fascination with the beach. For some, the ultimate goal is to live as close to the water as possible. For others, it's about hearing the crashing of the waves. And sometimes, it's all about the lifestyle. The challenge is to find a house that will suit our buyers' needs. Welcome to Find Me a Beach House. Today, we meet Jacqueline and Josh to help them find their home by the beach. We'll take them to Manhattan Beach and Playa del Rey to tour three stunning homes in hopes of finding them the right one. Well, hello, Jacqueline and Josh. Here we are at the beach. It's nice to see you glowing in the beautiful sunshine here. We are in Manhattan Beach, California, and we are also going to go to Playa del Rey today. But tell me what it is you're looking for in a beach house. I think views. We want that wow factor when somebody comes, visits us, and we just love looking at the ocean. So that's just a big plus to have an amazing view. You're saying that as I have an amazing view of the ocean behind you. Strolling on the sand here, getting my toes warm. Josh, what are you looking for in a beach house? Yeah, similar. I mean, I grew up in Pennsylvania where it's always cold and snowy, and I said, if I got the chance to move to Southern California, I always had to live near the beach. So for me, location, location, location, of course. Close to restaurants, things to do to have that kind of work-life balance and make it really easy without having to deal with the LA traffic. And what is our budget for this house? I think $4 to $6. Yeah, $4 to $6 million would probably be okay. Well, we're going to see three gorgeous homes today here in Southern California. Are you ready and excited to go see house number one? Yes, very excited. We're stoked. Okay, let's do it. All right, we are now at house number one. So we're here in Manhattan Beach, California, and this home is a three-bedroom, three-bath, 2,000-square-foot home. To me, this is the epitome of modern coastal fun. So are you ready to see inside house number one? We're ready. Very excited. Okay, let's go in. So we're in Manhattan Beach, and we're at 600 Anderson in Manhattan Beach. And what's beautiful is we're a corner lot in the hill section of Manhattan Beach. So it's a south-facing corner lot, so you get lots of sunshine. It's oversized, so it gives you a large yard, which is very rare, with a pool, a sport court, and plenty of green grass. Yeah, the curb appeal, I was honestly, it looks a lot smaller from the outside. So when I walked in and I saw how bright and open everything was, I was pretty shocked. All right, so we step into house number one, which is a two-story home with fabulous views. I love these windows, especially the corner window here in the living room. So here in this space, we've got these beautiful high ceilings with the exposed beams painted out in that white wood. We're standing on bleached oak floors, which are so beach-chic to me. And then as we look around, we've got our fireplace here in the great sitting area. We've got the dining and the kitchen. It's a really open and expansive space. Totally. I love the corner window. I like the open feel, and with all the glass, it feels like we're almost outside right now. So how do you like this particular vibe? Because this is very beachy. Yeah, like you say, you get that with the exposed wood, and you do get that beach-esque feel. Now taking a closer look at this lovely kitchen, and this island I think is absolutely gorgeous. I love the marble work here, the cute pendants that are hanging above. We've got white shaker cabinetry here, and then we've got the farmhouse sink behind us. We've got great Caesar stone countertops, and the open shelves with the subway backsplash really has this very modern but comfy vibe. Stainless steel gourmet appliances everywhere, including the peek-a-boo refrigerator. Lots of great touches in this space. Totally. I love to cook, so I could definitely see myself cooking in here. So my favorite feature would definitely be the kitchen. I love to cook. Josh loves to cook, and it's a perfect entertainer's kitchen for sure. And I love to cook too, if she knows that. So this is great. I mean, there's a lot of, I mean, this area here with the island is great. I mean, you can throw all your, get your steaks ready, get everything ready for the grill especially in here. And then if you need to do anything back here, there's plenty of room. Like the kitchen has a cozy vibe to it, even though it's light, bright, and airy, which is helped by all these windows around us. It's got its own little nook here, but it opens so beautifully to the other spaces, like the dining room, the living room, and those fabulous views. Yeah, perfect. We love to entertain, so this is perfect. So here we are in this cozy bedroom, which I, again, feel is so charming. It's such a pretty space, lots of bright lights, fabulous closet doors with mirrors that just let the light bounce around everywhere. And then the bathroom is so beautifully well done. You've got this fabulous black tile set in a straight set on the backsplash, and then these gorgeous walnut cabinets with the vanity and the brass touches that are very modern and chic, and yet definitely have a sense of warmth and coziness to give it that beach vibe. So how are you feeling in this space? I love how bright and open it feels. Yeah, it feels very homey, you know, a nice place to call at the end of the day every day. Yeah, it's very cozy. It is cozy. Now, could you see yourself here in this neighborhood, which is a very charming family neighborhood here in Manhattan Beach? Yeah, it seems very quiet, you know, away from a little bit of the hustle bustle of every day and a way to escape a little bit. Totally has the retreat vibe in here. Yeah, for sure. I agree. Yeah. And then when she took us down to the backyard, and I saw how open and big it was, I was pretty amazed. Welcome to your own private paradise. Now, this is really rare in Manhattan Beach. We have a lot that's about 7,000 square feet, and we have a swimming pool with waterfall feature coming off that gorgeous modern stone, an integrated hot tub there sunken into the pool, and a huge backyard. Synthetic lawn, so it is perfect for the beach. No maintenance at all. We've got this fabulous covered portico, even a basketball court area. I was not expecting the size of this yard. It's absolutely amazing, and I'm in love with the pool. For sure. I mean, lots to do, especially having the basketball court and the place to watch games outside. I mean, that to me is a real bonus. I mean, when the guys come over, I mean, you have a basketball court, you have the pool, and you have this incredible line area here with games and watch TV outside. I mean, this kind of sells the home. It really does. It's such a fabulous outdoor space. As you said, for entertaining, for playing, for relaxing, lots of room here. What do you think the price is here in Manhattan Beach? In the $4 million range? Yeah, I would think in the five, plus or minus. Put your numbers together, you're right. This is listed at $4.8 million. It seems to be well in range with other homes that we've looked at. So I wasn't too shocked. Yeah, I wasn't shocked. It seems to be in line with the comps of the area. When we come back, we'll see this exclusive home just steps away from the iconic Manhattan Beach. Then we take our buyers to Playa Del Rey to see a stunning home with spectacular ocean views. We're helping Jacqueline and Josh find their ultimate beach house. Now I'm showing them this exclusive modern home just steps away from iconic Manhattan Beach. All right, we're now at house number two. We are now in Manhattan Beach at the beach. House number two is five bedrooms, four baths, which includes a guest suite. And it is about 2,700 square feet. We are literally steps to the ocean. And this is a walk street here in Manhattan Beach. So it's very private, very exclusive. You basically have your own private little neighborhood here. So you ready to see inside house number two? Yes. Definitely. Come on in. So we're currently in Manhattan Beach on a walk street, which is about a block to town and only nine homes to the sand. Location was exactly what we're looking for, close to the beach. Sand in sight and being on the walk street again was of utmost importance because you felt like you're in your own little neighborhood without hearing the cars driving by every day. We are now in house number two. And this is such an interesting build because it's a combination of an industrial modern and a beach house chic. So you can hear the ocean breezes coming through and the waves crashing because we are just steps to the ocean. And as you look around, you see those industrial modern touches I was talking about. Like we have the beautiful exposed girders on the ceiling. We have these horizontal steel bars for our railings. We have some really cool modern touches, but then some of the cozier elements as well, like all those beautiful glass windows and doors that open to the outside. Just some really interesting touches here that give it a balance of coastal cool and ultra modern. I love the layout here and I love the indoor outdoor. It's absolutely gorgeous. My favorite feature is the indoor outdoor entertainment area upstairs because you get the open vibe and it opens up to this very inviting outdoor space with the views of the ocean and the surrounding area. Yeah, for me, this is really unique. The indoor outdoor, the elevated type patio and coming from like manufacturing, I really love the exposed. Like you see the trusses, but it becomes part of the living space. It's really cool. It really does. It becomes a decorative element and not just structural. So could you see yourself entertaining here? Totally. So this kitchen is actually quite expansive and I love all of the touches that are in here. We've got shaker style cabinets with the glass doors behind us. We have the Caesar stone countertops in this beautiful charcoal color. We have a couple different service bar areas as well as the entertainer's bar. So on this island, you've got a great place for dining, for cooking, our gourmet appliances as well and a little butler's pantry. It's really got everything you could hope for in this kitchen. I love how open it is and I love the dining room and the kitchen so much. I could definitely see us entertaining here as well. We can cook and then have pretty much the ocean right here. So yeah, this is a real plus. I mean, it's the kitchen's inviting. It's open to where you'd be entertaining. I mean, this island has everything you need. You got the stovetop and of course, the wine cooler, which is important. And this is a great entertainer's spot because this area flows into multiple levels. It's a really unique floor plan. So it's a really interesting space that feels open and airy. And yet it's also really cozy. Are you getting that feeling? Totally getting that vibe. Yeah, it's like I said, it's very inviting. It just feels like, you know, if you brought someone here, they want to be here. We step inside the primary suite and you are at the beach. These glass walls with the steel-framed windows overlook the ocean, this private walk street. You really feel like you're part of the outdoors. But of course, the roller shades give you total privacy when you're ready. A beautiful fireplace with Venetian plaster, lovely hardwood floors, and a really cozy, intimate space in here. Then the bathroom is this cool black and white bathroom with a fabulous pattern tile on the floor, lots of bright light, a really airy space, and a big walk-in closet. I love the fireplace. It makes the room so cozy. And actually, I love the walk-in closet. That's very important for me. So my top features that I absolutely love in this house would be the walk-in closet. I love the fireplace in the bedroom. It makes it super cozy. And I love the view. I love that I could see Catalina right here. Spacious, inviting. I love that there's so much glass and it's on the walk street. So you don't have to look at the vehicles going by or the noise, which is very important. We have unbelievable views all the way to Catalina Island over the Pacific Ocean. We have this fabulous built-in here with a great fire pit. This fire pit is also a fire table. So you can entertain, stay warm, and enjoy the outdoor space. There's a built-in outdoor kitchen, as well as other seating areas. And this covered canopy here gives you a little bit of shade in the hot sun. But right now, we're enjoying that cool ocean breeze. I would literally spend all my time up here. It's gorgeous. Yeah, for me, this is fantastic. The view's great. Having the grill is great. But even the layout reminds me of some of those LA places we like to hang out in. I mean, it's set up exactly the same way. So it's really up my alley. Yeah, entertaining here to me is a no-brainer. The outdoor space feels like somewhere you'd take your friends to in LA, but you don't need to leave the home. I mean, you can do it from here. We even have a fire pit right here, so it's perfect. Yeah, exactly, yep. What do you think the price is? Closer to $6,000. I'm also guessing closer to $6,000. Well, you two are correct. So this home is listed at $5.8 million. So it is a million dollars more than the last house, but it's got a million-dollar view. For me, I mean, it's a bigger home. It has more bedrooms. And you have the large entertainment area that's outdoor and overlooking the ocean. So I mean, location obviously is going to drive a higher premium. When we come back, we'll tour a home in Playa del Rey overlooking the ocean. And coming up, we'll see which home our buyers will pick on this beach house property hunt. We're helping Jacqueline and Josh find their dream home by the beach. We've seen two properties already. Now we're in Playa del Rey to tour this home with stunning ocean views. The views here are spectacular. You have stunning views of the marina. And you're so close, you can almost touch it. It's fantastic. Short walking distance to the beach, shopping, and great restaurants. All right, we're now at house number three. We are here in Playa del Rey at house number three. This home is three bedrooms, two and a half baths in the main house. Plus, there's a whole separate studio that's an additional bedroom and bathroom. So you've got some real opportunities here for live workspace, guest suites, or rentals. Are you ready to see inside house number three? Yes. We're ready. Okay, let's go. We step inside house number three. And of course, the first thing you see are these unbelievably beautiful views of the ocean. It's just such a beautiful, breathtaking vista. But this home is beautiful. Everything from the stacked stone detailing around the fireplace, and some of the architectural details, to these beautiful bleached wood floors, all these gorgeous windows. It's such a bright, airy space. Yet, it really feels cozy as we step into the living room. So you've got these just really neat coastal vibe pieces. Well, I love how cozy and intimate it feels in the living area. But I just, I did not think that the views would keep getting better. I'm in love with this view. Yeah, for me, I like the quaint living area, how it opens up into this expansive space here. And with the elevated view, it actually adds to, you get to see kind of the entire area. I mean, the view here is a complete different view, which is, I would think, completely rare. I mean, you're looking, you see Culver City, you see part of Beverly Hills, all through the marina, all the way to Malibu, and all the way down the coast. I mean, it is breathtaking what we're seeing here. I love the vibe here. I mean, the last house was great. But this is much more homey and cozier, I think. Yeah, I agree. And it's a different vibe. You know, it's two good vibes, but they're different, right? So you have to compare and contrast. Here in this beautiful kitchen, there's so much space, so much gorgeous sunshine coming in. We have these great windows with the mullions that really give us that traditional feel. We've got the painted white cabinetry, but then we have those modern touches, like the stainless steel appliances, Viking top ends, and then, of course, the gorgeous granite countertops everywhere. Well, I definitely would see myself cooking here. I would get so excited to cook in here. It's so spacious. It kind of has a cottage feel to it, and I love that. And then, obviously, the view is breathtaking. Yeah, for me, the same. I love how open it is. It's not like a lot of times you're in a kitchen, and you're moving around, and you feel like you're going to bang your hip off things. And here, you've got that coastal feeling. Yet, when you look out, all you see is you're seeing Malibu, and it's breathtaking, the view from here. Step into this wonderful primary suite with that unbelievable view. I mean, the views really do just keep getting better and better. This room is cozy and intimate, yet because it's got this huge window and the private balcony for the bedroom, it's like the space never ends. There's so much sunlight coming in, beautiful ocean breezes, and then you can cozy up by the fireplace when you're staying warm from those breezes. This is by far my favorite bedroom. I mean, the bedroom alone has me sold on this house. Wow. I mean, it's so open, and the lighting is perfect. And then you walk out into this amazing balcony. It is a really great spot. Plus, it has the walk-in closet, the bathroom with that beautiful mosaic tile. It's got some really special touches here. I actually have not seen a patio in a bedroom that large like that on a beach. Also, the different layer of outdoor entertainment, each layer or each level, it's a different experience. I mean, you have your private space up top. You kind of have your entertaining EV area. And then on the bottom, you have your pool, jacuzzi, I mean, for your water sports and water fun. So I mean, it was really a different experience for home number three. Now, is that a view or is that a view? We are looking out over Playa del Rey all the way to Malibu. We have this amazing little outdoor space here. And this is such an interesting spot because this home has multiple levels of entertaining. So here, we're right off the living room, great little outdoor seating area, outdoor bar, looking out at the world. But then you step down to the next level, you have a swimming pool, you have a hot tub. Above you, you've got that great balcony, which becomes the portico that covers us down below. So just so many interesting, great places for entertaining here. I love, it feels like a rooftop lounge up here. And like our favorite spots in Santa Monica and Venice, we love rooftop lounges. So this would be perfect. Getting to come back from the beach, you can walk to the ocean, walk to the park to get to then come back and go in your hot tub, take a dip in the pool. It's pretty fun. What do you think this costs here in Playa del Rey? 4.2. I'm gonna stick in the mid fours to five. Also pretty good, but I've got it even better. This house is listed at $3.9 million. Oh, wow. I was not expecting that. Wonderful. It is wonderful. Another great thing about house number three is the price. I mean, how could you beat this price? $2 million cheaper. There's a lot to weigh out. In fact, I wanna let the two of you talk because this is a huge decision. Let me give you some time alone, weigh this big decision. And then when I come back, I wanna find out which beach house you've chosen. Okay. All right, awesome. When we come back, we'll see if we found Jacqueline and Josh, their ultimate beach house. Now it's time to see if they've come to a decision. Well, Jacqueline and Josh, don't you have big smiles on your faces? Yes, we do. We do. Very pleasant day. I wanna hear all about your day. Tell me what your thoughts are about house number one. Okay, so we loved house number one. We loved the backyard, amazing space for entertainment, and I loved the kitchen and I love to cook. So it was perfect for that, but the bedroom was just a little on the smaller side. So that was a downside to that. Similar thoughts. I mean, house number one, again, the kitchen was great. The living area was great. Bedroom was, for me, too small. And the master bathroom was too small. So that was a big, say, con for me. The outside entertainment was fantastic. I mean, that was the pool with the waterfall, loved it. Tell me about house number two. So we loved house number two. We thought the location was amazing, close to downtown Manhattan Beach, where we frequent a lot. And then on top of it, just the bedroom was spacious, great walk-in closet. There's even a nice fireplace. And then the architecture, just with the kitchen, the dining room, and then the indoor-outdoor living space was breathtaking. And we just loved that view of Catalina Island. Yeah, house number two, to me, when you walked in, it had that kind of pop-wow factor. I mean, I love the industrialized look of this, the ceiling joists exposed, location on the walking street, you know, location to the sand. I mean, everything was in walking distance. And the outdoor entertainment, where you could spend time with your friends. Like I said, I always kept telling Jackie, it looks like somewhere you'd take your friends in LA. I mean, you have that outdoor look with the fire pit and everything. I mean, to me, it was really, really something to see. And then how about house number three? So house number three, this was hard for me. So I love the bedroom. It's so spacious and large, amazing balcony with amazing view. But it's a little farther from the beach than we would like. But what was great about it was just the different levels here that you can entertain. There's three, I think, three levels. And then there's a pool, jacuzzi. Just, it's amazing here. Yeah, house number three to me had a very homey feel. Like it was very inviting. I can imagine my parents coming here and just falling in love with it, right? Because it kind of flows between the rooms. And then the view to me was the best. I mean, it was not just of the sand or the ocean. It was the entire coastal area. I mean, you could see from Malibu. You could see the jetty of Marina del Rey. You could see Santa Monica. I mean, you really got that. And then with the different levels of the outdoor entertainment space, you had three different levels. And each level was for a different purpose. So you could, and you got a different view with each one. So I thought that was super cool about it. They have been super cool homes. We've seen three very different homes. All really spectacular. Which beach house have you chosen? Number two. Definitely number two. Yeah, number two. Okay, well, what made the decision for you? We love the location. We love how easy accessible the beach is. I mean, we literally just out the front door, we can walk to the beach and have our feet in the sand. So we love that feature. And another great thing about house number two is just the indoor outdoor. It was the most expensive, but when you walked in, you felt that it was worth that. I mean, you got that feeling of just the features and the way the architectures. I mean, it felt like a $6 million house. It just felt that way. I'm so excited with our decision. We went with house number two. And the first thing we're gonna do when we move in is light up that fire pit and have an awesome barbecue and invite all of our friends. Exactly. It's gonna be fantastic. We can't wait to show it to our friends and family and be really proud of our new investment. Well, there you have it. I'm so glad we could find our buyers their ultimate beach abode. Join us next time on Find Me a Beach House.