DEL HAVEN — The sunny cottage at 4 Rutledge Ave. in the Del Haven section of Middle Township seems to be composed entirely of opposites: it’s just off Bayshore Drive, but it’s at the spot where busy old Bayshore becomes a scenic causeway heading past marshlands, creeks and parks.
That lasts for about a mile before it meanders back into civilization: passing through the little village of Del Haven, making a hard right at Millman Boulevard to head east and north to all the world beyond.
As such, the home is very conveniently located for a place that feels like an escape from the world. The ruggedly picturesque Sunray Beach is only three short blocks away, but this little hamlet of simple cottages with the odd mansion thrown in for good measure ambles up to Delaware Bay so casually that one could almost trip into the waves. There’s a refreshing lack of pretense about this beach-y neighborhood, although the scalloped shingles and bright colors of the homes signal a certain amount of fun, and (dare we say it?) whimsy is welcome here.
The home is exactly what the brain pictures when any combination of the words “childhood,” “grandma” and “summers” is uttered: a sweet and charming one-story cottage set back just a bit from the sidewalk, with decorative shutters and the classic fish-scale shingles nestled under the roof peaks.
The home is raised just a bit from ground level, allowing a welcoming front deck slightly above most of the bugs in summer and keeping any packages delivered dry above the winter rains.
The back of the house has an even larger deck, adding a full room’s worth of living space to the place, but the indoors offers more than one would guess from the modest proportions visible from the street.
The front door opens to a large, sunny living room with carpet warming up the space kept cool in summer by central air conditioning and a palm-leaf ceiling fan. This room leads back to the galley kitchen, fully updated with white cabinets, a tile backsplash, stainless appliances and wide-plank hardwood floors.
A bright window over the sink looks out onto the lot, which is also surprisingly large at 5,600 square feet. The galley kitchen ends at a small dining room, slightly behind the kitchen but with the same flooring.
The path winds past the dining table to the back door, where the garden and deck await. Also here are the laundry and utility rooms and a powder room.
Between the kitchen and the dining area, a pocket door leads to the biggest surprise in the house: an enclosed sitting room that could also be a spare bedroom, office, playroom or gym. This room sits back a bit from the front of the home, feeling just a little apart from the path of traffic and center of activity.
It might offer much needed respite or a place to work on hobbies or homework in relative peace on a hectic day for the family, or it could open up and hold more guests for family dinners and celebrations.
In addition, there are three bedrooms on the other side of the house. The primary bedroom has its own ensuite bath, and both of these spaces are much brighter and larger than one expects, if one has forgotten that this home was built in 2002.
It’s not the usual mid-century bungalow one could rightfully come to expect in this area, although it blends in from the street. Those older homes are darling, but they always offer a sobering choice: live with the updates some previous owner made, or attempt the renovation now.
Among other electrical and roofing concerns, those older homes never had very large bedrooms, though they are charming in every other respect.
The home at 4 Rutledge Ave. can boast better accessibility for older guests or those who have mobility concerns: there’s ample room to turn a chair in the bedroom, and a ramp from the back deck indicates it has been recently updated with accessibility in mind.
While it might not be high on the list of attributes one dreams of, right up there next to “beach down the block” and “large yard for the littles to play in,” it can definitely add to one’s peace of mind.
No worries about renting the property when not in use, with these features one can actually reach an unfortunately often ignored group of prospective renters. If this home is used as the family residence, there are no worries about hosting guests who have need of safer access.
In fact, if one raises a family here, and the younger members of this family use the soccer fields, playground, tennis courts and other recreational amenities just across Bayshore Road at Cape May County Park South that is quite literally steps away, this home is crutch-and-boot-proof. (Ask any parents of grown children.)
The two slightly smaller bedrooms share a powder room, meaning those kids can share a space but the parents can have their own bathroom, which is helpful for busy mornings — and everyone’s sanity.
The benefits to the health of the owner don’t stop there: in addition to sea breezes, space to grow a garden and a less-hectic pace in the neighborhood, there also is the large back deck perfect for outdoor cooking and dining. No need to order takeout every night (no matter how tempting the local options are, because Bayshore Road passes some of the best family dining spots in Cape May County) with this inviting space just steps from the efficiently designed kitchen, cooking al fresco is a snap.
The fenced-in yard backs up to a privacy screen of mature trees, rustling in the wind and creating the perfect environment for a private oasis. Long summer sunsets were made for a deck like this, still a bit salty from the late-afternoon swim at Sunray Beach, smelling the grill work its magic and, above all, not worrying about a thing.
One more surprise is in store: solar panels have been installed on the roof above that extra sitting room to help keep energy costs low. Plan for the future with every advantage, and those summer days will be even more relaxing.
