August 2026 · What to buy, keep and fix
Columbine West: Two 4-Day Sales. Two Very Different Kitchens.
Allison and Yukon sold near $600,000 with very different kitchens. See what each house offered, what you could keep, and why seller credits matter.
Previous coverage · Columbine West / Littleton / 80128 · August 25, 2026
Build the family flip. Four beds, a finished basement, and no half-finished rooms.
What changed in our advice
Last time, we favored a full remodel. We cited an $805,000 median price for updated homes across ZIP 80128.
Median means the middle sale price, from low to high. A closer look at the homes makes that advice more useful.
Allison and Yukon found buyers in four days, near $600,000. Their smaller Columbine West homes had very different kitchens.
Chestnut and Fairview found buyers in one day. They were larger homes in Columbine Knolls South.
Check what can stay, and price each area on its own.
The old dates were July 27–August 24; these are August 1–31, 2026. They overlap, so this is not a month-to-month price test.
Same speed, different kitchens
Yukon had brown cabinets and tile counters. Allison had white cabinets and light solid-surface counters. Both found buyers in four days.
So do you need to tear out the old kitchen? First find out what the buyer gets with the whole house. There is no prize for filling the dumpster early.
The homes that beat the average
Days on market, or DOM, means days listed before going under contract. It does not include the wait to close. It is not the full time you own the flip.
The 29 sales we studied in ZIP 80128 averaged 38.0 days. The seven marked Updated/Remodeled averaged 11 days. One 418-day listing raised the first average, so use it with care.
| Home that closed in August | Area named in the listing | Finished square feet | Sale price | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7019 S Allison Way | Columbine West | 1,984 | $589,995 | 4 |
| 7003 S Yukon Street | Columbine West | 1,948 | $600,000 | 4 |
| 8247 W Chestnut Avenue | Columbine Knolls South | 2,973 | $768,000 | 1 |
| 7219 W Fairview Drive | Columbine Knolls South | 3,687 | $805,000 | 1 |
Chestnut and Fairview tied for fastest in the ZIP. Their larger homes should not set prices for smaller West houses.
What the photos show
We checked current photos for all four homes. Materials such as granite come from listing details, not looks alone.
| Part of the house | Allison: four days | Yukon: four days | Chestnut: one day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinets | White framed doors and black bar pulls. | Brown cabinet doors. | Brown wood-tone doors and matching island. |
| Counters and backsplash | Light speckled counters; listing says solid surface. White subway tile. | Speckled tile counters with visible seams. Listing confirms tile. | Listing says granite. Tan diagonal tile with dark diamond shapes. |
| Floor and lights | Large gray floor tiles and slim black hanging lights. | Cream square floor tiles and stainless appliances. | Warm wood look, box-shaped ceiling lights and lights under cabinets. |
| Kitchen layout | Counter reaches toward the living room. | Open kitchen, dining and living space; central cooking counter. | Island and long row of windows toward the yard. |
| Bath photos checked | White double vanity, black fixtures and dark-framed shower. | We did not check bath details. | Brown vanities, broad mirrors, drop-in tub and tan/gray tile. |
See Allison's photos, Yukon's photos and Chestnut's photos.
Fairview had white cabinet doors, black cup pulls and round knobs. Its counters were speckled granite, according to the listing. Photos show beige diagonal backsplash tile and a wood-looking floor.
An extended counter gave people a place to sit. The family room had green-painted brick around the fireplace. It also had a white mantel and built-in cabinets.
Upstairs photos show pale walls and light carpet. The listing says the paint and carpet were new. It also says the main bath was updated; we did not check its photos. Fairview's photos and listing.
Brown cabinets and gray tile both showed up. Check how a kitchen works before judging its color.
Look at how people would use the house
Where would someone work? Where could a guest sleep? Could people watch television without taking over the kitchen?
Allison had three bedrooms upstairs. Below were a second living space, fireplace, half bath and laundry. The agent also reported a newer roof and concrete driveway.
A new deck led to the yard. Photos show pale siding, dark garage doors and large trees. The two-car garage had backyard access. Allison's listing.
Yukon had a fourth bedroom beside its lower family room. That floor also had a bathroom with a shower. The fenced 0.20-acre yard had both a deck and patio.
Its large two-car garage had an outside door. The agent puts Columbine West Park and Pool about one block away. Coal Mine Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard were nearby routes.
This does not mean the house backs to the park. Yukon's listing.
What made the one-day homes worth a closer look?
Chestnut was on a cul-de-sac, according to its listing. The lot was 0.23 acre, with large trees. Photos show tall ceilings and windows facing the backyard.
It also had a three-car garage. The agent lists insulation, fans and an epoxy-coated garage floor. The listing says its Class 4 roof was about two years old.
It also marks a greenbelt setting, which we could not check. Confirm the boundary and access before giving that feature a value. It does not prove direct access to Chatfield. Chestnut's listing.
Fairview was one block from West Laurel Park, the agent says. Four bedrooms were upstairs, with a separate office on the main floor. Working at home would not require giving up a bedroom.
Its quarter-acre yard had a patio, raised beds, trees and a shed. The listing also names a car charger and a 2024 electrical panel. Heating, cooling and the water heater were listed as 2018 units. Fairview's listing.
Those features may mean fewer jobs after moving. We cannot know what made the buyers choose. Check repairs and dates before relying on them.
A fast sale can still cost the seller money
Seller credits are money the seller agrees to pay as part of the sale. They reduce what the seller keeps.
Chestnut sold $7,000 below its $775,000 asking price. Fairview sold $10,000 below its $815,000 ask. Neither had a listed seller credit.
Yukon sold for $600,000 but gave the buyer $22,000 in credits. That left $578,000 before other selling costs. Allison sold for $589,995 with no credit.
The difference after those credits was $11,995. That is not profit. We cannot blame the gap on cabinet color.
Two slower sales add another check. 7216 S Pierce Court, in Columbine West, took 19 days. Its photos show a white/gray kitchen; it still beat the ZIP average. Pierce's photo tour.
7454 W Otero Place, in Columbine Knolls South, took 43 days. Its listing describes a quartz-and-island kitchen, yet the seller gave a $20,000 credit. New counters alone cannot set the sale price or timing. Otero's listing.
Where to buy, what to keep, what to fix
In Columbine West, start with homes like Allison and Yukon. Look around 1,950–2,000 finished square feet, with three or four bedrooms. Favor useful lower rooms, two-car garages and yards people can use.
Check streets around the park-and-pool area near Yukon. Walk the route and listen for traffic. Compare prices with similar nearby homes that sold.
Keep sound cabinets if they fit the home's needs. Fix broken drawers, worn counters and poor lighting. Check floors, baths and appliances before choosing what to replace.
Allison gives you an example for a larger repair job. Match cabinet fronts, keep tile simple and finish needed bathroom repairs. Check the deck, driveway and roof too.
Search Columbine Knolls South on its own. Look near West Laurel Park and the cul-de-sacs around Chestnut. Keep useful offices, bedrooms, garage space, light and yard access.
Brown cabinets may be worth keeping if they are sound. New paint or lights may help without a full tear-out. The home's condition and nearby sale prices should guide the work.
These are finished sale prices, not offers to make on fixers. Allow for repairs, credits, selling costs, loan costs and delays. Leave room for profit when reviewing current investment opportunities.
Source: REcolorado single-family sales closing August 1–31, 2026, pulled September 10. We excluded homes marked as new builds, models or builder-owned. These sales are not all proven flips. An empty condition box does not prove a home needs work.