The builders of 1748 West Cortland Street must have had a crystal ball that predicted Bucktown real estate’s desirability when they erected the 2,200-square-foot house in 1890. They designed it with the potential to expand upward in an area where space is now a hot commodity; the neighborhood’s median price per square foot has increased from $115 to $235 over the past five years, according to Redfin data.

“It was built so it could be modularly added onto,” says Leigh Marcus, a real estate agent with @properties who secured the listing. The all-brick exterior is punctured by a group of windows in the center of the front of the house that extend beyond roof level. That’s where the home could be expanded—in theory, anyway. None of the home’s previous owners over the past 127 years have attempted such renovations, though the option remains.

“It’s the perfect place for somebody who has vision,” Marcus says. “The buyers get that and can make it their own.” The home listed for $830,000 on January 3, a seven-percent increase over the $775,000 price it sold for three years ago. A pending offer was in place just nine days later. The deal hasn’t officially closed, so the sale price has not yet been revealed, but Marcus’ team says the offer was near the asking price.

The unconventional exterior is complemented by an equally unconventional layout inside. The first floor is a separate one-bed, one-bath rental unit. It’s currently rented, though it could be reconfigured and combined with the primary home’s living space.

The main unit is “really one giant room,” Marcus says. It’s split among three lofted floors, the first of which has an eat-in kitchen and a large, open-concept living room and dining room that seems even larger thanks to 20-foot ceilings. Up one flight of stairs is a lofted space that could work as a child’s bedroom, a home office, or a second living room. The master suite, along with an en suite bathroom and walk-in closet, sits on the top level and is graced with an abundance of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the north and south sides of the room.

Whether the new buyers decide to add onto the home or leave it as-is, they’ll be treated to its prime Bucktown location (the 606 and the Clybourn Metra station are both within a five-block walk), a private backyard, and a brick, two-car garage that matches the style of the home.