Turn-of-the-century turnaround: You can have it for $449,500

Bob Sauer and Robert Zoller were given a well deserved Edina Heritage Award in 2009 for reviving the 1911 Coddington House, named after its first owner, Elmer Coddington.

When the men bought the ramshackle Craftsman-style home in 1989, the roof was leaking, plaster was falling from the ceiling and orange shag carpet covered the hardwood floors.

They couldn't even see the home from the road because the yard was so overgrown with scrubby bushes and trees.

Over the next 20 years, Sauer and Zoller tirelessly repaired and replaced everything from the kitchen stove to the asbestos siding. Now the charming home is covered in cedar shake shingles.

They also cut down scores of trees to let in light and designed the crowning jewel of the nearly 1-acre property -- diverse terraced gardens connected by cobblestone paths and accented with yard art.

But the vast gardens require time and hard work and that's one of the reasons why the two retirees are selling. They plan to migrate to Arizona in the winter and buy a turn-key townhouse in Edina for the summer.

"We want to travel more and not be tied down," said Sauer. "But we're excited to start desert gardening."

• The 1,800-square-foot, two-story home has three bedrooms and one bathroom.

• They replaced the fireplace's dark, heavy fieldstone with light travertine tile.

• The roof is made of long-lasting steel, which prevents ice dams.

• They rebuilt the front porch and steps.

• The home has new energy-efficient period-style windows.

• The unfinished basement, where Sauer cultivates orchids, allows room for expansion.

• They rebuilt the garage, which previously had a dirt floor and barn doors.

• The library has custom built-in bookcases.

• The sprawling 1-acre lot includes landscaped grounds, gardens and a spring-fed pond.

LYNN UNDERWOOD