The Story

This 1890 Queen Anne Victorian home is full of charm and period features like 11-foot ceilings, pocket doors, grand rooms, and custom windows throughout.  The home was in poor condition when I first saw it. To the buyer without vision and experience or the low-balling investor, it looked like a tear down when really it was just an unpolished gem.  After an unsusccessful attempt at selling the home according to the price the sellers wanted, it was time to remodel the home to get it above and beyond the price the sellers' expected!

As both the listing agent and project manager, I laid out the scope of work and explained to the sellers where it would make the most sense to invest money and where they did not need to focus. After identifying the scope of work, I bid out to multiple contractors, accompanying them during the walkthroughs and refining the plan along the way. After multiple rounds of negotiating prices and scope of work, the sellers, contractors and I finally agreed on a course of action.  It did not help that this was all occuring in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020-2021; however, we pushed forward through delays, inventory shortages and found ways to be creative in making sure this project finished in time and on budget. 

Although I was the listing agent, there was much work to be done first on the project management side.  The work was very comprehensive and very different from what most people expect their Real Estate Agent to do. I  designed and advised on all aspects of the renovation including tile choices, moving laundry to the second floor, creating designs for the kitchen layout, creating mood boards, selecting and buying kitchen tiles, sourcing and ordering the custom kitchen cabinets and countertop, and continually project managing to make sure the project stayed on scope and on budget. I actively negotiated prices and materials along the way and made sure no stone was left unturned. For example, many people would leave small details out of the equation; however, knowing how buyers and their agents think, I was able to make sure small but important details were considered and addressed throughout the process.  As the construction process is addidtive, a small mistake could be very costly if not addressed right away and then discovered in the future. I further made myself available to troubleshoot as challenges and issues arose. One major obstacle was inspection delays due to Covid-19; however, through persistent effort I was able to make changes and call additional help within my network to ensure that the project completed on time and with permits closed.


 

It was not a walk in the park or easy by any means, but it was fun and worth it. Everything went according to plan. Once the renovation was complete, we staged the home with N0.29 Design. Christina and her team did a phenomneal job in selecting the right furniture and decor and delievered everything on time as promised. 

Once staged and professional photographs were available, I hit play on the pre-marketing campaign I created in advance. This campaign reached over two thousand of the most important buyer leads and agents through my social media, broker and buyer network.  I also reached a critical audience through my Official WeChat Subscription account where I am able to write blog articles in English and Mandarin Chinese. Lastly, the full power of Penrose Realty, the brokerage I work with, unleashed its own campaign.  These efforts combined to build up a tremendous amount of interest in the home before it even went live on the market. Once it was live, the open houses were a smashing success and exceeded ours and the sellers expectations. While we anticipated multiple offers on the Offer Deadline, we received an offer too good to refuse entirely on the sellers' terms within 4 days of being live on market.  



Everyone was very happy all around, including the new homeowners, their agent who brought them the deal, and the sellers who took a risk that paid off. Remodeling a home is not the only way to successfully improve value, market and sell a home.  Every situation is different and part of my service is helping sellers think through what strategy makes the most sense with consideration of time, budget, resources and the current real estate market conditions.  Myself and my brokerage offer a full-suite of traditional brokerage services, innovative services and custom services. Through our extensive network and knolwedge of the real estate market, I am sure I will also be able to help you come up with a winning strategy to achieve your real estate goals.