Mesa Market Mojo Report – April 2016

Transforming a House For Sale

After retiring from UCSB, my client Eileen Conrad needed to downsize. She wanted to obtain the equity out of her home, improve the quality of her retirement, and move to her condo in Hawaii. So she decided to sell. “It will enable me to no longer have a mortgage, and more, “said Eileen. “It will improve my standard of living, my ability to travel and
enjoy life. I knew who I needed to call.”

We met to take a look at her home to see what could be improved to bring a higher price. Eileen thought about the process and said, “This is about connecting with potential buyers.” It is exactly the right frame of mind to be in. We have a good history, in fact this was our third transaction together. Eileen said, “I feel so confident working with Scott and I trust his decisions. Back in 1986 I sold my home on San Marino near Goleta. Scott helped fi x up both bathrooms, update the kitchen, and paint. We set a record for the highest sales price in the area. And when I got divorced, Scott helped me buy this home. Part of the reason for deciding to go forward with fi xing up my house is my absolute confidence in
Scott’s skills.”

Some things were easy to decide, like removing the cottage cheese ceilings and painting, but this work is hard to live through, because it is messy. The carpets were 10 years old and we decided on wood floors as a good-looking replacement. The 1968 kitchen was not so easy to decide about.

I told Eileen about Ikea kitchens—the world’s largest manufacturer of cabinets, and their
25-year guarantee. We got a bid for replacement of the cabinets, new quartz counters, tile back-splash, new appliances, tile floors, under counter lighting, new sink, and faucet—a complete kitchen. The job came in under $23,000. So it was decided. Buyers will gladly pay more than that for a new kitchen.

About being out of the house for two and half weeks Eileen said, “It was stressful, but Scott has these great movers who packed everything up. They were first rate and very considerate. And the remodeling was in good hands. Scott was always providing me with updates: photos, texts, and phone calls. He solved problems as they arose and kept the work on schedule. They finished a day early!

“Scott hired our own floor and tile installers because that was less expensive than using the store’s installers. He negotiated on my behalf for appliances after conducting research on Consumer Reports. The process of getting ready has been seamless. Scott has great relationships with all the vendors. He obtains competitive bids. This is a small sampling of the quality and comprehensive nature of work that he provides his clients.”

There was a need for lots of communication in the process. There are so many choices and so many things that need to be talked through with work crews. Eileen and I cooperated well together; we shared a picture of the transformation of her home.

“What’s nice about Scott is that he listens, he involves me in the decisions,” said Eileen. “He knows what sells, including decoration trends and color schemes. My house feels amazing, comfortable, transformed in a way that I would not have thought possible given my budget. I wouldn’t have known where to begin if Scott wasn’t here gently guiding me through the process. This extraordinary service made Scott stand out from other Realtors in the community. His honesty and commitment to customer service and
obtaining the highest possible price for your property is unparalleled.”

About the time that you will be receiving this newsletter Eileen’s home will be coming on the market at 876 Sanford Court for about $875,000. Stop by for a look.

If you know anyone who needs to fix up their home, or if you want to do it yourself, but need a consultation about what to do to maximize your selling price, give me a call. I’ve got a great “Top 10” list for home staging from the 210 homes that I’ve prepared that I can share with you. Call me if you’d like me to look at your home.