Tag: before and after

Fresh Starts, Past Connections

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Hi Readers!

How’s everyone?

Today I want to share the story of Tom and Nicole. They were introduced to me by Tom’s sister, Christine. She and I worked together in our past lives, and I was so glad to hear from her when she asked if I could help. Tom and Nicole were getting divorced and needed to sell their home.

It was/is an amicable split, but there was work to do before we could get the home on the market for top dollar.  After meeting with them separately over Zoom, and taking a virtual walk through of the home over FaceTime, I set an appointment to come to the home and evaluate it in person to inform my pricing opinion and get a sense of what they could do to quickly get it on the market and maximize their ROI. Together, we created a punchlist for the home they agreed to do, including painting the exterior of the home. I turned to my friend and color expert at Miller Paint to give some suggestions of color combinations, and provided them with my exclusive discount to help them purchase the paint and get the home show-ready. I layered in my staging and design to give the home a fresh, modern and charming feel.

Within three weeks, we were on the market. The HD photos and interactive tour gave the buyers what they needed to get a sense of the home online. Off the bat, tours were scheduled by appointment and spaced apart to prevent overlap/crowds. By day two on the market, Tom and Nicole had five offers to consider, all of them well above asking. Now, three weeks later, they’ve closed on the sale of their home and are able to move forward to their next chapter. I wish them all the best and am so grateful for their trust and partnership in the journey.

Divorce is a painful and sh*#%y process, especially if you need to split your assets. I promise to neutrally partner with you, be clear of expectations and timelines and work my a$$ off to get the sale of the home done as quickly, and above asking, as possible. Give me a call: 503 388 2788

Before                                                     After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Til then, high fives,

Sheila T. Boone was born in Sayre, Oklahoma on April 23, 1922 and passed in Portland, Oregon on January 21, 2015

Posted on by Living Room Realty

Without Sheila Boone, I would not have spent the last 10 years living in house that has brought the children and I great joy and many memories. As Sheila aged, she could no longer take care of the home she had lived in for 40 years and reached out to my ex husband and I to purchase it. That was many years ago.. Before I became single and moved into Sheila’s house on my own. After the rats, squirrels and feral cats vacated the property and extra large dumpsters of hoarded items were taken to the dump, the house was gutted. Down to the studs. Only the fir floors would be salvaged since the rest of the house was a 50-80’s hodge-podge. The house was rebuilt slowly. After the new walls went up and fresh paint covered the surfaces, the kids and I moved in. We were now a trio, rather than a family of four. It was a very sad time for me with lots of nights crying myself to sleep and pushing back against a wall of depression. 19 years of marriage and dreams with the same partner dissolves into pulling back the layers of an onion all on your own.

But as time went by, I sunk my creative energy into my little home. Collections of art overtook walls, bird nests filled the porch, plants that I dug up from vacant lots that developers were about to bulldoze were planted in my front yard. The digging, scrubbing, ripping things apart and re-doing became a way for me to channel Sheila’s hard-working-crotchety energy. She once told me that while she had been married for a short period of time (she believed her husband to be gay), she thought herself better on her own. “You make more progress being on your own. There’s no one telling you how things should be.” is what she would say. Not having Sheila’s hardened heart (she carried a chip on her shoulder about every man), I never really believed her. But looking back, I have in fact, channeled some of Sheila’s strong-willed beliefs for the last 10 years.

This week I am moving out of Sheila’s house on SE 34th and into a rental I own 10 blocks away. Saying goodbye to 1129 is bittersweet. I am moving into my rental with a fiancé’ and my children. There are perks to the move – the kids will longer have to share a room and I can see love on a daily basis and share morning coffee daily with him. Lots of big change happening as a ‘four-some’. What would Sheila say to me at this time in my life? — Oddly, I think she would probably tell me another story about growing up in the depression years and how hard it was. Her story might turn to her years as a welder in the shipping yard, but come back and settle on the garden I have planted. She liked all things green and growing and would like what I have done. Finally, with a tip of her head, she might say — You have loved this house. I see that bright and clear. Now, get back to work and pack so you can make the deadline for the new fellow. No dilly-dallying. Allowed.

Yes, I think that’s what Sheila is thinking right now. Get back to work Tracy. You don’t have time to dwell on your emotions or what the future holds. Be present.

Will my house sell for more money when I stage it?

Posted on by Julia Robertson

Perceived Value.

A homebuyer determines the value of a home before they even enter your home. The NAR reported 55% of buyers find their home on the internet. First impression is everything. A photo can speak a thousand words… but don’t take my word for it, see for yourself and review the research below. Forbes, the National Association of REALTORS®,  and HGTV agree that staging your home will earn you a positive return.

 

The photos shown here are from actual listings in Oregon & Washington, that I sold, and either personally staged or hired a professional stager. Some of these listings were full of clutter or located in a logistically difficult location.  One listing was on a very busy road with almost no driveway or garage and several unfinished construction projects. Another had little natural light and a slight pet odor. The last home was the most expensive house in the neighborhood, surrounded by homes that did not maintain their yard(or not attractive from the exterior), and did not have a garage. The point is- there may be other factors that make a home more difficult to sell. First impression is everything. If you can WOW potential buyers regarding the interior and exterior, the other factors are minimal in the end. A common rule of thumb for a home on a busy road, is to reduce the price 10%. If there are factors that already reduce the value of your home, wouldn’t you want to make up for it in some way? And if you could add 10%+ value to the true value of your home by re-arranging furniture or staging it- why wouldn’t you?

Forbes reported, “According to the National Association of REALTORS®, for every $100 invested in staging, the potential return is $400 . Compare that to the average sale price, which is a reduction of 10-20% from asking. So an average home with a $400,000 asking price will be reduced by $40,000 to $80,000.”

A great quote right out of an HGTV article, “I see many home sellers confuse staging with decorating and consequently resisting the process and the recommendations of the staging professional. But the reality is that the moment you commit to marketing your home for sale, you need to commit to transforming your home into a place that potential buyers can easily picture as their home.”

Staging is not only about furniture or de-cluttering. Staging a home for sale is a process that starts by preparing a “listing-prep” plan. After I meet with a client and sign a listing contract, we do a walk through together and make this plan. It can include a calendar of timelines to get household projects completed, packing, storing furniture, and touching up paint. As you can see from all of the above “before” photos, lighting makes a HUGE difference. Lighting, furniture placement, and professional photography create the WOW. Once we have all those elements, the perceived value of your home is at its highest and best. When your home is presented at its highest and best value- you sell for the highest price! Actual value depends on your location and condition of home. To find out what your home value is and what staging can do to improve the value of your home- contact me.

If you’re curious what it’ll take to sell your home, call me! I’d love to discuss future real estate opportunities with you. Call, email or text anytime.

Julia Robertson | Broker Licensed in Oregon & Washington

Insta @realestatebyjulia

541-505-1111 | julia@rebyjulia.com

Living Room Realty

In Good Company | A “preparing to sell your home” story. Before and After.

Posted on by Living Room Realty

The story of selling 10390 SW Hawthorne Ln. It pays to be in good company.

After 30 years of abundant life, the owners of this incredible mid-century home were ready for a new adventure. This home had experienced raising kids, home-cooked meals, joyous Christmases, movie nights, growing serious kitchen gardens, puppy training, spoiling grandchildren, and so many more cherished memories. In the hopes of finding a new home closer to grandchildren and a super-walkable neighborhood, the owners enlisted my help.

Everyday life, and now the changes that come with retirement and a slower pace of life, had made their presence known on the house and we quickly prepared to complete a number of important projects. As their realtor, my job was to advise them on the only the work we needed to do to get top dollar- not to have them spend a dime, unnecessarily. Here’s their journey and a demonstration of how much help from professionals it can take to get a home ready for market.

Getting Started

The first step time to reduce and move out. The sellers needed help deciding what to get rid of for the sake of simplicity and what to do with the things they no longer need. In addition to a serious KonMari session, we enlisted The Move Makers, professionals organizers, and downsizing specialists. They helped sell a pool table, piano, large furniture pieces, and gym equipment in addition to packing the items that “sparked joy” and donate the items that did not. Once the sellers were out of the house- we got to work on the following:

 

INSIDE

 

We leaned on Brandon Brown and Bent Nail Contractors for the majority of this work.

  • Full interior wall painting- Balboa Mist by Benjamin More
  • Repainted built-in shelves
  • Finish basement trim
  • Laundry room repaint and wall repair
  • Kitchen hardwood floor repair + refinishing
  • Deep clean hardwood floors of dining, living and entry by NW Professional Hardwood LLC
  • Update light fixtures and house numbers
  • Replace shelving boards in the hallway closet
  • Wall repair
  • Screen door repair
  • Windowpane repair
  • Carpet cleaning by A Plus Quality Cleaning
  • Deep cleaning by White Flower
  • Electrical updating
  • and more…
Seating Area (full of life- the space is working hard)
After Same Space (time to sell, refreshed and ready to go)
Kitchen Before
Kitchen After
Living Room and Built-In Before
Living Room and Built-In After

OUTSIDE

Major landscaping and garden overhaul including:

  • Replanting beds
  • Serious pruning + re-locating some plants
  • Mulching
  • Gutter cleaning
  • Efflorescence roof treatment
  • Window washing
  • Pressure washing sidewalk, driveways and pathways
  • Re-aligning front pavers
  • Refinish ipe deck
  • Gutter, roof + chimney cleaning
  • Debris removal

A big shout out to Cultivate Bloom (Shannon Crosswhite) for her incredible work on the grounds.

Yard and Deck Before
Outside After

Professional Staging by the incredible team at Crush Staging combined with my team’s marketing efforts really made this property sing.

The sellers have now completed the sale of their home and are on to shopping for something new. I’m thankful to have been given the opportunity to guide my clients throught this incredible personal and physical transformation. Thank you to all of the amazing contractors and service providers that were a part the team for this one. WE’RE IN GOOD COMPANY-for sure!

-VA