The Montecito House
After sitting on the market for two months at $1,200,000 without a single offer, the sellers of this country cottage in the flats of Corte Madera reached out to our team to take over the listing and help get their home sold. With 3 beds / 2 baths, 1,459 sq. ft. on a 17,341 sq. ft. lot, we couldn’t believe the home had not sold but knew exactly why. The home needed a fresh look, better photos and modern staging to help buyers see its potential so we strategized + executed a plan to give to appeal to a broader range of today’s buyers.
THE RESULTS
Within 7 days of going back on the market, we welcomed over 150 agents at the brokers open and 60+ interested buyer parties at the weekend open houses. Agents who had seen it before could not believe it was the same house! We received 4 fantastic offers and went into escrow at $1,240,000 with no contingencies. Without a doubt, The Montecito House is our best case study of how proper home prep can impact the sale of a home. See the transformation below!
THE DETAILS
Original Zestimate: $1,179,000
Prep Budget: $40,000
List Price: $1,200,000
Days on Market: 7
Sales Price: $1,240,000
BEFORE
AFTER
The home was in amazing condition but likely due to dark/inconsistent paint colors, older staging, and zoomed-in photography the home looked smaller and older than it really was. We knew we couldn’t just re-shoot the home with the same colors and staging and expect different results, so we implemented minor cosmetic updates to neutralize the home and appeal to a wider pool of buyers. We painted the interior and exterior, freshened up the landscaping, upgraded the hardware and light fixtures and re-staged the home to give it a fresh look before coming back on the market in the Spring.
The Living Room
Objective: Make the first impression of the home stand out.
Once we painted the interior white and staged, the room completely transformed into a bright, updated space that potential buyers could immediately fall in love with.
The Kitchen
Objective: Create the ideal kitchen that every buyer wants
Simply put: green walls, old appliances and decorative hardware don’t appeal to everyone and it’s our goal to help a home appeal to the widest range of buyers. By painting the walls white, upgrading the appliances, lighting fixtures and hardware we were able to make the kitchen look and feel newer while maintaining its charm.
BEFORE
AFTER
The Master Suite
Objective: Create a bright, beautiful bedroom and bathroom
With high vaulted-ceilings and ample sunlight, we brightened the room with classic white paint, and styled it to appeal to todays home buyers.
BEFORE
AFTER
The Bedrooms
Objective: Refresh the spaces and showcase the family-friendly potential
It's really amazing what a fresh coat of paint and incredible staging can do for a home.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
The Entrance
Objective: Brighten the home and showcase the incredible yard
On the old listing, there were no photos of the HUGE front yard! Gated and private, this space is a major selling feature of the home that was formerly neglected in the sale of the home. We freshened up the landscaping, painted the home white and added a pop of color to the front door to showcase the homes true charm.
