Listing Preparations

REPRESENTING SILICON VALLEY

Representing home sellers of condominiums to estates, Silicon Valley is home to highly discerning, luxury buyers. By knowing the expectations of a potential buyer for our unique and varied Silicon Valley properties, we are able to curate each of our listings to appeal to that specific target buyer. Our signature style and attention to detail resonates with buyers and consistently results in sellers receiving multiple offers and over-list prices.

Scroll down to learn more about the detailed preparations and upgrades we do to transform our clients' homes, and check out the examples of homes we've sold following this process.

TRANSFORMING YOUR HOME TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFIT

Turnkey, move-in-ready, remodeled homes with modern design details are selling to home buyers for incredible prices, often over the listed price and with multiple offers. Unless your home was recently remodeled and is not being lived in, chances are it’s going to need a little polishing or even updating in order to attract those buyers.

That’s where we come in! Preparing your home to sell is an important step to getting multiple offers. We have the experience and expertise to help guide you in selecting the right strategic improvements for our market and for your budget. Our goal is to transform your home so it shows its very best, has that signature look that our local buyers love, and maximizes your profit!

HOW DOES THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS WORK?

Once we have toured your home and discussed your appetite for home updates, we will develop a customized property preparation plan and schedule that’s specific to your home and budget. Once approved by you, this plan becomes a part of our overall project plan that we implement to track and manage to get your home on the market and sold.

The scope of work can vary, and we typically see it fall into one of three categories:

Minimal

This is for homeowners that may have a fixer home or may have a home that’s just the opposite and has recently been remodeled with today’s styling. Either way, we may decide that it makes sense to just do a few needed repairs, a little paint touch up, add a few flowers for curb appeal, deep clean the home, and stage it.
Extensive Remodel

This is for the homeowner that isn’t in a rush to list their home and wants to really maximize their home sale profit. This takes more time, especially if permitting is required, and may include demolishing areas of the home to add in new bathrooms, new kitchen, new HVAC system, and new or upgraded electric / plumbing. In some of these significant remodeling cases, the contractor will agree to be paid at the close of escrow.
Middle of the Road

This is the most common home prep that can be done typically in just a couple weeks. This may include new painting, new flooring, “freshened up” landscaping, painting the kitchen cabinets, new contemporary light fixtures, upgraded electric switches and plugs, needed home repairs, deep cleaning, and staging.

The key in all of this is that this is a team effort with you. We work with you, your budget, your appetite for construction, all so you can achieve your goals. We know which finishes and upgrades will have the most impact on our local buyers, and we also know which vendors are the most reliable and have the best prices. This is what we do every day, and our suppliers receive repeat business and give you preferred pricing because of the volume of business we give them.

COMMON UPGRADES TO GET MAXIMUM PROFIT

Whether you’ve lived in your home for 30 years or 3 years, preparing your home to sell is an important step to getting those multiple offers. Here are the most common permanent updates we recommend:

1

Flooring

2

Paint

3

Lighting

4

Landscaping

5

Hardware

6

Mirrors

7

Switches and Plugs

Flooring

To get the greatest buyer appeal, stick with one style of flooring throughout the main living area of the home, such as engineered hardwood or vinyl laminate. If that’s not practical, we try to reduce the number of different floorings you see when you enter into the home. The 70’s style of every room having a different floor is no longer in!

Paint

This is by far the most common home prep item we do. A blank canvas with a neutral palate helps buyers imagine their life in your home. Avoid pops of color. We want to appeal to the most buyers, and this achieves the best results.

Lighting

To make your home feel bright, well-lit, modern, current and stylish, update the lighting and chandeliers. This can make a huge visual impact.

Landscaping

Curb appeal is very important! If the outside looks unkempt, buyers project that the inside will have deferred maintenance and they may not stop. So trim back bushes and trees, keep the lawn trimmed, add flowers (in bloom) to the front landscape or entryway, and weed and add mulch or bark to the planter beds.

Hardware

Adding modern faucets, knobs, handles, and pulls can make the entire home feel like it’s modern. Even if it’s an old style knob with a current day spin, you’ll immediately see and feel the difference.

Mirrors

Today’s interior designers use framed mirrors instead of the wall to wall styled mirrors of the 70’s & 80’s. Today’s bathroom mirrors in particular have frames or special lighting, and some include a defroster capability.

Switches and Plugs

Older homes tend to have yellowed ivory or almond color switches, switch plates and plugs, and in some homes, we also see different styled light switches in every room. To make the home feel fresh and new (and the plugs will work better too!), have an electrician update everything to white.

TRANSFORMATION EXAMPLES

JUNIPERO WAY, SARATOGA

Removed popcorn ceilings, new interior and exterior paint, new flooring, new lighting, reglazed kichen sink and tile, reglazed bathroom counters, bathtub and shower, new landscape, added modern cabinet hardware in kitchen and built-ins.