Renovations

Sometimes the best home for a buyer client is the turn key property. Where everything is already done and all the buyer needs to do is move in. Sometimes though these "perfect" homes are either difficult to find or are very expensive. It makes sense to sometimes buy a property that is cheaper and renovate to your color, your design, your needs. We will function as a sounding board, telling you what MIGHT be possible in a property.

Just last month I was showing a half dozen properties to a set of clients. One home in particular they seemed to be taking extra time in, although I did NOT see the appeal. The home was not the cheapest and the floorplan was not functional the way they would have liked. I learned that of all the homes, it was the best LOCATION for the kids schooling. The floor plan of this home was the biggest stumbling block, as it was not an open concept home. The open floorplan concept has been gaining increasing interest over the last 2-3 decades, with a vast majority of homeowners seeing little need for a FORMAL dining room, FORMAL living room, AND family room. Current plans usually call for a kitchen and a "great" room, with it being open between these two rooms.

I took a quick peek at the home. Most homes built during the 80s used engineered roof trusses where the weight of the roof bears on the exterior walls and is not supported internally. With this knowledge, I advised them of how easy it would be to remove the wall between the kitchen and family room and how the addition of an island with integrated breakfast bar would increase the functionality of the space. Trades involved would be electrical (one light switch, 2 plugs in wall to be removed), flooring, stipple repair, and my finish carpenter.

There is one home builder that talks of the "POWER OF THE RED PEN", and how they allow clients to modify plans on a newly built home. I explain how we can use a "red pen" on existing home, that are already in desireable communities (schools, shopping, transport, mature trees).

We have yet more skill sets (land development amongst them), but these 6 are the major ones clients find most useful.