Sold Story – 4604 Crown, La Canada
It Was Time To Sell The Family Home
Over six decades and three generations of memories happened in the little house with the big yard next to St. Bedes Church in La Canada. It was time for a new chapter.
Selling the family home after the parents pass away is tough. Preparing the home for sale usually involves the entire family as contents are distributed and “fix-up” decisions are made. It can be exhausting for the person in charge.
A Classic Fixer
4604 Crown was pretty typical for a well-loved family home. It was a classic fixer- in great shape but tired and dated. The homeowner had spent a couple of years processing her mother’s passing and navigating the family dynamics. Preparing the home for sale was the last step in a long process. We helped her sort through all of her options and crafted a plan based on her goals and resources.
Market demand was very strong in La Canada in September 2021, so the homeowner decided on minimal home preparation. The backyard was the main selling point- large, flat and mostly empty- so she invested in light landscaping to visually open it up. Then she invested in mulching of the entire yard, creating a clean slate for imagining the possibilities.
Before and After Backyard Clean Up
Preparing The Home For Sale
She emptied the home of both contents and family members, cleaned the carpets, and hired professional house cleaners. We helped her choose and schedule a full slate of home inspections for full transparency to all prospective buyers. This included a general home inspection, termite/pest report, preliminary title report, and complete homeowners disclosures.
The Seller Has The Last Word
We launched the home in Mid September at $1,350,000 and attracted 5 strong offers in just a few days. We entered escrow $100,000 over asking with no appraisal contingency. The buyer removed the inspection contingency with no request for repairs and we were just about to receive the loan approval when disaster struck! The buyers decided to get a divorce and canceled the transaction.
Re-launching a home in early November is a very different dynamic. We received just 2 offers, accepting one at the same price as the previous contract. Unfortunately, these buyers felt they had leverage over the seller and offended the seller by asking for a huge credit for conditions that had been disclosed upfront. It was a disaster… for the buyer. The seller not only refused the initial request but all additional attempts by the buyer to negotiate. The buyer ended up with no credit and no house.
Patience Pays Off For Homeseller
By now our home seller was exhausted and we advised a break. You never know if the market will change for the worse, but waiting for the spring home-selling season seemed like a reasonable gamble. Our strategy was to spend the winter helping our client enhance the home’s “look”.
Our concierge services on the fix-up included gathering multiple quotes, advising on cosmetic choices, scheduling all chosen vendors, and managing all of the work. We executed the following fix-ups: edit the front landscape, interior painting, and a kitchen refresh. Our client spent approximately $7,000.
Before and After Kitchen Refresh
And The Reward Is…
We re-launched as a new listing on February 2, 2022, at the same price as our previously accepted offers, $1,450,000, and attracted 5 more offers. The home sold for $1,555,000 with no loan, appraisal, or inspection contingencies and closed 21 days later.
Here is our client’s review of her experience with DIGGS:
“Kendyl and her team went above and beyond to help me with selling my mother’s house.
They helped me negotiate the clearing of the house, getting workers to help do big and small jobs and just watering the plants. They even monitored the contractors and totally dealt with them – all I did was pay the bill.
I now feel like Kendyl and her husband are people I will keep in my life.”
Verified by RateMyAgent
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