Phew! Last weekend was a whirlwind after our clients Matt and Brooke went live with their exquisitely remodeled Modern Cape Cod in Beaumont-Wilshire. 24 hours later, there were 6 offers in – all substantially over listing price – and it’s largely because all of the hard work they put into making their home a dialed-in dream. So today we wanted to do a deeper dive into their process and share their story…
First off, what brought you to PDX?
Portland was middle ground for us, Brooke moved north from San Diego and I moved south from Seattle. We both moved here separately, met, and decided we wanted to stay after we were married. We loved the close-in neighborhoods of Portland which made it easy to access downtown and commute to work.
What made you decide to sell? Anything you can tell us about that process?
We loved and still love our neighborhood and neighbors and never thought we would leave the house (Brooke always called it her “forever home”), but after starting a family our priorities of being in the city changed so we decided to move out east to the gorge. We met with Susie about two years ago to discuss selling options and what would make the most sense for our situation because we were in the middle of an eight-year multi-phase remodel. Having two kids in the middle definitely slowed our momentum on the house. At that point Susie strongly encouraged us to finish our original plan and complete the basement into finished living space prior to selling the house.
Check out this main level BEFORE/AFTER!
How long did the remodel take and where did you get your inspiration? Not only for the house but for your incredible yard…
8.5 years. To put it lightly, the house had many years of deferred maintenance when we bought it so we began cleaning it up right away and spent a year living there developing a plan for the full remodel. Then we asked an architect to draw up our unofficial drawings and get the structural plans stamped. Our goal was to make the most use of the space for a 4-person family which for us was to open up the living space, add a bathroom, and update all aspects of the home such as insulation, windows, mechanicals, plumbing, and electrical.
At the time it was very common for builders to demolish the type of home we purchased and build a new home on the lot that was uncharacteristic of the original neighborhoods. Both of us felt very strongly about preserving the original feel and character of the home while also adding a modern open floor plan with lots of natural light and easy access to the outdoor space.
The yard happened rather organically. I really enjoy gardening and landscape design/installation so I just slowly added what I liked with the goal of having it feel relaxing, tranquil, and functional for young children and a dog through all seasons.
Any surprises along the way?
Lumber prices and difficulty obtaining basic building materials in a timely manner during COVID!
Lower level BEFOREs:
AFTERs!
Tell us about the next chapter! Where are you moving to & what’s in store for your future?
The next chapter is spending more time with the family in the gorge; more time running, hiking, kiting, stand-up paddle boarding, snow boarding, and mountain biking. When we get tired of that we will start to fix up another house… our “forever-home again.”
Any advice for future sellers?
Take your agent’s advice. Spend the money to stage your house (Crush staging in Portland is awesome). Any way you look at it, whether you are working on your home to get it ready or just cleaning it up to sell, it will take time. Be patient.
Thank you for sharing, Matt & Brooke. Your perseverance in your multi-year remodel paid off and you’re a testament to saying yes to home projects for Listing Day Wow Factor (and using an effective pricing strategy.) You put in the work and got to enjoy the fabulous open layout for a good while before selling. If any of you out there are ever wondering about what home projects would up your quality of life while adding value to your home, don’t hesitate to reach out!
See ya in the gorge, Matt & Brooke!
Explore Matt & Brooke’s home with the 3D Tour here:
susieknowspdx.com 