Case Study: Helping a contractor make design adjustments to boost home’s appeal

Problem: A contractor building a new home in Natick was not getting any bites for the property. Typically, contractors try to pre-sell a home before it is completed to avoid the cost of owning it post-construction. This one asked several agents, including me, to view the property and help him figure out why the home was not attracting much interest. 

Solution: After a walk-through and study of the plans, I knew what was wrong. 

As designed:  

• the first floor lacked good flow because the kitchen was too cut off from the other rooms 

• the laundry room wasn’t near the bedrooms 

• the master bathroom would have only one sink and no high-end shower  

These are all fundamental no-nos — especially for homes in this price range — about $800,000. Thanks to many years of experience, I’m able to visualize how a home will function based on architectural plans so I often have contractors and buyers soliciting my advice before ground has even been broken. I also know the bottom-line features homeowners in different price ranges are looking for. 

The contractor redid the plans and within a week, the home was under agreement. 

All in a Day’s Work: Solving Real-Life, Real Estate Problems for our Clients is a monthly feature brought to you by Marie Presti of the Presti Group, Inc. Our agents specialize in luxury homes, rehabilitations, multi-families and condominiums in urban, suburban and exurban areas throughout the Greater Boston area. Marie Presti is a Certified Negotiation Expert. For more information, visit http://www.theprestigroup.com