2354 Hyde St., San Francisco

Site Conditions

Many parties to the trust, who held many differing opinions
Unit and building in need of maintenance and updating
Multiple opinions on listing price. We’d have preferred $1.599M to bring in more buyers.

Results of Our Work

Listed for $1.749M (price whiplash, as we started at $1.999M, then the trust requested $2.490M, followed by the final reduction)
Sold for $1.8M, or $51,000 over asking
$17,075 invested in resurfacing

Distrust and a Listing Price Battle

The family trust for this Russian Hill top-floor condo was ready to sell. The unit, and the whole building for that matter, hadn’t aged well. The dark, dated lobby was the first clue.

The attorney who introduced Craig had been navigating multiple parties to the trust and their influencers, none shy about asserting their differing opinions.

During the first meeting, one of the decision makers announced her big assumptions. She said to Craig, “I know the unit is worth more than $3 million and you better not cheat the trust.” Intense!

Stains on ceilings and walls showed the roof needed replacing. Windows were worn out too, but the budget couldn’t stretch to hire a crane and scaffolding to install new ones.

After agreeing to our recommended listing price of $1.999 million, a week later the trust bumped it to $2.49 million, then dropped it to $1.749 million. This kind of chaos worries buyers.

The trustees had no love for real estate professionals, so Craig had a heart-to-heart with the family’s CPA. He had leverage and conveyed Craig’s reasoning in a way the family could hear.

Living Room (before) Our San Francisco Bay view windows faced the neighbor’s weathered deck, making lack of privacy an issue. In the room, the floor below the carpet was beat.

Living Room (after) We debated, then our designer advised a medium-tone replacement to match with the rest of the home. Buyers approved.

Bathroom (before) All the bathrooms were dated, but the sellers wanted to avoid a large investment.

Bathroom (after) We repainted, cleaned and polished. And our designer found matching textiles that played up cool blue and silver tones to modernize at a fraction of the cost and time.

Master Bath (before) Old and tired, the master bathroom called for upgrades.

Master Bath (after) With a shoestring budget, we added new mirrors, light fixtures and lots of detailing to improve buyer responsiveness.

Office (before) Like many properties we assess, this one’s handicap grab bars, wheelchair ramps and railings overwhelmed an otherwise attractive space. These fixtures often alienate buyers.

Office (after) Craig assesses and budgets for resurfacing with the estate’s cost expectations in mind. Our designer met the budget with cohesive Berber carpet and matching trim for a pleasant, uplifting space.

Master Bedroom (before) We knew the fogged window glass with blemished metal frames was a liability, but we were stuck with them.

Master Bedroom (after) Simple detailing, including modern staging, removal of blinds and cleaning the fireplace marble put the emphasis on lifestyle and wonderful Golden Gate Bridge views.

Living Room (before) As the home came to us, the feel, looking from the living room to the dining area, was overwhelmingly 1970s Brady Bunch.

Living Room (after) Our designer chose the warmth of the hardwood floor and a sophisticated cool palette, plus airy, light furniture placement. Little money and time required, always our aim.