3226 Millsview Ave., Oakland

Site Conditions

Pandemic obstacles, including excruciating wait for City of Oakland’s ADU approval
Gaudy stone on exterior detracted from period architecture, although not everyone agreed
Choppy, closed-off floor plan

Results of Our Work

12 bids received
Sold at $1M, $301,000 over asking
7-day closing, contingent free

Excruciating Permit Delay Frustrates Developer:

The developer bought this 3-bedroom, 1-bath home in Maxwell Park, Oakland, as a distressed sale, intending to tear out the entire interior. We advised on the remodel and their contractors refashioned a spacious open kitchen, a new upstairs bathroom and a downstairs ADU.

We stuck with this developer as the project dragged seven months longer than expected.

The Oakland building department held up the ADU build-out when their office closed due to COVID-19. With no approval, work on the house shut down too.

After approvals and basement excavation, Craig came upon a memorable scene. A worker struggled to back his overloaded Toyota pickup up the driveway, with tires slipping. The truck bed was sloshing (Craig couldn’t believe his eyes) with wet concrete. And the crew was in a hurry to pour it into the basement before it hardened into a block.

When to get Craig involved with a home flip? Before you purchase it—so he can share experience with architecture, size, and bed/bath counts that contributes to the best ROI.

Exterior (before) The home had some appealing elements but it was difficult to see past the overpowering stonework that went halfway up the wall.

Exterior (after) We made some difficult decisions and ended up with a clean, approachable home where the stone wasn’t nearly as prominent or objectionable.

Living Room (before) Ornate trim and complicated silhouettes dominated and would be a distraction to buyers.

Living Room (after) Sometimes, it’s better to replace all the floors with modern, wide planks in cool hues. Sleek recessed lights accentuated design features.

Kitchen (before) The developers struggled with several kitchen floor plan directions.

Kitchen (after) They chose to maximize the kitchen’s openness and work within available space and existing windows.

Dining Room (before) At first, constrictive walls chopped up the dining area and made it feel claustrophobic.

Dining Room (after) By expanding the doorways, the room felt more spacious and cohesive and allowed extra light into the kitchen and common areas.

Dining Room (before) The view facing the kitchen shows its narrow and constricted layout.

Dining Room (after) We simplified and shifted the new kitchen to the right to make it more modern, functional and welcoming.

Master Bedroom (before) Originally, the design was lacking, especially a master bath.

Master Bedroom (after) The new configuration provided buyers with a sought-after master bath as well as a soothing color palette, such as gray-toned flooring.

Basement (before) Turning the basement into a rental unit was a great selling point. But the Oakland building department took nearly 5 months to grant the permits to build it during COVID-19.