417 Noriega St., San Francisco

Site Conditions

Many areas of the home needed modernizing to show well
Property inheritors were not interested in investing in home updates
Gorgeous Golden Gate Bridge view would make up for some deficiencies

Results of Our Work

4 bids received
Sold for $1.86M, $161,000 over asking price
ROI ~300%, the $26,000 resurfacing budget produced additional $78,000 profit

Save the Resurfacing Budget or Invest It?

Bay Area-based sisters inherited the family home but didn’t have time to handle the home prepping and sale, so they turned to Proof.

These sellers, like many others, were reluctant to spend any money on updating. I asked if they were more interested in saving the $26,000 budget or walking away with an additional $75,000? They reached their own conclusion and we proceeded.

Multiple decision makers and those who bring their own vendors can complicate things, but we accommodate variations in our process. Their much-respected painter squeezed in their project and slept at the home with his crew while the property was vacant.

I advised the sellers to paint over dark, drab built-ins in the living room—essential for portraying the home as cosmopolitan and contemporary.

The limited budget meant choosing between priorities. The sisters considered removing popcorn ceilings, but I explained the time, permitting, testing and expense. They recognized that refinishing the hardwood floors would produce a higher return.

We emphasized the positives to capture the highest price—gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge through the large living room windows.

Front of House (before) The years of neglect were obvious.

Front of House (after) New windows, new paint and minimal landscaping updates made a big difference.

Kitchen (before) The kitchen’s dated wooden cabinets would have looked more modern with a coat of paint, but the budget wouldn’t allow it.

Kitchen (after) Instead, we polished the wood cabinet doors, added LED lights and fresh caulking and gave the room a thorough cleaning.

Living Room (before) In every case, we evaluate the budget and prioritize where it will work the hardest for the seller. Here, floor refinishing beat out popcorn ceiling removal.

Living Room (after) With just one common area in the house, we staged it with two seating areas, one facing the couch and another behind the couch for more casual gatherings.

Yard (before) There was virtually no yard, just a steep embankment. So we had to make the most of the rear deck, convincing the sisters to make it an extension of the kitchen.

Yard (after) We painted the deck so it was “barefoot ready,” and created a vignette with carefully placed furniture. Buyers can dream when they glimpse the lifestyle the home offers.

Bedroom (before) Four large bedrooms on the top floor, ideal for families with children. Our stager dressed each bedroom distinctly, so online viewers could imagine a room for each child.

Bedroom (After) Four-bedroom homes are a huge advantage to families. So to make the weekend tour list, we paid extra attention to differentiating the rooms through coloration and textile choice.