This Pacific Heights sale is a powerful example of what’s possible when you proactively address the right things before buyers ever walk through the door. This home sold for $455,000 over asking in 10 days with multiple offers.
So how did we get there?
Our clients were busy professionals based in Napa. They needed to sell their San Francisco property, but simply couldn’t manage a preparation project from 60 miles away. Their request was simple: hand over the keys and trust us to handle every detail.
That’s exactly what we did.
Can you sell a home remotely if you don’t live nearby? Yes. We regularly help out-of-town sellers manage the entire process—from prep work and staging to marketing and closing. For these clients, that meant they didn’t have to juggle a renovation project from an hour away.
The property had great bones and a desirable location that buyers love. However, it also presented a few critical issues we knew would deter buyers or impact the final price:
What makes buyers hesitate or walk away? Issues like these. They are not always dealbreakers on paper, but they are the kinds of things that cause buyers to submit low offers or move on entirely.
Because we are so active in the San Francisco real estate market, we see exactly what comes up in showings, negotiations, and inspections every single week. This provides us with an essential sense of what will trip buyers up and what absolutely needs to be addressed pre-market.
What do today’s buyers expect? They’re willing to pay top dollar, but they demand homes that are as turnkey as possible. That was our mission, and we delivered.
We identified key areas for improvement, confident that they would deliver a strong return on investment. Yet, the house did have a few unavoidable imperfections (the partial brick foundation and a location on a busier street). We chose to address these by setting an attractive initial price to drive strong interest and generate multiple bids—a strategy that was key to achieving a price significantly above comparable sales.
We managed the full scope of prep work using our trusted, vetted vendors.
We modernized the space while managing cost. This kitchen had been nicely remodeled 20 years prior. We kept the professional appliances but updated the cabinet colors, added new hardware, and installed new countertops to achieve a completely fresh look.
The primary bedroom had a small closet—adequate for one person but insufficient for two. We built a new wall to create a proper walk-in closet. This was an easy fix for us, but for many buyers, it would have been a deal-stopping renovation. After the change, the closet situation was never mentioned during showings.
The outdoor space felt closed-in. We brightened it with new paint colors and added strategic greenery. We then addressed the deferred exterior maintenance with a complete paint job on the front, thoughtfully adhering to the original Victorian color scheme (per the lower units’ request).
For the partial-brick foundation, we engaged a structural engineer for a pre-inspection and provided buyers with a clear, transparent report. This resulted in zero questions and zero red flags from prospective buyers. Giving potential buyers peace of mind is crucial.
Does staging actually help sell a home? It did here.
Our clients placed their full trust in us to bring in a high-end stager, which made a big difference. We invested significantly in the light fixtures. They are like jewelry for a home, instantly elevating a space. This level of polished presentation helps buyers see themselves living there, rather than seeing a project that needs to be done.
The numbers tell the story:
Our clients felt completely taken care of from Napa, and the new owners secured a stunning, truly turnkey home in a very desirable neighborhood.
“Ruth is a force of nature. That is how one of her referrals characterized her. I was not exactly sure what it meant, so I looked it up and learned that it was the perfect way to describe her.
She and her team did an outstanding job of selling our Pacific Heights home. From beginning to end, she guided us to our goal of getting a fair price (actually more than expected) for our home on a timely basis.
For our part, we did very little. She planned, organized, and executed a complete plan to prepare our home for the market. Her marketing plan was outstanding. She and her team are professional, experienced, tenacious, and easy to work with. We highly recommend them.”
— Paul and Deb Dow, home sellers
If you are considering selling your home and are curious about what strategic preparation could do for you, or if you just want to talk through your options, reach out to us we would love to help.
