Case Study: How We Sold a Home in Desperate Need of Repairs & Netted The Sellers an Extra 543k

Selling a home isn’t just about putting it on the market and hoping for the best offer—it’s about strategy, planning, and execution. As a top-producing real estate agent in Boulder County, CO, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative the right improvements and marketing plan can be when selling a home. Let me walk you through one of our recent success stories where we turned a home that was receiving offers of $900k–$950k into a record-breaking $1.495 million sale.

The Property

This home, located in a desirable neighborhood with stunning mountain views, had great potential, but it was in desperate need of repairs. Some of the challenges we faced included:

• A leaking ceiling with visible holes

• Dated interior with old fixtures

• Unfinished basement

• Overall outdated design

The sellers were receiving offers in the $900,000 to $950,000 range, far below the home’s potential value, primarily due to these issues.

The Strategy: A Quality of Life Upgrade

Our first step was a thorough quality of life upgrade analysis with our trusted stager. Based on this, we identified several key improvements that would significantly enhance both the livability and the market appeal of the home:

• Opening up the layout for better flow and functionality

• Painting the entire interior to refresh the space

• Redoing flooring on the main floor with expanded hardwoods for a modern, cohesive look

• Installing new carpet in certain areas

• Upgrading light fixtures and hardware to give the home a more contemporary feel

• Finishing the walkout basement to add valuable square footage and versatile living space

These upgrades came with a total cost of $87,000, but we anticipated that these investments would allow us to list the property at a minimum of $1.295 million, substantially higher than the offers the sellers had been receiving. Invest $87,000 for a probable return of an extra $258,000 in 60 days was the goal.

The Competitive Landscape

Just as we were putting the finishing touches on the home, a similar property in the neighborhood hit the market. It had been well-maintained but lacked any recent updates. This home, with comparable square footage, views, and lot size, was listed at $1.25 million but had been sitting on the market for two weeks without any offers.

We knew we had to go beyond just listing the property—we had to create excitement.

The Marketing Master Plan

Our marketing plan was designed to create buzz and attract as many potential buyers as possible:

• Coming soon campaign: Before the listing even went live, we started teasing the home with a "coming soon" campaign.

• Video ads: We produced high-quality videos showcasing the transformation of the home, including walkthroughs of the newly upgraded interiors and beautiful views.

• TV commercials & billboards: To ensure maximum visibility, we utilized TV commercials and strategically placed billboards around Boulder County.

• Digital ads: We invested in targeted Facebook, Instagram, Google, and YouTube ads to reach a wide and highly interested audience.

This multi-pronged approach generated so much interest that people were sneaking into the home to take a look before we had even finished cleaning!

The Results: A Record-Breaking Sale

On the first few days of showings, we had over 26 scheduled visits and 8 offers on the table, triggering a bidding war. The excitement and competition among buyers resulted in the home selling for $1.495 million—a full $200,000 above our anticipated list price and jumping the additional profit to $458,000 with the initial $87,000 investment- setting a new record for the neighborhood.

Why Our Approach Works

This sale is proof that the right improvements combined with a powerful marketing strategy can yield incredible results. Our stager’s analysis and recommendations helped us present the home in its best light, while our comprehensive marketing efforts ensured maximum exposure and interest.

By making targeted, high-ROI improvements and leveraging both traditional and digital marketing, we were able to generate a buzz that led to a record-breaking sale—showing that even homes in need of significant repairs can sell for top dollar with the right approach.

The Transformation