Heirloom, no. 84
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Hey team, happy Saturday! The sunshine finally started to come out this past week, and I feel myself slowly rebooting. Today's weather looks positively divine – I'd recommend making the most of it with a daytrip to Old Town or a leisurely lunch at Le Dip. I went to Old Town last weekend with a friend, and after lunch at Josephine's, we stopped into Eries Interiors, Red Barn Mercantile, Penny Post, Lowery's Dial, and Old Town Books; it was a perfect pint-sized getaway to make the most of a bright afternoon. If you decide to head in that direction, I'd also recommend adding in a visit to Gunston Hall.
Some real estate & design updates from the past week:
On Monday I stopped into an off market Hill listing with two clients, that ended up being a multiple offer scenario. One lesson learned, heading into the spring market: the moment you feel like a home might be a match, I'd recommend getting a pre-inspection on the books – it does feel like a competitive buyer market and this is one term to stay ahead of!
I also stopped by 1135 C Street NE on the Hill with two clients, who decided to pass on it. Happy to forward my notes if this is one you've had your eye on! I expect it will go under contract this weekend.
Finally saw this home in Georgetown, which has been on my wishlist to visit in person and capture. It has such a strong sense of design history and character – more below!
There is a large Hill home coming up on 6th Street NE that I brought some folks through on Thursday night; I expect this home will go live over the weekend. If you'd like my notes in advance, I'm happy to share!
My clients are currently looking for:
(for this spring, ideally!) at least 3 bedrooms on the Hill with a yard and some sort of unfinished basement / garage space, for up to $1.2m
(for this spring, ideally!) at least 3 bedrooms with character & neighborhood charm, on the Hill, in NW, or Old Town, for up to $1.4m
(for this spring, ideally!) a sophisticated, historic rowhome or apartment, for around $2m, in Georgetown or Kalorama
(for this spring, ideally!) a 2 bedroom rowhome with space for entertaining, for under $700k on the Hillfully detached and one of a kind, in Upper NW, for under $2m
historic, lovely, and full of character & charm, about 3,000 SF, for up to $2.5m on the Hill (open to Old Town, potentially)
a spacious home in NoVa with expertly crafted design details and top of the line finishes, up to $3.5m
Ciao y'all,
Chesley
a dc realtor with a background in architecture & photography
website / instagram
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Under $1M /
A spacious apartment in Wesley Heights with design potential, & a petite Hill rowhome close to Eastern Market. This Cathedral Heights apartment is an opportunity in my eyes, and I appreciate all of the wood trim in this Adams Morgan apartment. A terrific historic preservation opportunity on Constitution Avenue, and this home in Brightwood could be SO sweet. An apartment in Dupont Circle with a great kitchen and a sense of style.
Between $1M - $2M /
There is a lot I like about this cheerful yellow home in Woodley Park, and a smart renovation in Cleveland Park by Dilan Homes. There is a lot you could do with this home in Chevy Chase, though this one nearby would give you a bit of a more interesting design baseline. A lot of SF & potential in this home near U Street, and an architecturally interesting home in Berkley – this one could be so cool. A cute Cape Cod in Chevy Chase, and a historic Hill home near the metro with a recent price drop.
Love this cutie in Chevy Chase, and this one in Georgetown would be such a unique design opportunity. I went through this Hill home on Wednesday with some clients who passed on it, and am happy to forward my notes! A large fixer upper in Adams Morgan, and I do like the exterior temperament of these Victorian homes in Atlas District – though the interior isn't hitting my usual high notes. A charming Tudor in Foxhall, and I like the floor to ceiling windows in this Dupont penthouse. One of the highest condo fees I've seen, but chic!!
Between $2M - $5M /
An elegant home in Dupont Circle, with a facade that I really appreciate. Not much else new in this category this week!
North of $5M /
Grand and lovely in Cleveland Park.
Off market finds /
A charming apartment off of 16th Street in Dupont Circle, and a beautiful home in Mount Pleasant. A 1300 SF fixer upper in Georgetown, and a stylish 2 bedroom apartment on Church Street. A beautiful Victorian (renovated) in Shaw, and a modern rowhome by Ditto Residential on Constitution Ave.
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Curious about what it looks like to work together? Read more about my process of working with buyers here.
This week:
Is staging worth it?
Yes, wholeheartedly – but with a few considerations.
According to the National Association of Realtors, staging a home can typically add up to 10% of value to the final sale price, with many agents sharing that staged homes have sold for up to 20% more value. Depending on the size of the home, a staging investment can be between $5,000 – $15,000 for the initial term (for standard DC rowhomes); typically a seller would pay an upfront fee to the stager, and then renew weekly at a lower rate if the home is on the market for a longer period of time. The upfront investment often pays for itself many times over, in my experience.
The tricky part with staging is that many stagers require for the home to be unoccupied. I do believe that a home shows best, and therefore sells at top value, in a scenario where the owners have the ability to move out completely, then have the home properly staged and styled in order to sell quickly (1000 Independence is a great example of this). Partial staging is an option if there is some furniture left behind; I did this for a Hill listing where the owner had many beautiful pieces, they just needed to be reconfigured and reworked slightly in order to strengthen the story of the home.
If a home has been staged, I find the conversations with buyers are more focused on the opportunity and what could be, within the setting of the aspirational, instead of what really isn't working. Next week, I'll share some notes on what to do if you are still living in the home while selling it, since this is a likely scenario for many folks! I've seen a few instances where it has been done well.
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Curious about what it looks like to work together?
Read more about my process of working with sellers here.
This home in Georgetown has been on my wishlist to see for ages, & it did not disappoint. A home that has lived many lives over its 200+ year old history, it was a relief to see so many of the historic details still intact: gorgeous floors, thoughtful trimwork, and a floorplan layout that was surely witness to many great stories. Finding homes like these renews my passion for historic preservation; I joked to a client this week that my folks should have to sign off on a waiver when they buy homes like these, that they will maintain the good and beautiful and bring it back to its full glory as they make it their own. There is a way to renovate that still honors the home's architectural heritage – 1000 Independence is a great example of that meticulous effort. These preservation opportunities (and those at a more approachable price point) are becoming more and more challenging to find, but what a rewarding process to partner with my folks on when we do find their own antique gem.
Yesterday I took a late lunch at La Bonne Vache, and lucked out with a table in the sunshine. It was the perfect start to the weekend. I ordered the chicken paillard baguette and made it through a copy of Monocle that a friend had lent to me (slowly working through my stack of these). 10/10.
Wuthering Heights – have you seen it?! I went in with 0 (and I mean zero) context, since I didn't have to read the book in high school and haven't yet picked it up. I'll confess, I probably should have gone in a bit more prepared for the plot line, but sharing a note in this section because the costume and set design was noteworthy and transportive. I am choosing to focus on how artful the presentation was, while wrestling with my own thoughts towards the content itself. I feel both drawn to it and pushed away from it, at the same time!
My friends and I lucked out afterwards with seats at Bar a Vin – a perfect setting for unpacking our thoughts on the movie.
A new addition to my design directory: Cooper Jones Architecture, who has no instagram presence it seems (which I respect immensely) but has stunning, stunning work across town.
Image credits:
Header photo / Chesley McCarty
Image 1 / BrightMLS
Image 2 / Chesley McCarty
Image 3 / Chesley McCarty
Image 4 / Chesley McCarty