Title: $29,000, Two Weeks, and Almost $170,000 — A Real Phoenix Selling Story

When my clients bought their first home in 2020, the math wasn’t comfortable. Their mortgage came in about $200 a month over what they were paying in rent, and that kind of leap can feel scary, especially the first time. They made the brave decision anyway. A little over five years later, it’s one of the best calls they’ve made.

Here’s the story worth telling.

When they were ready for their next chapter, they weren’t thinking about how to maximize their return. Most people aren’t… and that’s exactly where I come in. Before anything hit the market, we sat down and built a plan.

Over two focused weeks, we put $29,000 into targeted, high-impact updates. Not a full renovation. Not chaos. The specific moves that move value, sequenced to stay out of my clients’ daily lives as much as possible. Then we edited and staged the home together, so buyers could see everything it could be.

We opened strong. A neighborhood preview party and a mega open house brought the right energy and the right buyers through the door on day one. The result was multiple offers and a close just shy of our $490,000 list price.

Now the part that matters most. As-is, this home would have sold around $425,000. With $29,000 in thoughtful updates, we brought it to just under $490,000. That’s roughly $65,000 in added value, and after the cost of the work, my clients walked away with almost $170,000 to put toward their next home.

Then zoom out even further. When they bought in 2020, they put just $9,750 down. A little over five years later, they walked away with almost $170,000. On that original down payment, that pencils out to roughly a 65% annualized return… all while they simply lived their lives in the home. (Those figures are estimates, shared to illustrate the point, not a promise of what any home will do. I’m a Realtor and designer, not a financial advisor.)

Two numbers, two lessons. The first home was leverage and time, a small amount down that grew quietly for years. The sale was strategy and design, the right updates in the right order at the right moment. Together, they turned a brave 2020 decision into real momentum for what’s next.

Same house. Same market. A very different outcome… because of strategy, timing, and knowing exactly which improvements earn their keep.

This is what the combination of real estate and design makes possible. I’m not guessing at what a home needs. I can see the upside, build the plan, and carry it through, so my clients don’t have to manage a single piece of it.

If you’ve owned your home for a few years and you’re curious what it could really do, let’s take a look at it together. No pressure, no agenda… just good information and a clear picture of what’s available to you.

Your selling experience, elevated.

Anna R. van Ham | 949.813.9144 | anna@elevatedhome.realestate