Erica and Rob were exhausted. After spending months looking, they were no closer to finding their dream home. The couple had outgrown their home and were excited to find a new place. Tweaking the search parameters, including the price, didn’t seem to make much difference. “Maybe it’s just not meant to be,” they consoled each other.
Even though it is less of a seller’s market these days, the number of available homes for sale is still below the historical average, which continues to make things very challenging for potential home buyers.
That’s where someone like Robbin Merta can make a difference.
“Sometimes a buyer needs to buy what is available and transform it into something they love,” advises the realtor with RE/MAX Elevate in Louisville. “I enjoy helping my clients find their dream home, or at least a home that can become that one day.”
Robbin reminds her clients, many of which are referrals or repeat customers, that they can’t change a home’s location or neighbors, but they can alter the house itself if they are willing to see its potential. That’s just what Erica and Rob decided to do. First, they widened their search area and found a place in Blue Mountain Estates, just west of Hwy 93 on Hwy 72 heading up Coal Creek Canyon, easily accessible to Erica's R&D work at InDevR in Boulder and Rob’s position with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. They fell in love with the neighborhood and the two-acre lot with beautiful views. The neglected and eclectic 1970 bi-level home? Not so much. There was a lot of work ahead of them.
“I know some terrific contractors and lenders who are perfect for a situation like Erica and Rob’s,” says Robbin, who has formed some great relationships during her seventeen-year career. “Part of my job is connecting clients with proven professionals. I like being their go-to resource.”
Erica and Rob jumped in with both feet and never looked back. “We bought the house and immediately threw it in a dumpster,” jokes Erica.
They started by remodeling both upstairs bathrooms and then built a walk-in closet for the primary bedroom out of an adjacent spare bedroom. Next, the outdated kitchen was redesigned to make it the entertaining hub of the house. To gain access to the deck and its amazing mountain views, they installed a pair of sliding glass doors to the outside wall of the living room, removing the outdated wood paneling along the way. All the subfloors on the lower level were replaced to eliminate the stubborn dog stains, and the kitchenette was removed to make way for a fun wet bar.
It took a lot of hard work and trust, and things didn’t always go as planned, but with Robbin’s help and vision, the couple turned what started out as a nightmare into the home of their dreams.
Six months after closing, the couple moved into their home in the hills and hired Robbin Merta to list their Broomfield home for sale. Robbin’s team helped Erica stage the house for the best impact, resulting in multiple buyer offers above the asking price within a matter of days.
“The remodel stretched our budget, but it was a great experience. We are so happy with the way things turned out. We couldn’t have done it without Robbin’s help.”