Creative Problem Solving: Boston Hoppman, Precision Home Group

Last spring, I listed a home with a less than ideal floor plan.

I knew it could be a tough sell, but despite the unique design, I found a buyer for our client within 30 days.

We quickly came to an agreement on which repairs needed to take place before closing, and thought to myself, “This is going great and will be such a smooth sale.”

Then, during the repairs, something came up that would significantly increase the cost of repairs.

One of the action items was to install a sump pump in the basement. (A sump pump helps to keep excess water from accumulating, and pumps water to the exterior away from the home.)

And, since this home was built in the 50's, the basement was basically... a solid block of concrete.

This made a clean exit route for the sump pump hose seem impossible without routing it through the middle of the bedroom, living room, and bathroom before exiting the house.

As you might imagine, this is NOT something the buyer would accept, or something my seller would be happy paying for.

I feared the deal was dead.

I could have been discouraged and come to the conclusion that we needed to terminate the deal based on financial constraints. Instead, I went to my team to brainstorm solutions.

The team decided the best course of action would be to get multiple folks over there to look at the problem. After a handful of contractors put eyes on the issue, one came up with a brilliant idea.

We didn’t have to create an eyesore and were able to mitigated the additional costs associated with that repair. The clients agreed on this solution, and we got the property to close shortly after.

When listing a home for sale, you always hope for the best and aim for a smooth transaction. Despite best efforts, things don’t always go as planned. You may be presented with obstacles that seem impossible or come at the worst possible time.

Fortunately for me, I am a member of a diverse team with a broad range of experience spanning multiple industries. Problems are just talking points rather that deal stoppers, on this team.