Fiona Helps Couple Sell After a Lifetime in Rye

After living in their Rye home for over 42 years, Peter and Nancy were ready to retire. They had their sights set on South Carolina. It was late winter, 2021, when they started looking for homes in the south, and interviewing Rye realtors to help them sell their Oakland Beach Avenue home.

“It was our first experience going through this. We wanted to get a great price for our home, of course, but we had a lot of concerns and were nervous about the process,” said Nancy. The couple thought they would need to make some minor repairs and cosmetic enhancements to their home before selling, so they were also looking for recommendations on the best way to prepare it for listing.

They researched real estate agents, narrowed their list to a few brokers of interest, and scheduled interviews. They met Fiona and immediately felt at ease.

“Fiona was the best fit for us,” explained Peter. ”She had a great track record in terms of sale prices. She was professional. We liked what she had to say about how she would prep our home. She had a plan. Plus, we liked her! She listens. She’s personable. We felt we could trust her. It was like having a family member give you good advice.”

Fiona’s recommendations included getting a pre-listing inspection and planning a series of repairs and renovations to the 100-year-old home. With a lifetime of belongings to sort through, the couple had their work cut out for them. But it was less overwhelming with Fiona by their side, according to Nancy.

“Fiona had a plan. She was so smart and helpful. She considered our budget and told us what to do and what we could skip. She had our best interests in mind.”

Timing was critical. The couple closed on a home in South Carolina last April and planned to put their Rye home on the market in May. Their adult son was living in their Rye home because of the Covid pandemic. Work was just getting underway to get the home ready for the market.

“Fiona was a huge help,” said Peter. “We were moving out of state and really had to rely on her. She told us she could handle everything for us if we moved.”

And she did. Fiona researched available apartments in Westchester to help their son find a place to live. She contacted painters and electricians and tile installers. She arranged for work crews and met them at the Oakland Beach home to let them in and ensure work was completed. She contacted an engineer to help with plans for the driveway.

“Fiona’s network came through for us — her contacts, her resources, her relationships. They were reasonable. She knew our goals and they understood them,” said Peter. “She and her team did everything they could to make our home appealing to buyers. We never would have gotten the price we wanted if not for Fiona.”