This is a story about honoring the vision of someone I'd never met and a hippie re-awakening while selling a loved family home.
When I first visited the sellers of 17900 Santa Rosa Ave, three things were very clear to me:
this home was loved and full of memories by grieving sellers,
the funk factor was high, and
turning this into a sellable home would take a lot of thought and care.
The home I entered felt more bachelor crash-pad than forest retreat. The bones were there: towering redwoods, forty-something east-facing windows that wake up the living space every morning, and a quirky hillside trolley that brings out the kid in every adult. I have to be honest, my long-lost teenage hippie self from the 70s, who had White Rabbit on repeat endlessly, re-awakened the moment I walked through the front door. This place reminded me of peacock feathers, cedar soaking tubs, and a forest of ferns. Can you tell I'm from Marin? I was mesmerized by the endless windows with tree-trunk views, the cozy fireplace, and the lack of walls. I could feel the intentions of Richard’s vision (the late owner): peace, love, and freedom.
The sellers were the trustees of Richard’s estate. They shared stories about Richard’s vision of how he wanted to create a sanctuary in the woods. They showed me pictures of how Richard turned a tiny one-room seasonal cabin into a livable year-round home. Through the process of sharing stories about our lost loved ones, an idea came about on how to market the home. I had to figure out a way to bring Richard’s vision to every buyer before they came to see the home, and when they got here, tell them his vision and story. I knew I had to be strategic about how to price and present this home
Despite my teenage fern-loving enthusiasm for the space, it is a one-bedroom cabin with a quirky floor plan, limited sun exposure, and three rooms in total. The only doors were on the bathrooms upstairs and downstairs. There were also many (five, at least) other homes on the same street sitting on the market for months. Helping a seller understand how to attract a buyer while grieving and in a flat market is tough. Honest and frank conversations were had. This was going to come down to the vibe, the list price, and the story.
The Vibe
Shinrin-yoku (森林浴), translated as “forest bathing,” is a Japanese practice that involves spending time in a forest and immersing oneself in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature.
That was the essence. I added Richard’s vision and what comes with the cabin a food mecca and adventurer’s playground. The play on shinrin-yoku coming with the home entertained a lot of visitors.
The Strategy
• Lean into the story: a year-round retreat in the redwoods
• Take advantage of every drop of sunlight through forty-something windows
• Light, natural staging to let the trees and ferns do the talking
• Create a studio-style feel upstairs, and a potential guest retreat downstairs or a second unit downstairs
• Market the lifestyle: shinrin-yoku, river days, crackling wood-stove winters, and outdoor adventures
The Execution
While holding open homes and showing the home, enjoy Richard’s vision and talk about why his home lives the way it does. Talk about how Richard turned a tiny one-room seasonal cabin into a year-round cozy home streaming with light in a forest of ferns.
The transformation wasn’t flashy. It was intentional. Prep, story, and respect for the home’s original spirit lifted this property into its best self and let buyers fall in love.
Lastly, I would like to thank the sellers for trusting me. I know, because I was a trustee too, that allowing someone to take a task off your plate after a loved one has passed feels like a betrayal of your own memories. Thank you. It was an honor to help Richard’s vision come to life for the new owners.
If you're a trustee and would like help selling a home, I'm happy to help guide you through the process. I offer a series of quarterly workshops for trustees and seniors who need to sell their home. Here is where you can sign up to get an email notification for the next workshop.
Warmly, Annalise
