When my husband and I decided to sell our 3 bedroom/3 bath/ 2700 square foot condominium apartment, the market for premium waterfront real estate was very slow and there were a lot of competing properties looking for buyers in our area. Although our condominium was large and had a gorgeous view, it was approximately 20 years old and very much in need of updating. We knew that the competition was fierce, so we hired Karen Leonardo. Karen's job was 4-fold:
(1) to advise us on what we needed to do in the way of renovations to make our apartment stand out from the crowd;
(2) to develop a comprehensive budget and plan to accomplish the necessary renovations;
(3) to renovate the apartment in accordance with the agreed upon budget and plan; and
(4) to stage the renovated apartment for sale.
Karen's performance on every stage of the project was superlative. Her advice as to what we needed to do and what we did not need to do to get the best price for our condo was practical, based on a broad base of experience and clear and concise. The scope of the renovation included changing the cabinetry, major appliances, layout and design features of the kitchen, replacing all of the apartment's wood flooring and carpeting, renovating and updating three bathrooms, changing the lighting fixtures, repairing floor and ceiling molding, painting the whole apartment, installing closet organizers, and making numerous plumbing and electrical repairs. She investigated the price, availability and timing of all the options we were considering and others she thought it was important to bring to our attention. Her recommendations, construction plan and proposed budget were presented in a professional and extremely detailed spreadsheet format and based on the estimates she received after interviewing a number of suppliers, contractors and tradesmen, and after shopping for the numerous materials we needed to purchase for the renovation. Her planning was so meticulous we had every confidence that the project would be executed perfectly. And it was.
Having managed a number of building and renovation projects ourselves, we are intimately familiar with the unexpected difficulties that come up when you are dealing with contractors, materials, deliveries, cancellations, condominium requirements, inspectors and demolition discoveries during construction. Karen had her fair share of these, but in spite of all the trials and tribulations, she delivered a spectacular renovation, beautifully staged, in less than 3 months from our initial meeting, slightly under budget. The bottom line is that Karen's market knowledge, design expertise, construction management and business skills gave us a condominium that has "WOWed" everyone who has seen it, and saved us a boatload of time, aggravation and money. We wholeheartedly recommend her and would be happy to discuss her qualifications with interested parties in more detail .
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