The Challenge
The back porch had worn decking and peeling paint, and the staircase looked dated and dark. Both showed up in almost every listing photo.
BeforeAfterWhittier Heights, Seattle, WA
Whittier Heights three-story addition
A Whittier Heights home prepared with a refreshed back porch and a bright, finished staircase.
- Property
- Single-Family Home
- Bed / Bath
- 3 / 2.5
- Size
- 2,100 sq. ft.
- Timeline
- 12 days
- Status
- Completed
Our Plan
Rebuild the porch surface and repaint the siding and trim, then refinish the stair treads, update the railing and repaint the stairwell.
Property Overview
- Address / area
- Whittier Heights
- City
- Seattle, WA
- Property type
- Single-Family Home
- Beds
- 3
- Baths
- 2.5
- Sq. ft.
- 2,100
- Occupied / vacant
- Vacant
- Condition before work
- A weathered back porch and a dated, dark staircase.
Scope of Work
Exterior
- Porch decking
- Siding & trim painting
Interior
- Stairwell painting
- New railing
Flooring
- Stair tread refinishing
Cleaning
- Final cleaning
Timeline & Investment
StartMay 5, 2025
CompletionMay 16, 2025
Total days12
Total investment$31,000
Budget breakdown
- Porch & exterior paint
- $14,500
- Staircase
- $9,500
- Interior paint
- $5,000
- Cleaning
- $2,000
What We Improved
BeforeAfterBack porch
New decking, siding paint and trim on the same covered porch.
BeforeAfterStaircase
Refinished treads, new railing and bright paint on the same stair.
Sale Result & ROI
Estimated as-is value$1.09M
Pre-sale investment$31K
Sold for$1.2M
Estimated ROI216%*
- Listed for $1.18M
- Days on market 5 days
- Estimated value added $98K
*Estimated ROI. Sale results also depend on market conditions, pricing, location, marketing and agent performance.
Final Result
The porch and stairs now look new and consistent with the rest of the house, removing two obvious objections for buyers.
Before
After
Preparing a Home for Sale?
We’ll identify the improvements that matter before listing.