Erin and Jeff’s new Brookline home.
Our position as Pittsburgh realtors introduces us to hundreds of people all over the city every year. Occasionally, however, helping people find the perfect house empowers us to do awesome things for old friends.
That was the case with Jeff and Erin Patrizio. I first met Erin way back in 2005 as a college freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. After more than 10 years of friendship, they always swore to use us as realtors if they ever moved out of their Greenfield home.
That decision to move came in December of 2017. Jeff and Erin and their three children were living in a 1,000 square-foot, 1-bathroom, 3-bedroom (two big bedrooms and one tiny bedroom) home, which made for a tight squeeze. They wanted extra space to grow their family—in addition to three big bedrooms and at least a second toilet. To put them on the right foot in selling their home, we quickly sent them a list of projects to consider completing in order to increase the value of their first home.
The only hurdle: Apart from the bigger bedroom and extra bathroom, they weren’t really sure what they wanted. After looking at some houses online and pulling from everything we’d learned about the pair over our 12-year relationship, we helped them narrow down a few ideas.
We started looking at houses the very next month. From January through April, we took our friends to see about seven homes around Pittsburgh. As many people know, finding the right home is often a long process, so we gave them time to move at their own pace. Eventually, what started slow quickened to a breakneck speed. By August, they were ready to buckle down, quickly tackling 10 houses. There was one day we even looked at five houses!
Eventually, they found their ideal home on the other side of the Monongahela River and a few neighborhoods over in Brookline. It had everything they wanted: almost double the space, two extra bathrooms, a short walk to the library (something Erin loved), and it was priced about the same as their Greenfield home. The inspection found that the roof needed flashing, but that was quickly resolved, thanks to the owner’s position as a contractor. From there, Ted’s own construction experience was instrumental in helping Erin and Jeff identify what additional fixes were necessary—and which of those projects they could likely manage on their own instead of paying for a contractor.
Since moving in late 2018, the Patrizios have enjoyed their new home—and they finally have the space to start growing their family again.
If you’d like to consider your housing options in the Pittsburgh region, contact us at theblocks@blocksintheburgh.com or 412.926.7976!
Cheers,
Julie & Ted