Areas ServedKing County, Washington

Licensed general contractor and REALTOR in Seattle, Washington.

Seattle housing stock runs old. Craftsman bungalows, mid-century boxes, and post-war infill all hide different problems.

Book a Free Walkthrough See the Work

01 / Why It Matters HereSeattle

Most agents can tell you the price. I can tell you the problem.

Elisha Cruson is a licensed general contractor, home designer and REALTOR serving Seattle and the wider King County area of Washington. Before real estate she spent over a decade in construction management running commercial projects from planning through completion.

In Seattle specifically, knob-and-tube wiring, failing cast iron, unpermitted basement conversions and post-and-pier foundations are the four things I look for first in an older Seattle house.

That matters because the cost of finding it during the inspection is always higher than the cost of finding it before you list.

Ballard
Queen Anne
West Seattle
Wallingford
Magnolia
Capitol Hill

What I check first in a Seattle house

Knob-and-tube wiring still live behind finished walls
Galvanised or cast iron supply lines on their last decade
Basement conversions done without permits
Post-and-pier foundations that have moved

02 / How I Look At ItFour Lenses, One Walkthrough

Four opinions, one person, one afternoon.

Lens 01

Realtor

What buyers in your Seattle price range expect right now, and what competing listings already offer.

Lens 02

Contractor

Starting with knob-and-tube wiring still live behind finished walls, and everything else that becomes the buyer's leverage.

Lens 03

Designer

The updates that change how the home reads the moment someone walks through the door.

Lens 04

Investor

Where the money returns, and just as often where it does not and we skip it.

03 / Straight AnswersSeattle

Questions Seattle owners actually ask.

Do I need to renovate before selling in Seattle?

Usually not extensively. In Seattle the deciding factor is condition rather than style: knob-and-tube wiring, failing cast iron, unpermitted basement conversions and post-and-pier foundations are the four things I look for first in an older Seattle house. A walkthrough identifies which specific items are worth doing and which will not return what they cost.

What adds the most value to a Seattle home before listing?

Paint, flooring, lighting and curb appeal return the most relative to cost almost everywhere, Seattle included. Beyond that it depends on the house. Seattle housing stock runs old. Craftsman bungalows, mid-century boxes, and post-war infill all hide different problems. The point of the walkthrough is to tell you which of those actually applies to yours.

Can one person handle both the renovation and the sale in Seattle?

That is the whole point of how I work. I hold a Washington contractor registration (CC ELISHMP742CQ) and a Washington broker licence (24016181), so the person telling you what the work costs is the same person telling you what it returns at sale. I serve Seattle and the wider King County area including Ballard, Queen Anne, West Seattle.

04 / Next StepSeattle, Washington

Let's walk your Seattle house.

The consultation is free and there is no obligation attached to it. Worst case, you find out you do not need to do anything.

Book a Free Walkthrough Call (206) 730-0550

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