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Prepping homes for sale
Eric Anderson, the owner of Anderson Property Resources in Smithfield, RI, took a unique path to become a general contractor. The idea to open a construction business came to him while working in real estate, and today, Anderson runs two companies. He co-owns Anderson Real Estate Group at HomeSmart Professional Real Estate in Smithfield, RI—a BBB Member Accredited Business.
While working in real estate, Anderson served many retirees who were downsizing and moving into retirement communities or assisted living facilities. “They usually have a lot of stuff that needs to go with the house because their kids don't want it,” he said. So, Anderson began offering a service to help in those situations. “We can assist people in transitioning from one home to another because we have a moving trailer. I also have dumpsters and a crew.”
Anderson said that his moving trailer has been helpful to his real estate clients who must be out of their house before they can move into a new place or have back-to-back closings. “That trailer becomes a pod so clients can move their stuff or transport it to the next house. The trailer doesn't cover a whole house, but it can with a few runs. It's designed to be able to get the clutter out and bring it to storage or get it ready for the new house,” he said.
For clients who are downsizing, Anderson Property Resources helps them donate furniture and household items they no longer need. “We're able to repurpose furniture. We're able to donate tools. It's a great thing. There are several organizations that we work with. A lot of it depends upon who is available to receive the goods. Right now, we have a camp group that's looking for bureaus. We've had other places looking for couches or bedroom sets. We try very hard not to throw something away if we don't have to because, number one, I don't want to put stuff in the landfill. But number two, there's a lot of valuable stuff that other people can use.”
Naturally, Anderson’s real estate colleagues took note of Anderson’s Property Resources. “I had clients who were real estate agents call at the last minute and say, ‘Hey, I hear you have a dumpster. We're ready to close, and we did the walkthrough, and it's a mess. Any chance that you could clean out the property?’ Today, we own three dumpsters, and I have one in my truck,” the contractor said.
Anderson experienced another challenge as a realtor. “Going back eight or nine years ago, we couldn't get contractors to come in and help us with home inspection issues. It was just awful. For example, a house goes under escrow, and we needed to solve inspection issues. I couldn't get electricians, plumbers, carpenters, framers—whatever the case may be. I have always been a handyman, so I got licensed and insured. I have a crew that works with me, so we're able to solve home repair issues.”
In addition, being a licensed contractor helped Anderson’s first-time home-buying clients. “Some of my first-time home buyers couldn't get a contractor to do their FHA 203k rehab loans. I started doing that type of work to be able to help my clients. So, if the home they’re buying needs a new kitchen, bathroom, or roof, for example, we can do the renovation or repair,” he said. Anderson added that if he is representing a home seller in an FHA 203k real estate transaction, he cannot work on the renovation. “But I can make recommendations for other contractors that can,” he said.
Anderson added that Anderson Property Resources can also prepare a home to be put on the market. “As a realtor, I'd have regular clients that would go to sell their house, and they'd need help getting it ready. “We'll renovate, we'll paint, we'll fix, we'll repair,” he said.
For more information about Anderson Property Resources, check out their BBB Business Profile. To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit Behind the Business Stories with BBB in Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
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