For years Dave Perry-Miller’s Ben Lee had an idea for a side hustle. He’d think about it and then get overwhelmed with listings and buyers. But it always hung around in the back of his brain. It was a simple idea – one that there was clearly a need for. (He polled agents every chance he got.) He wanted to create a company that helped people get their homes market-ready from the outside.
He realized sellers tend to focus on the interior. But if the exterior isn’t spectacular and eye-catching, you’ll never get the click-through to the second photo. And that recently remodeled or professionally staged interior will tragically go unnoticed.
Ben Lee Builds a Business
The hurdle with exteriors is it’s a series of subcontractors. You typically need a painter, a carpenter — someone to repair wood rot if there is any — a siding guy, a gutter guy or gal, a brick mason, a powerwasher, etc. The point is, it can be a bunch of smaller jobs that are somewhat challenging to coordinate.
That, coupled with the fact that some sellers don’t even know where to start and aren’t quite sure where to focus their efforts — like what improvements will have the most return on investment? Or ROI? Make a note of that acronym. We’ll be circling back soon.
The other thing Lee noticed was, as a Realtor, he knew a lot of really talented subcontractors. Great guys that did great work but didn’t necessarily know how to market their business. At that point, Lee was very aware of two problems that his one business idea could solve.
He started his company to fill a need, for sure, but the advantages are a-plenty. Like, Lee’s company negotiates on your behalf. It saves time and money and removes the need to get three or more bids just to make sure you’re getting a fair price.
The last in a series of things Lee loves about starting this business? He gets to show his kids how to run a company with integrity.
Getting Residential Optics Improvement Off The Ground
Now, let’s talk about how Lee got things off the ground.
Picture it: Last December, there was a chill in the air, and real estate slows during the holiday season. It was the perfect time for Lee to catch his breath and think about his idea. It was at that moment he decided it was time to go for it. He rounded up his crew, created a bare-bones website, and launched ROI – Residential Optics Improvement. (I TOLD you we’d circle back to that acronym.)
Lee said he has been doing interiors as much as exteriors recently and he’s happy to help. He said most of his clients have been Realtors — not a shock since that’s where he spread the message first.
As for what trends he’s seeing on exteriors and what he’s most frequently asked to do, he said it really is a lot of painting and staining. Lee said the solution isn’t ALWAYS to paint the brick, but sometimes it actually is. It’s a relatively inexpensive cost and the payoff can be huge. (Like more potential buyers clicking through to those all-important interiors.)
He said a lot of the candidates for his services are older homes from a time when orange brick was all the rage. Lee doesn’t believe in the all-white look with black trim solution. While it might work for some homes, it isn’t the go-to for EVERY home.
The key is to get the colors complementary so they work together to create a cohesive look. Lee said a lot of times he’ll see orange brick with a brown front-entry garage door and then cream trim. It’s not THE most desirable color combo and a quick consultation with ROI can help send the homeowners down a more desirable path.
Currently, he’s seeing homes (and their owners) take a slightly greater risk with Earth tones and a lot of muted greens up in Frisco. Seemingly inspired by the Pacific Northwest, color is slowing creeping into our city as a way to differentiate a home and make it feel more like your own. Another trend we’re seeing is the pop of metal roof over the porch. While a full metal roof might be cost prohibitive, just a little pop over the porch can add a lot of interest for less.
The home above has a lot of stonework on the facade and then just a touch of siding. That’s another look we’re seeing a lot of – mixed materials. Especially in new construction. BUT, you can still add it to an existing home. Lee said on his own home he added stonework above the porch about ten years ago and he loves it, but it was on the higher side of home improvements. He said in today’s market, you can add a cedar beam instead. It’s still a custom detail, but definitely more budget friendly.
Lee said whether it’s your home or one you’re looking to buy, you want to love it from the minute you lay eyes on it. And it really can be as simple as wrapping the wrought iron detail on the porch in a beautiful stained cedar.
Now a quick word from Lee about ROI:
- ROI is a commercially insured Texas LLC that works almost exclusively with insured subs.
- They paint, they stain, and they offer advice – all to create a cohesive look inside and out.
- ROI negotiates with contractors on behalf of your clients so your clients can rest easy.
- Most projects take anywhere from three to six contractors. ROI brings all those services together to create the most efficient job possible.
- A few of the services ROI provides are paint inside and out, fence staining, column wraps, shutters, doors, floors, power washing, clean up, general handyman maintenance and more.
- There is a $5,000 project minimum.
If you’re a homeowner with no plans of moving to market and you’re silently screaming, “BUT WHAT ABOUT ME?” Don’t you worry your little title-holding head — ROI will work with you, too!
Ready to get started? Head here to reach out and learn more.
