When Matt Strausbaugh, owner of Strausbaugh Construction Services, first met Realtor and home staging stylist Julia Wesselkamper six years ago, he was immediately impressed by her poise, professionalism and proficiency. Little did he know that a beautiful partnership was about to be born.
The Julia Wesselkamper Group at Coldwell Banker Realty consists of Wesselkamper and six other women. The award-winning real estate team is ranked in the top 1% of Coldwell Banker Realty agents worldwide. Wesselkamper is also a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist and runs a home staging business called Stage It by Julia. The full-service home staging company works in concert with the real estate side to offer complimentary staging services to any client who lists with The Julia Wesselkamper Group.
Over the past several years, The Julia Wesselkamper Group has collaborated with Strausbaugh on all kinds of properties, including renovation flips, new construction, LEED homes and more.
Strausbaugh Construction Services has been around for more than 20 years. It started as a small company focused primarily on renovating kitchens and bathrooms before expanding to become a full-scale custom builder. It now specializes in building LEED homes. Strausbaugh Construction Services just built their first Passive House and LEED certified home at a client’s request.
A Passive House is designed by using the building itself to be comfortable, environmentally friendly and affordable. They often use 90% less energy than a typical home.
“We’re really proud about that,” says Strausbaugh.
When Strausbaugh is building a house, he will ask Wesselkamper to walk through it and offer suggestions on things he can do to improve his chances of quickly selling the property. For instance, she might suggest painting the basement or making the walls of a room a specific color.
“Julia has been so helpful with her insights in the real estate market,” says Strausbaugh.
When it comes to listing and selling houses, Strausbaugh notes that Wesselkamper is not a “list it and leave it” real estate agent. She’s involved in the entire process, including staging the properties to give them the final touch.
“She knows what needs to be done to sell a property for maximum dollars,” Strausbaugh says. “The houses always look perfect after she’s worked her magic. Often, the properties sell in a day or two.”
And if Strausbaugh is doing a house flip, Wesselkamper and her team are involved from day one — everything from choosing colors to staging to readying it for sale and scheduling open houses.
“I love how everything is taken care of,” Strausbaugh says. “I don’t have to worry about anything the way I would if someone else were handling the process.”
Many of Strausbaugh’s homes are high-end for their neighborhoods, making them top of the market. As a result, he’s been told he might struggle to sell those homes. But that hasn’t been the case.
“We had a house that was over half a million dollars sell in the Northside in three days,” Strausbaugh says. “A lot of that had to do with Julia and her marketing abilities. She brings the people to us, and the right clients walk through the door.”
Strausbaugh’s most recent project is an old apartment building that he is splitting into four single-family townhomes with a connected retail space. All four will be LEED certified, although buyers can select their level of LEED certification and their finishes. Strausbaugh expects those homes to be ready for sale by early summer.
Strausbaugh is such a fan of The Julia Wesselkamper Group that he chose the team to help him purchase his “forever home.”
“They are personable and thorough, and their attention to detail is amazing!” Strausbaugh says.
He notes that it all comes down to trust.
“I know I can trust that Julia will do a top-notch job, and so will her team. It’s why I’ve referred her to so many friends. I know she’ll treat them the same way and take great care of them.”
Need to sell or buy your dream house? Contact The Julia Wesselkamper Group at Julia@juliawesselkampergroup.com, visit thejuliawesselkampergroup.com or call 513-720-4496 for more information.