The home in Owen Sound will be flipped and sold, with profits going to local charities, source: flippedgreybruce.ca/

You never know when inspiration will strike. Mike Seiler was watching a home renovation show while he and his wife were on holiday when had an idea. With the size of his brokerage, his realtor base and his ties to the community, he wondered: why couldn’t a home be flipped and the proceeds donated to local charities?

Indeed, why not? An energetic, excited Seiler, broker/owner of Century 21 In-Studio Realty Inc. in Owen Sound, Ont., got to work. The realtor, who has about a decade of personal home-flipping experience, spoke to a few colleagues. They loved the idea. Flipping is not new, but involving the community and charities makes this a fresh idea, Seiler says. “I’m notorious for coming up with ideas.”

 

Building a plan to give back

 

He created a business plan, putting his vision on paper. In a nutshell, the plan calls for a house to be purchased (done); renovated with the help of contractors using donated supplies and services in return for advertising/publicity; and cash from the sale to be donated to local charities.

The project relies on getting as much for free as possible—someone donating a product and someone giving their services to install it—in order to make as much for the charities as possible, Seiler says.

His goal is to sell the renovated home for “north of $800,000” with a couple of hundred thousand dollars or more going to the charities.

He and some agents in his office came up with the funds and purchased the house for cash (for an undisclosed amount).

 

Picking the right house 

 

He says the home is an ideal candidate for flipping. It has a “septic that is sized right, a new roof and it’s on a lot that’s over a half acre with mature trees. It’s on Highway 6, a main artery, but is set back from the road.”

The brick bungalow, built around 1978-‘80s, has been home to the second owners for about the last 40 years and shows pride of ownership, Seiler says. However, the renovation will transform its interior.

 

Community collaboration

 

Contractors and suppliers are trading skills/labour/products for advertising that includes being featured in a mini-series on Century 21’s YouTube page, as well as on social media.

Seiler hired two full-time videographers with the hopes that their work will go viral. He says the mini-series will let viewers live vicariously through every contractor and will also include fun time-lapse videos. “If we reach a million viewers, they’re happy and we’re happy.”

Instead of commercials for unrelated products/services, Seiler’s crew will create community spots for those involved with the project to offer them even more value. “We want to shine a light on our contractors and realtors.”

Local planners are on board and a new permit system that makes it easy to pull permits and ensure projects are done the right way will be highlighted, Seiler says. “The show will depict local planners as the superheroes they are.”

The seller is also excited to be involved and will provide some back story about the house in documentary-style interviews, he says. “The (former) homeowner is fuelled up to be part of the project.”

 

The show goes on 

 

Filming began in early January, with good buy-in from Seiler’s brokerage.  “We have north of 40 Realtors and the majority are on board,” he says. (Some bowed out because they are camera shy or were unsure about the type of exposure the show would bring.)

Seiler says it’s important that the project be respectful of everyone involved. “We have zero tolerance for naysayers or those who talk trash on social media.”

The eight-episode video series will be “a mash-up of fun,” with content suited to all ages. It will show homeowners, a target audience that will appreciate knowing how they can get the most from the sale of their house, and how Seiler and his team can help.

 

Adding value beyond the flip

 

“We’re not buying houses,” he says. Instead, “We can help you execute a project like this and make the most money.” 

The YouTube show will premiere on March 14. Episode 1 will include an introduction to the property. Items that can be recycled/reused (the goal is not to just fill a bin, but to find other uses for unneeded items taken out of the house) will be sold at a garage sale at the property on Friday (May 16) of the Victoria Day weekend.

On Saturday, items donated for staging will be sold during an auction run by Easter Seals, Century 21’s long-time charity of choice. Seiler says this event is expected to bring in $20,000 to $50,000.

“We are hoping that we’ll have a firm sale before the auction is over in case the purchaser wants to bid on certain items. We want a clean cash offer, a 30-60 day close and (the buyer to come) with deposit in hand.”

 

A community effort to spread the word

 

The five-month project’s benefiting charities will be announced halfway through the season.

In the meantime, Seiler is encouraging all of his realtors to reach out for publicity about the collaborative project led by the community brokerage. Broker Tim Matthews pitched this story, Seiler says. “Tim is a high performer and a friend.”

For more information about the house, events, sale and tickets, visit the project’s website.