Native Richmond Heights Family Flips 1927 Home into Modern Beauty

ST. LOUIS, MO – “Extraordinary!” “Metamorphosis!” “Impressive! These are just a few words to describe the enthusiasm and gratitude that nearby neighbors and community members have about the transformation taking place at 7830 Wise Avenue, Richmond Heights, Missouri, 63117. Additionally, it’s affirmed by slow-driving gawkers who respond with a car honk accompanied by a “thumbs up” gesture or even an audible yell of “Great Job!”

This home was purchased just over a year ago by TRIG Property Solutions, LLC (TPS), owned and operated by Jesse Gill, III, his wife, Sharon and his brother Jay Gill. The company, founded in 2014, has a mission “to provide real estate wholesale, retail, and rental solutions to people in the community including the under-served and under-represented.” It also desires to “display a fuller scope of the knowledge, skills and creative abilities of minority contractors.”

“We grew up virtually around the corner from this location, and although Jesse and I have moved to other cities, we still love Richmond Heights and still have family members living in the community,” said Jay Gill. He continued: “We really wanted our first major project to be here in our home city. I discovered the Wise property while driving through the neighborhood looking for potential sites. As you can imagine when I first drove by, she (the home) was in an extreme state of deterioration and disrepair. I saw what neighbors had viewed for nearly a decade.”

Built in 1927, the Spanish-style home with its traditional stucco finish; iconic red roof clay tiles; arched windows; and architectural features sat empty for nearly ten years taking on water, and the abuse of natural elements. According to TPS, city officials indicated that the property had become a concern for some neighbors and a few had expressed a desire to have it torn down.

In line with the TPS mission, the Wise project utilized a majority of minority contractors and vendors, collaborating on the architectural design, construction, HVAC, plumbing, realty, etc. Aundray Davis, the owner of A & G Home Repair, played a significant role in this collaboration to bring the home back to life.

“I’m sure when the Gills came to look at the property, they didn’t know how bad of a shape she was in,” Davis stated. “On this one, I basically had to use every trick in the book. One of the features I’m most proud of is turning what was once a sun porch on the second level into a gorgeous bathroom. We had to bust out six inches of concrete with chicken wire running through it. That took some might and time.” Another feature that Davis is proud of is the walkout exit to the back patio.

“We also did an addition on the back of the house, turning a cellar door entrance to the basement into a beautiful walk up and out leading to the amazing flat stone back patio. It’s beautiful!” The property provides up-scale living space; energy and space-efficiency; and includes smart appliances and features throughout. The Gill’s call this “The Sport Home Concept.”

“The ‘Sport Home Concept’ is related to the sport car concept,” stated Jay Gill. “It’s a high-performance home in a smaller package. People are drawn to it for its performance, style, and class. The property can be “driven” by application on your phone or iPad – alarm; heating and cooling; appliances; and cameras. It’s greener than most with thick insulation; high-rated windows; doors; zoned HVAC system; plus a tank-less water heating system.”

The Gill’s recognized the desire for individual living space, as Jay stated: “We took what was originally a two bedroom, one bathroom home” and “turned it into a three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home, optimizing every inch for function, style, and comfort. There’s a bedroom with a personal bathroom on each floor. The bedrooms and the entire house is wired for traditional cabling and outlets for flat screen TVs; even the master bedroom showerhead is smart.”

This home has so many wonderful features, there are too many to list! However, among the most important and costly investments in the property is a moisture prevention concept utilizing a double sump-pump approach in the basement.

“I don’t think anything kills house faster than water leakage and moisture,” says Gill. “We were confronted with this issue early in the project and Mr. Davis, who shares our quality mindset, simply made it clear that we could not and would not achieve quality results without properly addressing this issue. So, we installed an ultra-sophisticated dry basement system and now she’s good with a home warranty.”

TRIG Co-owner and site manager, Sharon Gill, says the project was a great experience largely due to the ease of working with the city of Richmond Heights and forming a great partnership.

“There are always going to be hiccups on every project, but this project's success is due to building a great relationship with a great municipality.” She stated. “Make sure your team members are credentialed or come with a recommendation from a reliable source. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and establish expectations. And don’t be afraid to “bench” team members if they’re not performing up to standards.” She continued: “The city of Richmond Heights was great to work with! They informed us of the codes upfront; they offered a lot of great suggestions; they came by the site when we requested. We felt like they were rooting for us!”

“This home is perfect for any family,” Jay Gill stated. “Richmond Heights was recently ranked fourth best city to live in by the Niche Report because of great schools and community. It has easy access to the Cortex; BJC; Washington University; St. Louis University; Clayton Business District and more. It even has a fenced back yard for your furry-family member,” he continued.

The public is invited to an Open House event on Sunday, June 10, 2018, from 1 – 3 p.m. hosted by listing agent Angela Thomas. She can be reached at 314-497-4430.

If you have a project that may align with the mission of TRIG Property Solution, LLC, please email Trigps.llc@gmail.com.

Price: $525,000

Where: 7830 Wise Avenue, Richmond Heights, MO 63177

Features: 3 beds, 3.5 baths, 1,817 sq. ft.

Open House: Sunday, June 10, 1 – 3 p.m.

Listing Agent: Angela Thomas, 314-497-4430 (If you would like to view the home prior to the Open House, please contact Angela for your private showing.)

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