Knowledgeable buyers are willing to pay a premium for a house built by the giants of West Coat modern such as Arthur Erickson, Fred Hollingsworth, Ron Thom, Ned Pratt, Bob Lewis and Peter Kafka.Trent Rodney had been selling luxury big box mansions, as he calls them, when he discovered the one-storey post-and-beam Watt’s Residence, built by architect Fred Hollingsworth in 1951.He had attended the realtor’s open house at 3635 Sunnycrest Dr.
“What we do is market the house as a work of art, and so we charge a premium. People value what they pay for and so they are paying for this kind of architecture.”“They can go to another lot across the street and tear that down instead – and spend a lot less money.”Jesse Laber/Jesse Laber In September, 2020, he sold the Sea Ranch Residence in West Vancouver, an A-frame built in 1970 by Barry McLeod, acquired by a couple from Manhattan for $3.5-million. Three months ago, Mr. Rodney sold a Hollingsworth at 3990 HIllcrest Ave., in North Vancouver for $3.415-million, to a local couple. In the past few weeks, he sold the Forest House in West Vancouver, built by Kafka, for $2.75-million, to an Edmonton buyer. The house had been listed in 2019 at $1.
Instead of the usual “realtor’s open,” the young firm holds “architectural tours” and taps into a database they’ve accumulated of creative types who love the architecture, to the tune of about 15,000 people. Mr. Rodney figures about 15 per cent to 20 per cent of buyers are international.They also incorporate product placement. On the day I visited the Erickson house, the rooms were being accessorized by Japanese lifestyle shop Itsumo, with the items on display also on sale.
In order to save the houses, homeowners are spending significant sums to update and add onto the houses, to make them more livable by today’s standards. The love of the architecture can come with a price.