09/22/2007: "Visser’s To Auction Home, Move To Uruguay"

Piet and Brook Visser’s friends hardly blinked when the couple announced that they’re selling their recently completed home and moving to Uruguay, a country they’ve never visited.

Those who know the Visser’s have come to expect the unexpected from the Vissers’, and now the unexpected waits to greet the Visser family as they prepare to move off for a new challenge. A challenge that will include learning Spanish and adapting to the customs of an entirely different culture, said Visser. “It’s going to take a while to figure out how things work down there,” he said.

And in keeping with their flair for doing things their own way, Piet (a licensed Realtor) and Brook decided to sell their home at auction . Bidders will gather Thursday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. at the home to compete for the property, with J.P. King Auction Company managing the sale. The auction will be an “Absolute Auction”, which means the property will be sold to the highest bidder -regardless of the amount of the highest bid.

“People ask me why we’d sell a home we’ve just finished. I just say, because we’re done,” said Piet Visser, who at 46 is retired from a career that included 20 years selling investment real estate and a one-year stint as owner of a bakery, Big Barn Bakes; and in his spare time writes a column for The Island Guardian.

The couple built the home after purchasing the site of approximately 9.5 acres in 2003.

“Piet and Brook did an amazing job of creating something special,” said Craig King, president of J.P. King. “The home has a great deal of privacy, with its own pond as well as views of the south end of San Juan Island and Olympic Mountain. Yet, it’s just a few minutes from Friday Harbor.”

More about the home

The four-bedroom home also has eucalyptus flooring, a salt water swimming pool, custom Shaker style cabinetry and a unique chandelier made up of approximately 132 pieces of blown glass.

Visser said that with three children – now nine, five and three years old – the couple placed a premium on privacy in creating the home. One attraction to the location was the amount of wildlife, which includes deer, eagles, herons, kingfishers, otters and barn swallows. “We tried to make it something that would fit our needs as a family, and I think we did a good job with that.