What NOT to Renovate

When my clients buy a fixer-upper house they often wonder what renovations will give them the most bang for their buck, and I always recommend updating the kitchen and bathrooms, specifically the master bathroom. Other upgrades are a lot less sexy but no less important: adding impact glass windows and doors, replacing cast iron pipes, putting on a new roof, and adding a generator are all great selling points.

I am all for updating a house, but what I would never recommend that anyone do when renovating is to take away all of their home’s original charm. Have you ever walked into a beautiful old Spanish property in Coral Gables only to find an interior straight out of a 2020 HGTV Magazine? It is incongruous. Rather than obliterating any trace of the 1920’s, I recommend that a homeowner maintain some of the original details such as moldings, fireplaces, and built-ins, and utilizing modern materials that are evocative of their home’s era.

On the other hand, if you are working with an avocado green 1970’s kitchen in a Pinecrest ranch house, then feel free to get rid of those original details! Old ranches are blank slates and tend to become some of the more livable houses that I show on a daily basis with open, interconnected spaces and fabulous, fresh finishes.

When you do renovate a home, make sure that you consider what you are doing so that you can update it appropriately and make the best investments possible.