2025 Remodeling Impact Report Highlights Homeowner Satisfaction and Cost Recovery

The 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, released by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), reveals that homeowners derive the most satisfaction from adding a primary bedroom suite, upgrading the kitchen, and installing new roofing—each earning a perfect Joy Score of 10. In terms of cost recovery, replacing a steel front door offers the highest return at 100%, followed by closet renovations at 83% and new fiberglass front doors at 80%. These findings underscore the value homeowners place on both personal enjoyment and…

Read More

Top Remodeling Projects for Homeowner Satisfaction and Cost Recovery

​The 2025 Remodeling Impact Report by the National Association of Realtors® and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry highlights that homeowners derive the most satisfaction from projects like adding a primary bedroom suite, upgrading the kitchen, and installing new roofing, each earning a perfect Joy Score of 10. In terms of cost recovery, replacing a steel front door offers the highest return at 100%, followed by closet renovations at 83% and new fiberglass front doors at 80%. While personal satisfaction drives many remodeling decisions, Realtors® often recommend projects such…

Read More

Renovated Neglected Home Turns Into Coastal California Dream

Anders Lasater, owner of Anders Lasater Architects, and Sandra Vila, owner of Sandra Vila Design, saw one man’s neglected 1960s hillside home as a treasure to be restored. This breathtaking oceanfront property defies expectations and exists as a testament to what can happen when creative limitations spark extraordinary design. “This house is special because it shouldn’t exist,” says Lasater. “By all rules, it ought not to be there anymore, but we were able to transform this little ’60s cracker box tract house into the beautiful estate it is today.” According to Iconic Life, The…

Read More

Midtown Memphis Remodel Rebuilds the Dream

In Memphis, Tennessee, a Midtown family sought a remodel after having lived in their 1912 home for about 20 years. With lives, functionality and ability changed, as well as children leaving the nest, the dwelling’s limitations became clear. And rather than seeking out a new place to call homes, the family thought it best to pursue a renovation of their current residence. “The kitchen was very small,” say the homeowners (who asked to remain anonymous). “We really didn’t have much of a family room, but a very small area where…

Read More

Innovative Solutions Transform a Dated Farmhouse Kitchen in Recent Renovation

According to Apartment Therapy, If there’s one piece of advice homeowners provide time and time again for major kitchen renovations, it’s to plan for extra: extra time, extra materials, and, of course, extra budget needed to finish the project.  That rang true in Rebecca Reece’s kitchen transformation. When she and her family were planning their kitchen reno, they had only seen photos of the space and didn’t realize exactly how much work it would take to give the kitchen a new lease on life. “Have a very big buffer pot!” Rebecca…

Read More

Complete Overhaul of Urban Los Angeles Home Incorporates Playful Design

California design studio ByBen took up a remodling project of a Los Angeles home weathered with quite a bit of wear dating back to the 1920s. The ByBen team, spearheaded by architect Ben Warwas, worked to reimagine the 1,220-square-foot property, focusing on elevating the interior and increasing the sense of space and light, as well as reworking the exterior landscaping. According to the project page on ByBen’s website, The Bagel House is a full house renovation in the Glassel Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. This project keeps the over all programmatic…

Read More

Seattle Home Transformed From Compact to an Open Floorplan With Functional Design

This Seattle, Washington home, whose project name became The Black Sheep Remodel when Seattle-based design studio SHED Architecture and Design took on the challenge, dates back to 1921. The clapboard bungalow was originally designed to house the area’s burgeoning workforce, equipped with a compact, rectangular floorplan broken up into smaller rooms that aren’t conducive to today’s modern living. SHED undertook the project to integrate the home’s 2,380 square feet of living spaces to establish an open-flow interior while also overhauling the property’s exterior to create a visual connection from the…

Read More

Gut-Renovated Remodel Comes Out With Farmhouse Kitchen in Boston, Massachusetts

The 2,301-square-foot single-family home, which dates to 1897, blends historic charm with coveted modern upgrades. The home, now equipped with a farmhouse-style kitchen, was renovated with timeless design in mind. The highly-anticipated 182-square-foot renovated kitchen features checked floors, stainless steel appliances and two-tone solid wood cabinetry. Additanlloy, the island countertop tastefully matches the backsplash material. “They bought this as a fixer-upper in 2019, and put blood, sweat, and tears into this thing for the last five years,” said Sam Reifman-Packett of the RP Group at Compass, who has the listing.…

Read More

Loving an ‘Untouched’ Modernist House, and Then Getting Down to Work

In September 2019, Emlen Fischer and Ayla Christman saw a listing for a 1966 modernist home with a low roofline in Palo Alto, California that they couldn’t ignore. The couple had been recreationally looking at houses on weekends simply out of curiosity and activity. Designed by Aaron Green, an architect who was a close associate of Frank Lloyd Wright, and built by Eichler Homes, the 1,590-square-foot house was found to essentially be a time capsule. The home retained most of its original finishes and fixtures, including custom furniture Mr. Green…

Read More

Renovated 1950s House in Palm Beach Underwent a Historical and Innovative Transformation

A Palm Beach, Florida house, originally built in 1952 was recently renovated under the town’s preservation program for “historically significant” homes and has changed hands in Midtown for a recorded $15.9 million sale. The Georgian-style house was sold by Sotheby’ International Realty agent Elizabeth “Betsy” Sorrel who has renovated and sold six other Palm Beach homes since 2000. The property was purchased by a Florida limited liability company named after the property’s address. That entity is managed by Vernon Nicholas Leopard, as state business records show. A man by that…

Read More