One of the easiest things to fall for when buying a home is someone else's renovation.
A beautiful kitchen, new bathrooms, wide plank floors, and perfectly selected finishes can make a home incredibly compelling.
And sometimes, paying a premium for a finished home makes perfect sense.
But when I'm evaluating a property with a buyer, I'm also looking at the things that weren't part of the renovation.
The street. The lot. The natural light. The privacy. The floor plan. The surrounding homes. The way the property is positioned within the neighborhood.
Those are the things you can't easily change.
In Los Angeles, even a few blocks can make a meaningful difference. Two homes with similar square footage and finishes can have completely different values because one sits on a quieter street, has a better lot, or is located in a more desirable pocket of the neighborhood.
That's why I encourage buyers to think carefully about what they're actually paying a premium for.
A newly renovated home offers convenience. You can move in, unpack, and enjoy it immediately. For a busy buyer who has no interest in taking on a project, that has real value.
But finishes aren't permanent.
The kitchen that feels brand new today will eventually age. Design trends will change. At some point, even the most beautiful renovation will need updating.
A great location tends to be much harder to replicate.
This doesn't mean I always recommend buying the older home on the better street. There are plenty of situations where the renovated property is absolutely the right choice.
It's about understanding the tradeoff.
Would you rather have everything finished today, or would you take on some improvements to get the location, lot, or setting you really want?
There's no universal answer.
But if I'm choosing between something that's difficult to change and something that's relatively easy to improve over time, I pay very close attention to the former.
You can renovate a house.
You can't renovate where where it's located.
