CLEO'S PROGRESS
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
THE COST OF RENOVATING: WHAT'S WORTH IT & WHAT'S NOT
The One with Good Bones (and New Pipes)
The month of March summarized in the life of Refern:
The Cleo House hit some major milestones and now we’re in the race to finish by the end of the month (or sooner!)
This month, we’re slowly ramping up to search for the next investment property… 👀
What We Found Behind the Walls
Opening up the walls quickly revealed one of the biggest hidden risks in any renovation: aging plumbing that had to be fully replaced. What we expected to be a few plumbing updates turned into a full repipe once we saw corroded lines and outdated materials that wouldn’t pass inspection. It was an unplanned hit to the budget (that’s why you have a contingency baked into your proforma!), but also a necessary one. While it added cost upfront, replacing the plumbing gave us long-term peace of mind and eliminated a major red flag for future buyers.
Cost for a three bath, laundry and kitchen repipe, waste piping and a new water heater: $16,200 😅
Once this part was over, the ‘unknown’ was minimized and costs became much more predictable!
Where I Splurge vs. Save
One of the biggest lessons in a full renovation is that not all dollars are equal. Some decisions pay you back in value, others barely move the needle. Early on, I realized the goal wasn’t always to spend less, it was to spend intentionally.
In a down-to-studs reno, a bulk of your budget will be spent on the “invisible” bones of the house— electrical, plumbing, insulation, that’s just a given.
After that, these are my priorities for strategic splurging and biggest ROI:
Layout | make sure the layout makes sense. Make any changes to the layout that will make the space function and flow better. If you can add a bedroom or bathroom easily, do it.
Kitchen | a stand out kitchen with adequate storage and functionality, plus cabinetry that is suited for the style of the home. Buyers care more about how the kitchen lives than whether the backsplash tile was $5 or $25/SF.
Bathrooms | Use moderately priced tile, but go floor-to-ceiling in the shower or use a modern tile layout to make the space feel significantly more high-end. We want it to feel clean, durable, but quietly elevated.
Where I tend to save is on purely cosmetic elements that don’t affect function. If it’s easy to swap, like certain light fixtures, faucets or cabinet hardware, that’s where I look for savings.
Here's a peak at the budget breakdown for The Cleo Renovation:
The Weeks Ahead for Cleo
Once finishes start to go in things cruise (or so we hope!). The countdown to listing begins...
This Week » Tile, Door and Trim Installation
Next Week » Cabinets, Counters, Vanities and Railings
Week Three » Fixture, Accessories and Hardware Installation
Final Week » Final Cleaning & Staging for Listing!
Cheers to renovating,
refern (aka Rachel)
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