Over the past few months, we’ve written extensively about different kinds of home improvements—particularly what we have named “superficial” and “enduring” improvements. These ideas have sparked interest and prompted thoughtful questions from many of our friends and clients. It’s clear these concepts resonate, so we wanted to take the opportunity to delve deeper into the idea of “enduring” improvements.
When done right, enduring improvements create timeless appeal and long-term value—qualities every homeowner hopes for. Admittedly, though, explaining what makes an improvement “enduring” is no easy task. Unlike superficial changes, enduring improvements rely on factors that are harder to define, measure, or even ‘feel.’
Some enduring improvements are easier to understand than others. For instance, we’ve discussed how increasing natural light is almost always a win. But even with something as straightforward as light, there’s more nuance than you might expect. In our experience, getting an improvement partially wrong is easier than getting it entirely right. Given the expense, effort, and time involved, getting it entirely right is essential. But this is difficult because what creates enduring value ultimately depends on the unique qualities of your home, property, location, and much more.
Achieving this, however, is not always easy or apparent and depends heavily on the unique qualities of your home, property, location, and more.
.
Moving Beyond the Superficial
In past articles, we’ve discussed superficial improvements—those that might create emotional appeal for a short time but lose their charm as tastes change or wear and tear sets in. But enduring improvements are different. They create lasting emotional appeal—value that doesn’t fade with time or trends.
.
What You Do Want: Emotion That Lasts
To begin with, you’re looking for a home improvement that creates a strong emotional appeal and maintains its appeal over the years. It’s the difference between something trendy and something timeless, between fleeting excitement and lasting love.
.
What You Don’t Want: The Discordant Note
Think of a chamber orchestra—maybe ten musicians. Imagine nine of the best musicians in the world playing their instruments perfectly and with impeccable timing. But then, one musician either isn’t very skilled or comes in at the wrong time. That one poor musician, or even one discordant note, can ruin the entire piece.
The same principle applies to home improvements. Even if most of your choices are excellent, one poorly considered decision can disrupt the harmony and diminish the overall appeal.
.
A Dynamic Puzzle of Variables
What makes an improvement enduring often depends on many moving pieces. Sometimes, it’s about what’s outside—in your yard or on your property. Other times, it’s about your home’s structure, like the opportunities or constraints of your floor plan. And all of the time, it’s a combination of factors.
And then, of course, there’s cost. Theoretically, you could create endless enduring improvements if your budget were limitless. But for most of us, that’s not the case. The challenge is finding the balance—identifying the variables that matter most and ensuring they all fit together.
Imagine this process as a dynamic puzzle, where every piece influences the others. Solving this puzzle isn’t just about fitting the pieces together—it’s about prioritizing what matters most and ensuring harmony. A single misstep—like choosing the wrong material, ignoring the flow of light, or overspending on a feature that doesn’t add lasting value—can throw the entire system out of balance.
.
Seeing It in Action
Below, you’ll find two short screencasts. In the first, we showcase a property where removing one wall created such strong emotional appeal that it increased the home’s value by at least 50%.
In the second, we present the equivalent of that discordant note in the orchestra: Nine “musicians” (or decisions) were perfect, but one variable was off. In this case, the owners built a beautiful addition behind the kitchen. The quality of the work was top-notch, and they picked modern and cool finishes. And yet, this $50,000+ addition decreased the home’s overall value by about 25%.
In these videos, we identify the key variables that were—or should have been—considered. You’ll see why one project went wonderfully right and the other veered off course and how these lessons might apply to your situation.
.
Why We’re Here
Yes, we earn a living by helping people buy and sell real estate. But we believe our job is about more than just transactions. It’s about helping you create value in your home—value that lasts. Whether you’re looking to sell soon, want to create enduring value, or make your home a better place to live, we’re here to guide you.
Let us know if you’d like to explore how your home might benefit from enduring improvements. We’d love to visit, learn more about your ideas, and brainstorm ways to create enduring value that fits your space and budget.
.
.
A Home Improvement Gone Wrong
A Nearly Perfect Home Improvement
