What do you expect of a home when you read that it’s fully remodeled? This phrase can mean widely different things to different people.

Fully remodeled: what’s included?

“Fully remodeled!” “Completely remodeled!” “Extensively remodeled!” “Remodeled down to the studs!” If you’ve been looking at property listings, you’ve probably run into these phrases a few times, and you might be wondering what they really mean. It might be less than you expect.

The most important thing to know is this: when a seller or contractor asserts that the home is completely redone, you’ll want to know what specifically was done, by whom, and what permits and finals were obtained, if any. Ask for a list. Better still is getting receipts. And always review the disclosures carefully!

A “fully remodeled home” suggests that there’s nothing left to be done, which is seldom the case. It’s usually just puffing. Remodeling to sell is often limited to what is visible, such as:

• kitchen
• bathrooms
• lighting
• floor coverings
• windows
• painting
• interior doors
• sometimes landscaping, driveways, patios, decks

At times, we’ll hear that a remodel is “down to the studs”. This is a more specific descriptor and typically indicates a deeper remodel and may mean that the contractor replaced these items:

• sheetrock (aka drywall)
• wiring
• plumbing – water supply lines, drain lines, water purification systems, soft water systems, sewer line
• wall insulation, attic insulation, possibly subfloor insulaton

Other components that may or may not have been upgraded (and often with flipped homes are not):

• Main electric panel, sub panel
• Water heater
• Furnace (or heat pump)
• Air conditioner
• Ductwork for forced air and AC systems
• Roof, gutters, downspouts
• Foundation, seismic upgrades
• Drainage, grading, managing downspout water, sump pumps (if needed)
• Fireplace / chimney
• Lead paint removal (older homes)
• Asbestos removal (older homes)
• Pest work may or may not have been done

Fully remodeled vs cheaply flipped home

Flippers like to buy fixer upper homes, improve what’s visible or that which would be a major stumbling block to a sale, and get the home back on the market quickly. Some flippers are licensed contractors with a ready crew. Some are amateurs who are just starting out. In all cases, the goal is profit – by making strategic changes to a property to improve its marke value and (hopefully) make a good return on their investment.

The biggest issue we find in some cheaply flipped homes is that the work is only surface level, and serious repairs are needed still. All components in a home have a lifespan, and a “brand new kitchen” could be hiding old plumbing and old electrical. The nightmare scenario is if the kitchen or bathroom must be ripped up in order to fix the plumbing or drain lines – no buyer wants that surprise, but it’s especially hard to swallow when you thought you were getting a “finished” home!

The other problem that we see fairly often is a lack of permits for kitchen and bathroom remodels (or roofs, plumbing, electrical, or other work). While permits and finals don’t guarantee that the work was done perfectly, there’s an assurance that another set of trained eyes were on the project, and the odds of any problems getting caught go up tremendously.

We have an article on flipping vs remodeling that you can find on our Belwood Of Los Gatos blog: Flipped or nicely remodeled Los Gatos home for sale?

Newer isn’t always better

It should be added that sometimes a home can move from old to antique or historic, and replacing 100 year old items with newer ones may not always be desireable or even an improvement.

Crystal doorknobs in a Victorian home, or extensive crown molding, or other decorative finishes can hold more value than a newer version. Even mahogany panel walls in a Midcentury Modern home might be a prized feature – if it’s in good condition.

Sometimes the best renovation isn’t replacing, but refinishing or cleaning up.

And it’s not just decorative elements. Solid wood interior doors will reduce sound much more than a contemporary hollow door, for instance. Even replacing a 1980s custom kitchen made from oak with 2020s Ikea gray shaker cabinetry may not be a win for the buyer, but it might be cheaper for the seller than refinishing the older cabinets to a more contemporary style.

However that’s not the case with knob and tub wiring (see image below), a scary old electric panel, historic heating system from 90 years ago, a mossy wood shake roof, or cast iron drain lines on their last leg, of course! Depending on the age of the home and where it’s located there are different issues to look out for. We wrote about what needs updating in older homes on our other blog.

Lifespans of home components

Once you have a list of what has been replaced, reinforced, upgraded, and so on, it’s good to sort out what is original or what hasn’t been touched in recent years. Most of a home’s components need to be replaced periodically. Water heaters tend to last 8 – 12 years, for instance. If you can create a list of what’s original, next it would be good to ascertain if those elements have a lot of life left in them or not. You can ask your home inspector, or you can just do a websearch (or even ask an AI model how long it might last in your area of the U.S.). Then you can budget accordingly.

But even brand new homes need upkeep.

It’s a mistake to believe that if you buy a new home, you won’t have to ever “do anything”. Roofs need tune up work (small fixes) every 3 – 5 years. Bathrooms and kitchens need to be recaulked every 1 – 5 years depending on wear and tear. Termites and other pests can come back, so regular exclusion work and occasional spot treatment may be necessary. Houses need paint to protect against water and pests (stucco approximately every 10 years, wood approximately every 5 years). Carpets need cleaning or they may wear poorly.

Sometimes things that are installed at one time are later found to be not ideal later, such as with acoustic or popcorn ceiling, or certain types of electric panels.

It’s a good idea to have homes inspected from time to time. For pest and termite, as well as roof, every 3 – 5 years is probably good in many cases. A general home inspection could be less frequent, depending on the type of house and types of components there.

Fully remodeled – related reading:

Is that bathroom or kitchen old, classic or antique? Should I remodel it? (this website)