You’re standing in your 1920s Craftsman kitchen, staring at those original cabinets. Your contractor just pitched a $75,000 gut job. Your neighbor swears by restoration. Restoration vs remodeling? One of these paths will build wealth. The other will destroy it.
This isn’t about style preference, that’s a separate issue. It’s about money. One decision can swing your property value by $50,000 or more.
Properties in historic districts appreciate 15-31% higher than comparable homes. But here’s the catch: only if you don’t screw up what makes them valuable.
When “Upgrades” Actually Downgrade
Sarah bought an 1890s Victorian for $340,000. Her contractor convinced her the kitchen was hopeless. She spent close to $80,000 on granite, stainless steel, and that subway tile everyone loves.
Two years later, three appraisers delivered the same verdict. Her “upgrade” had cut the home’s value. Buyers wanting a Victorian don’t want a modern kitchen. They want authenticity.
Sarah learned an expensive lesson: when you gut a historic home, you’re competing with new construction. And losing.
Remodeling means altering the structure. In historic homes, that typically means ripping out original details, installing modern materials that clash with the era, and creating open floor plans that destroy the intended flow. You’re essentially betting that granite countertops matter more than 120 years of craftsmanship.
Most buyers of historic homes will pay less for your “improvements.” They wanted character, not your personal taste.
What You Actually Own
Your historic home wasn’t slapped together in a subdivision. It was custom-built when quality mattered more than speed. The materials are superior to anything you can buy today.
That old-growth lumber? More stable and rot-resistant than modern wood. Those mortise-and-tenon joints? Stronger than today’s mass-produced alternatives. Those double-hung windows? They’ll outlast modern replacements by decades if properly maintained.
When you remodel, you’re replacing superior materials with inferior ones. You’re telling master craftsmen they got it wrong. I’m not talking about keeping an original wood burning stove in your kitchen, but there are ways you can keep the elements where the technology hasn’t changed because these pieces are intrinsically more important to your home’s value.
Restoration: Working With What Works
Restoration enhances what’s already there. It reveals quality instead of covering it up. Smart restoration gives you modern comfort without destroying historic value.
Take those original hardwood floors. Sand and refinish them instead of covering them with tile or even worse vinyl strip flooring. You’ll spend less money and add more value. Those old windows everyone wants to replace? Restore them and add storm windows. You’ll get better energy efficiency than replacements at half the cost.
For kitchens, use soapstone countertops instead of granite. They’re period-appropriate and actually superior. Install vintage-style appliances that look right but perform modern. Restore original cabinets with updated internals.
Bathrooms work the same way. Keep original tile and fixtures where possible. Add modern efficiency toilets in vintage styles. Install period materials like subway tile and pedestal sinks. Upgrade the guts, not the looks.
This approach costs about the same as remodeling, but this way you’re adding value instead of destroying it.
The Money Truth
Let’s talk numbers, because that’s what really matters.
Restoration projects in historic homes typically recoup 60-80% of costs. Kitchen and bathroom remodels recoup only 40-60%. Original features like hardwood floors and windows add premium value that modern updates can’t match.
Here’s why: buyers of historic homes pay for authenticity, not modernity. When you destroy that authenticity, you shift from the premium historic market to the crowded modern market. And modern homes are cheaper to build than historic ones are to fix.
The data’s clear. Properties in historic districts appreciate 5-20% faster than comparable neighborhoods. They also depreciate slower than non-historic neighborhoods when times are tough. But only when they maintain their character.
When to Choose Restoration vs remodeling
Restoration makes sense when you’re staying long-term, the house keeps most original features, you’re in a historic district, and you want maximum resale value.
Consider remodeling only when original elements are truly beyond repair, you’re not in a historic district, the house has already been butchered and stripped of the original elements that add all that incredible character.
Red flags: any contractor who immediately suggests gutting everything, pressure to “modernize” character features, claims that original windows can’t be saved, or advice to remove “outdated” architectural details.
The Real Decision
This choice between restoration vs remodeling isn’t about preference. It’s about understanding what you own and maximizing its potential. Historic homes are assets when treated right, liabilities when treated wrong.
Most homeowners make this decision based on emotion or bad advice. Smart ones make it based on data. The numbers don’t lie: authenticity pays, modification costs.
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
I love old houses, working with my hands, and teaching others the excitment of doing it yourself! Everything is teachable if you only give it the chance.