You’re not flipping. You're not thinking short-term. 

But in the back of your mind, there’s still that little voice asking:

“What if we move someday?”

So let’s talk about it — the balance between designing for right now… and keeping the future in mind.

Q.

We’re renovating our forever home (or at least we hope it will be). We love colour, don’t need a bathtub, and have very specific ideas about how we want to live in the space. But part of me worries… what if we have to sell one day? Is it okay to design purely for us, or should we be thinking about resale value? I don’t want to make decisions we’ll regret later if we ever need to sell.

A.

This question comes up a lot. It’s one I’ve asked myself, too. And it usually shows up when someone’s about to make a choice that really feels like them.

Here’s what I tell every client: designing for resale and designing for yourself are two completely different projects — and you feel it in every decision.

My husband and I tested this when we were building a deck off the back of the barn. I asked him, how would you like to build it? We landed on fir beams, black metal railings, a waterproof membrane, tongue-and-groove soffits… in other words, gorgeous.

Then I asked, what if we were selling tomorrow? The answer? Pressure-treated lumber. Basic decking. Wood railings. A safe, cheaper option but more future maintenance.

Would we be happy with it? No. But then again, it wouldn’t be ours then would it. Would we still use it if we stay? Sure. But maybe not as much, and eventually we'll detest the maintenance. Would I continue to look at it like “I wish I did that differently”? Absolutely, I see it every day.

That is the difference between building for resale and building for you.

That’s the cost of designing for resale: you can end up living in a version of your home that was never truly yours.

The truth is, even if you pick something “safe,” someone else might hate it. Beige doesn’t guarantee a faster sale. And the next owner? They'll renovate anyway because they’ll want to make it theirs, too.

And if that doesn’t convince you, here’s a quick story for you.

I once designed a home for a very eccentric couple. There was nothing typical about this house, from the layout to the functionality and colour (zero beige). Years later, I met the couple who bought it after it sold. They told me they hadn’t changed a single thing. They loved it.

From that moment on, I never questioned anything someone wanted for their home. I give my advice, architecturally speaking, but at the end of the day they know what’s best for them.

So here’s my advice:

Design your home for you. Material choices are easy to replace.

Love it. Live in it. And let the next owner worry about what they want when or even if the time comes.

Just know, the only determining factor during the sale will be the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. That doesn't mean you add more bedrooms and bathroom than you need, it just means you a 2-bedroom house markets to a different target market than a 3+ bedroom market (couple with no kids or a family of 1 children).

But if there's space for a future addition, space for that spare bathroom, or you don't care because you don't sell, then you have nothing to worry about. Enjoy your home because that's what it's really about.

Have a question like this about your home or project? Ask HQ and we just might answer it in an upcoming post.