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What to Update First in an Older Home

A renovation guide for homeowners in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village & Calabasas.

Older homes in the Conejo Valley often have exactly what buyers want most — larger lots, mature trees, privacy, and established neighborhoods. What they don’t always have is a kitchen that works for how families live today, or bathrooms that feel anything other than dated.

The good news: strong bones and a great location are the hardest things to buy. The rest can be fixed. For many homeowners in this market, renovating an older home is the best of both worlds — a neighborhood they already love, updated for how they actually live.

Here’s where to start.

1. Open and Update the Kitchen

Enclosed kitchens were the standard in homes built before the 1990s — a galley tucked away from the living room, disconnected from where family life actually happens. Opening walls between the kitchen and living spaces, and pairing that with upgraded lighting, storage, and appliances, is usually the single highest-impact change you can make to an older home.

Our kitchen remodeling team works with homeowners to open layouts, improve function, and design spaces built for how families actually live. Popular upgrades include:

Removing walls between kitchen and living areas
Adding a larger island for seating and prep space
Improving cabinet storage and organization — see our custom cabinets options
Upgrading lighting, including recessed LED and under-cabinet fixtures
Installing higher-performance appliances
Improving flow for entertaining

A well-designed kitchen changes how the entire home feels — not just how it functions.

2. Renovate Outdated Bathrooms

Primary bathrooms in older homes often have cramped layouts, aging tile, and plumbing systems that haven’t been touched in decades. Walk-in showers, double vanities, improved lighting, and spa-like finishes can transform daily routines and add meaningful resale value.

Explore our bathroom remodeling services. Common priorities:

Larger walk-in showers with updated tile and waterproofing
Double vanities
Improved lighting
Better storage solutions
Spa-like finishes and fixtures

3. Replace Flooring Throughout

Homes accumulate flooring over decades — carpet in one room, tile in another, vinyl somewhere else. The result is a house that feels disconnected and dated even when individual rooms look fine on their own. Cohesive wide-plank hardwood or large-format tile throughout makes a home feel unified and modern, and delivers one of the highest visual returns of any renovation.

4. Upgrade Lighting and Electrical Systems

Older panels and sparse lighting plans are nearly universal in homes of a certain age. Improved lighting alone can make a home feel twice as large and far more current — without changing the footprint at all.

Recessed LED lighting throughout
Under-cabinet kitchen lighting
Pendant fixtures over islands
Upgraded electrical panels
Smart switches and dedicated appliance circuits

5. Open the Floor Plan

Separated rooms and narrow transitions were common in mid-century construction. Today’s homeowners prefer open sightlines and a natural connection between living, dining, and kitchen spaces. Depending on the home’s structure, removing non-load-bearing walls and widening transitions can dramatically change how an older home lives day to day.

Our general contracting team handles structural changes with the proper permitting and engineering required. Structural changes always require professional evaluation.

6. Add Custom Cabinetry and Storage

Storage is a consistent weakness in older homes. Custom cabinetry — in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, and living areas — adds both practicality and architectural polish that off-the-shelf solutions rarely match.

7. Address What's Behind the Walls

Aging plumbing, outdated electrical, water damage, and subfloor issues often reveal themselves once renovation begins. This isn’t a reason to avoid remodeling — it’s a reason to approach it strategically. Identifying and resolving these issues during a planned renovation protects your long-term investment and avoids the cost of reopening walls later.

Our restoration services team handles both the visible upgrades and the hidden issues that older homes sometimes reveal — so everything gets resolved in one coordinated project.
“For many homeowners in this market, renovating an older home is the best of both worlds — a neighborhood they already love, updated for how they actually live.”

Renovation by Neighborhood

Every neighborhood in the Conejo Valley has its own character — and renovation priorities tend to reflect that. View all our service locations.

Thousand Oaks

Established neighborhoods like Lynn Ranch, Conejo Oaks, Wildwood, and Sunset Hills offer strong bones, larger lots, and tremendous renovation potential. Projects here often focus on opening interiors, kitchen overhauls, primary bathroom upgrades, and modernizing finishes — while preserving the neighborhood’s original character. See our Thousand Oaks page.

Westlake Village

Areas including First Neighborhood, Westlake Trails, North Ranch, and Three Springs are popular for kitchen remodels, spa-like primary bathrooms, and indoor-outdoor living upgrades designed for entertaining and long-term enjoyment. See our Westlake Village page.

Calabasas

Communities including Calabasas Park, Mulholland Heights, and The Oaks often prioritize elevated finishes, custom cabinetry, and luxury kitchen or bathroom transformations. See our Calabasas page.

Remodel Your Home or Move?

It’s one of the most common decisions homeowners face: stay and renovate, or sell and find something newer? In the Conejo Valley, where inventory is limited and newer homes often carry a significant premium, the math frequently favors staying put.

Here’s how to think through it.

Reasons to remodel instead of move

Remodeling tends to make the most sense when the location is right but the home itself needs updating. You already know the neighborhood, the commute, the schools, and the neighbors. What you don’t love is the kitchen layout or the dated bathrooms — and those are fixable.

You love the neighborhood and want to stay
Comparable move-in-ready homes in the area are priced significantly higher
Your current mortgage rate is favorable compared to today’s market
The home has good bones — solid structure, a great lot, and a location you can’t replicate
You want to personalize the space rather than inherit someone else’s choices

Considering buying a home that needs a lot of work

Purchasing a fixer-upper can be a smart move — but only if you go in with clear eyes. The appeal is real: a lower purchase price, a great location, and the opportunity to design the home exactly how you want it. The risk is underestimating what “a lot of work” actually means once you’re inside the walls.

Before committing, there are a few things worth evaluating carefully:

Get a thorough inspection before closing. A standard inspection is a starting point, not a finish line. Older homes may need specialist evaluations for plumbing, electrical, the roof, and the foundation.
Price out the renovation before you close. Walk the home with a contractor while it’s still in escrow if possible. The gap between the asking price discount and the actual renovation cost is where buyers often get surprised.
Separate cosmetic work from structural work. Dated finishes are straightforward to fix. Aging plumbing, outdated electrical panels, water damage, or foundation concerns are a different category of problem — and one that should be factored into the purchase price.
Budget for the unexpected. Add 15–20% to any renovation estimate for a home with significant deferred maintenance. Surprises are common, and a financial cushion is what keeps a project on track.
Have a realistic timeline. A heavily dated home that needs a full kitchen, two bathrooms, new flooring, and updated systems could take six months or more to complete. Plan for where you’ll live during that time.

Done thoughtfully, buying a home that needs work and renovating it well is one of the strongest ways to build equity in this market. The key is knowing what you’re buying before you buy it.

Browse our project portfolio to see completed renovations across the Conejo Valley.

Common Questions

Visit our full FAQ page for more.

Is it worth remodeling an older home in this area?

In most cases, yes. Older homes in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Calabasas offer desirable neighborhoods, larger lots, mature landscaping, and strong long-term value. With the right updates, many older properties can be transformed into highly functional modern homes while preserving what made them desirable in the first place. For homeowners who already love their location, remodeling is often the smarter choice over moving.

Kitchen or bathroom — which should I tackle first?

If the kitchen is heavily outdated or poorly laid out, start there — it has the biggest impact on daily life and resale value. If bathrooms are cramped, aging, or no longer functional, a bathroom remodel may make more immediate sense. When budget allows, a phased plan that addresses both over time is usually the most efficient path.

Do older homes usually have hidden issues?

Sometimes. Once walls or flooring are opened, older homes may reveal deferred maintenance or outdated systems — aging plumbing, older electrical, water damage, or subfloor issues. Our restoration team addresses these alongside planned renovation work so everything is resolved in one project.

How long does a remodel take?

Timelines vary based on scope. A bathroom remodel typically takes several weeks; a kitchen remodel can range from several weeks to a few months; whole-home renovations often extend several months or longer. Planning, permits, design decisions, and material lead times all affect the schedule.

Is remodeling smarter than moving in today's market?

For many homeowners, yes. Remodeling allows you to stay in a neighborhood you already love, personalize the home to your lifestyle, and avoid competing for limited inventory or paying a premium for newer construction. Contact us to talk through what makes sense for your specific situation.

Ready to Get Started?

At State Restoration, we work with homeowners throughout the Conejo Valley to modernize older homes through thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship, and strategic upgrades — from kitchen and bathroom remodels to full-home renovations and restoration work.

If you own an older home with untapped potential, the right updates can make all the difference.

Visit us at staterestoration.com or contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation.