Ferndale, Michigan | Investment Property Full Home Remodel
Some projects are about creating a space for a specific person. This one was about creating a space for the right buyer — and making every decision with that goal in mind.
This Ferndale, Michigan property was purchased as an investment opportunity and brought to Costello & Co for a complete, market-ready transformation. The home needed a full interior refresh — kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, fixtures, and finishes — all updated to appeal to the Ferndale buyer and maximize return on investment at resale.
We completed the renovation and the property sold.
Our Approach To Investment Remodeling
Investment property remodeling is a different discipline than lifestyle remodeling — and most contractors don't understand the difference.
When you're remodeling your own home, decisions are personal. Your taste, your priorities, your daily routines shape every choice. When you're remodeling an investment property, every decision has to answer a different question: will this return more than it costs?
At Costello & Co, we bring the same design intelligence and construction quality to investment projects that we bring to our lifestyle renovations — but filtered through an ROI lens. We don't push premium finishes where mid-range will perform just as well at resale. We don't recommend a layout change that adds cost without adding value. And we never let our own design preferences override what the market actually rewards.
The goal is always the same: maximize what the property returns, not what it costs to build.
What We Updated
Bathrooms
The kitchen was the highest-priority space — as it almost always is for resale value. We updated the cabinetry, countertops, hardware, and fixtures to create a clean, contemporary kitchen that photographs well and appeals to a broad buyer pool. Material selections were chosen for their visual impact and durability rather than for premium pricing — the kind of selections that look elevated without eating into the investment margin.
Bathrooms
Both bathrooms received complete updates — new tile, vanities, fixtures, and lighting. The work was done to a standard that reads as genuinely renovated rather than builder-grade, which is the sweet spot for investment properties in Ferndale's market: high enough quality to justify the price, focused enough to protect the margin.
Flooring & Interior Finishes
New flooring throughout, fresh paint, updated lighting fixtures, and consistent finish selections tied the whole home together. Cohesion matters at resale — a home where every room feels updated to the same standard photographs better, shows better, and sells faster than one where the renovation feels uneven or incomplete.
Design Decisions That Protect Your ROI
One of the things we hear most from investment property owners is that a previous contractor "talked them into" upgrades that didn't return their cost at resale. Custom tile work that the market didn't reward. Premium appliances that the buyer didn't value. Layout changes that added weeks to the timeline and cost more than they added to the sale price.
We believe our job on an investment project is to protect your return — not to showcase our portfolio.
That means having honest conversations about where to spend and where to save. It means understanding the Ferndale resale market and making decisions that align with what buyers in that market actually pay for. And it means delivering a finished product that achieves the goal: a well-renovated home that sells at a strong price, on a timeline that works for your investment strategy.
Why Design-Build for Investment Properties?
The design-build model has specific advantages for investment property remodeling that most owners don't initially consider.
Speed. Because design and construction are managed by the same team, decisions happen faster and the project moves without the delays that come from coordinating between a separate designer and contractor. For an investment property, time is money — every week the property sits unfinished is a week of carrying costs.
Budget accuracy. Our design team works alongside our construction manager from day one, which means your budget is accurate before we start rather than estimated and adjusted along the way. Investment property owners need to know their all-in cost upfront to underwrite the deal correctly. We give them that.
Single accountability. One team is responsible for the full result — design, materials, and construction. If something needs to be resolved, there's no finger-pointing between a designer and a contractor. You have one contact, one contract, and one team that owns the outcome.
We believe our job on an investment project is to protect your return — not to showcase our portfolio.
Why Design-Build for Investment Properties?
Whether we're working on an investment property or a primary residence, our clients' return on investment is always part of the conversation.
For lifestyle remodeling clients in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, and throughout Oakland County, that means designing spaces that add genuine long-term value to the home — not just in how they feel to live in, but in how they perform at resale. We never push decisions that won't return their cost over a reasonable time horizon.
For investment property clients, that lens is even sharper. Every selection, every finish, every scope decision is evaluated against one question: does this help the property sell for more than it costs?
If the answer is yes, we build it. If the answer is no, we'll tell you — even if it means a simpler project.
That kind of honesty is rare in remodeling. We think it's the only way to do business.
Project Details
Location: Ferndale, Michigan
Scope: Kitchen, Bathrooms, Flooring, Interior Finishes
Outcome: Renovated and sold
Services: Investment Property Remodeling, Kitchen Renovation, Bathroom Renovation, Interior Finishing, Design-Build
Market: Ferndale, Michigan resale
Interested in Investment
If you own an investment property in Ferndale, Royal Oak, Birmingham, or anywhere in Oakland County and are planning a renovation ahead of sale or rental — we'd love to talk through your goals.
We work with investors who need a clear-eyed partner: someone who will design and build to a standard that maximizes return without overbuilding, on a timeline that respects the carrying costs of the investment.
Request a Free Consultation → or call us at (248) 242-5790
We serve investment property owners and homeowners throughout Ferndale, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Beverly Hills, West Bloomfield, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Troy, and the greater Oakland County and Metro Detroit area.