“Home appreciation.”

We’ve all heard the term. But besides new plumbing and AC, what really appreciates a house? We do. And as we appreciate—as people, friends, siblings, parents—so does the value of our home. Makes sense, right? I’ve talked about the importance of creating beautiful spaces for years. Making the places in which we live beautiful is amazing, but because things—furniture, art, and even homes themselves—are, after all, temporary,  it’s important to remember where the true value comes from.

In my 20-year real estate career, I’ve seen a lot, from market shifts to the ups and downs of individual client experiences. And because I work with space so much, I’ve often gotten the question of how to add value to it. Yes, there are a few quick-fixes (new paint and landscaping never hurt anyone), but my advice along the way has always been to try to start by increasing the value in our inner life, and let that value move outward…not the other way around.

It might seem backward, and it certainly isn’t easy, but the value you’ll add to your home will be tenfold. And this way, when life throws us a curveball and we need to leave the spaces we love, we won’t actually be leaving them after all. We’ll have tilled the soil within ourselves to cultivate our dream home anywhere.

Life has a way of encouraging us to forget who we are. Whether it be by our particular upbringing or by the consumer society in which we live, our clear view of who we are gets clouded pretty damn quick these days. So, in this time of 2020’s ultimate “pause button,” I’d encourage you to take a minute to see yourself. The answers to all your appreciation quandaries can be investigated by asking: “What depreciates my value? Is there a place in me that could use a little appreciation?” The rest comes pretty naturally and organically.

Our homes reflect our evolution and support us in a major way—I believe that—but the real renovation, the one that’s long-lasting and adds the most value, is the one that's done inside. When you’re good within, you want your outsides to match.

And hey, maybe when it’s time to get those outsides to match, you might still go over-budget on your home renovation, but what you’ll have to show in the end is a lot less about the house value and a whole hell of a lot more about yours.