Background & Context
Who: Hilary Farr, well-known designer and former co-host of Love It or List It.
Where: Toronto, Canada her long-held home, including a kitchen that is ~21 years old.
What: Farr is planning renovations. Specifically, she shared a video showing that her kitchen has held up well, but is showing signs of wear walls, trim, lighting, etc., need updating.
- The Dilemma: “Love It or List It”
Farr is wrestling with whether to renovate her home to stay in it and enjoy it (“love it”) or to update it in order to prepare it for sale (“list it”).
She’s excited about the idea of refreshing her house but also frustrated by the disruption (“chaos”) that comes with renovations: moving artwork, taking off furniture, removing things, etc.
- Key Issues Needing Renovation
From what Hilary has observed in her video, here are the main areas that require attention:
Issue Details
Walls Need repainting after 21 years of wear.
Light fixtures Some outdated or inefficient, needing upgrade.
Trim work / finish carpentry Needing fixes maybe damage, aging, or finish wear.
General upkeep Items that have crept over time art, staging, moving things off shelves, etc. What she intended to be a minor refresh is turning into a deeper renovation.
- Sentiments & Audience Reaction
Farr admits she is torn: deep down she enjoys the idea of living in a refreshed space, but the process is messy. She hasn’t decided whether to do it for love or for resale.
Followers and fans are weighing in: many urge her to “love it” to stay and enjoy the home rather than worry about the market or moving. Others wonder if she will list and possibly sell, which would be a plot twist given her longtime association with the show Love It or List It.
- Possible Paths / Decision Factors
Here are the possible decision routes she might take, and what considerations will likely influence her choice:
Possible Decision Pros Cons / Challenges
Renovate to Stay (Love It) • Personal satisfaction / comfort in updated surroundings Continuity: staying in a home she knows and loves Renovation could increase resale value anyway Avoid moving cost & hassle Renovations are disruptive & messy Cost of renovation vs how much resale value it adds The effort of staging, packing, etc., even temporarily Emotional labor in repairing aging components (hardware, trim, fixtures)
Renovate to List (Sell It After Updating) Could maximize resale potential If market conditions are favorable, might get higher price Renovations could be tailored toward what buyers currently want Market risk: price may not meet expectations Need to ensure upgrades align with buyer preferences Effort and cost of showing house, staging, dealing with moving Emotional loss: leaving a home with sentimental value
- Recommendation / What I Think She Should Do
Based on the information:
The house seems well-built, and she clearly has emotional attachment and pride in it.
The renovations needed seem important but not extreme painting, lighting, trim all superficial upgrades that can significantly improve visual appeal.
Given her profile as a designer, she likely has the skills and aesthetic taste to make upgrades that both satisfy her desire for a better living space and appeal to potential buyers, should she decide to list later.
So, I lean toward “Love It” renovate to update, live in it, enjoy it. Then, if down the road she decides to list, the renovative improvements will serve both purposes. It seems the emotional cost of leaving a well-loved home might outweigh the potential gains now.
