Home renovating is hot across the Upstate

Home renovating is hot across the Upstate

Home renovating is hot across the Upstate as families and investors go in search of existing homes near downtown hubs and good schools.

The best finds, according to Livin’ Upstate contributor Sammy Batts, are old homes with good bones that just need some love.

“You can preserve the character of an older home and also have the design elements found with new construction,” says Batts, owner and lead designer of Spartanburg-based Fig Leaf & Co. “Renovating is a great way to achieve a home that reflects your tastes and personality, and the way you live, and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.”

Livin’ Upstate stopped by one of Fig Leaf & Co.’s current home renovation projects in the Converse Heights area of Spartanburg where Batts and her crew are nearly doubling the size of a 1,400-square-foot bungalow. Square footage added to the back of the home will house a mud room, laundry, powder room, kitchen and master suite.

The renovation will make a seamless transition from the old to the new with a large open space that brings together the kitchen, dining and living rooms, Batts said. “No one wants walls anymore,” she says. “The person in the kitchen doesn’t want to be cut off from family or guests in the living space.”

A design-build company, Fig Leaf & Co. handles everything from kitchen and bathroom updates to whole home renovations, working hard to address misconceptions about renovations, such as the expense and the amount of time they take.

“A lot of people believe that hiring a general contractor is less expensive, but we handle all design-build services in house,” says Batts, an interior designer whose brother, a licensed builder, is part of the company. “We help find properties, develop a budget, deal with contractors, help select surfaces, paint colors and furniture, and the list goes on. We streamline the process for homeowners and investors.”

For more information on home design and renovations, visit the Fig Leaf & Co. website.