Remodeling in
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is landlocked and effectively built out, which means almost nothing here is new. The housing is predominantly 1950s through 1980s, and unlike the outer valley there is no meaningful new construction to compare against.
It is also the valley's most rental-heavy market because of the university, and that produces a distinct second category of work: renovations priced and specified for durability and turnover rather than for an owner's personal taste.
Tempe's housing stock
1950s–1980s, largely built out
Central Tempe holds postwar ranch homes, many close to the university and a significant proportion converted to rentals. South Tempe is mostly 1970s and 80s construction on larger lots and remains predominantly owner-occupied. Both are dense, established neighborhoods with mature landscaping.
What we run into here
Deferred maintenance in rental stock
Long-term rental properties often carry layers of quick fixes rather than proper repairs. Opening a wall in one of these frequently reveals previous work done without permits and without much care.
Small original bathrooms
Postwar Tempe homes have compact bathrooms, often the only full bath in the house. That makes phasing important — you cannot simply take the only bathroom out of service for six weeks.
Aging electrical and plumbing
Homes from the 1950s and 60s here have the same issues as their Phoenix counterparts: undersized service panels and, in the oldest stock, galvanized supply lines.
Permits in Tempe
City of Tempe Community Development Department
Tempe issues its own permits and conducts its own inspections. For rental properties, permitted work matters more than owners sometimes realize — unpermitted modifications create liability exposure and complicate both insurance and eventual sale.
The work we do most often in Tempe
Owner-occupied midcentury updates
South Tempe and the older central neighborhoods have good bones. Opening the kitchen to the living area and modernizing bathrooms is the standard scope, same as comparable Phoenix stock.
Rental property renovations
Different priorities entirely: durable surfaces, fixtures that can be sourced again in five years, and finishes that tolerate turnover. We specify to that brief when that is the brief — it is not a lesser job, it is a different one.
Single-bathroom phasing
When a house has one bathroom, the remodel gets sequenced so the downtime is as short as possible, with materials on site and trades scheduled back to back rather than waiting on deliveries mid-project.
Tempe neighborhoods we work in
Not an exhaustive list — we work throughout Tempe. These are the areas that come up most.
Recent work
All projects
Whole HomeVideoWhole-Home Transformation
A dated valley home stripped back and rebuilt into a light, open, indoor-outdoor house. Filmed before and after.
View project
KitchenModern Luxury Kitchen
Dark full-height cabinetry, a broad stone island and layered lighting — a kitchen built around contrast.
View project
KitchenContemporary Kitchen with Granite Island
Clean contemporary lines with a substantial granite island — durable, bright and built for daily use.
View projectRemodeling in Tempe — Questions
Can you remodel a rental property differently from an owner-occupied home?
Yes, and the specification should be different. Rentals want durability and replaceability over personal taste — surfaces that survive turnover, and fixtures still available in five years when one needs swapping. It is not a matter of cheaper materials so much as different criteria, and being clear about which brief you are working to from the start produces a better result either way.
What if my house only has one bathroom?
It changes the schedule rather than the scope. We order and stage all materials before demolition and book the trades back to back so there is no waiting mid-project. That typically compresses an unavoidable outage to a couple of weeks rather than the four to six a normally-paced remodel would take.
Is it worth remodeling near ASU given the rental market?
It depends on your intent. If you are holding the property long term, a proper remodel reduces the maintenance calls that make rentals tiresome to own. If you are preparing to sell, the calculation is different and worth thinking through carefully — we would rather tell you a project will not return what it costs than sell it to you.
Remodeling in Tempe?
Free estimates throughout Tempe and the surrounding area. Call (623) 262-6242 or send us the details.