Located about 100 miles north of New York City, the Hudson Valley has long been a popular getaway destination, but its varied housing market now offers options to suit every taste, including beautifully renovated homes.
The region’s appeal is both enduring and undeniable, offering a respite from the bustle of the Big Apple, along with its unique culture and vibrant art scene set against the backdrop of breathtaking scenery—and now it’s fueling a renovation boom.
“More buyers are looking for space, balance, and a better quality of life outside the city,” Alex Alvarez, a real estate agent with The Upstate Untapped Team at Compass, tells Realtor.com®. “The Hudson Valley has beautiful old homes with great bones that were overlooked for years, and now there’s a new wave of buyers and builders seeing the potential in them.”
For Alvarez, the recent surge in home renovations in the region is “about creating new opportunity— turning something that’s been neglected into something beautiful again while building equity and contributing to the local housing market,” he says.
The Hudson Valley stretches from Westchester, just north of Manhattan, all the way to the state capital of Albany, with the Hudson River flowing through the middle.
Jillian Pajer of the Oliveira Pinkas Team at Douglas Elliman tells Realtor.com that each part of the region has its own rhythm: Cities and towns in the southern reaches offer a faster pace of life, with lively restaurants and shops amplifying the energy of the big city.
Farther north, the landscape turns more rural, dotted with farmland and wineries, and the pace slows down a bit.
“It is a place where life feels full, yet never rushed, all while being so close to the city,” she says. “You can spend the morning on a hike, enjoy an incredible meal at the Culinary Institute, or experience one of the many beautiful wineries, and end the day at a local show.”
Looking at the regional housing market, from Sleepy Hollow to Hudson, there is no shortage of for-sale homes in the Hudson Valley to fit almost any budget, but some properties stand out for their remarkable transformations, going from tired to truly trendsetting.
Century-old stunner
One such listing is a 1900-built four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 2859 Atlantic Ave. in Hudson with a $569,000 asking price.
Before a recent gut renovation, the property appeared the worse for wear, at least from the outside, sitting on an overgrown lot and obscured by trees in urgent need of a trim, as seen in a July 2023 Google Street View image.
But an extensive makeover has turned the century-old home from shabby to chic without altering its historical character.
Postrenovation photos show the 1,936-square-foot home looking updated yet classic, with plenty of curb appeal to boot.
But the property is even more impressive inside, with four sun-dappled bedrooms, a modern eat-in kitchen with an island, a separate dining space, a spacious bathroom with a claw-foot soaking tub, and hardwood floors throughout most of the home.
Outside, the property comes with a new gravel carport for up to eight vehicles, a fire pit, and a raised stone patio.
While the home’s price tag is significantly higher than the national median of $425,000 for September, it is nearly $200,000 cheaper than the typical New York home.
Alvarez, with Compass, who is one of the listing agents on the property, tells Realtor.com that the renovation got underway in 2023 and took roughly a year and a half to complete.
“My clients are very skilled local contractors, and this was their first independent project where they handled every part themselves,” he says. “They saw something beautiful that was being lost to time and brought it back to life.”
The agent explains that the construction project was both a creative challenge and a “business milestone” for his clients, who were inspired to save a piece of local history by bringing it into the 21st century, but in a responsible way.
“The goal was to make it live like a modern home without stripping away what made it special in the first place,” says Alvarez.
During the update, the builders uncovered an old cistern well off the kitchen. Instead of covering it back up, they turned it into a key design element connecting the refurbished home to its past.
“It’s one of those details that makes this house truly unique,” says Alvarez, noting that at a price below $600,000, the home is a “rare find” for someone looking for a turnkey primary residence or an investment property that could be rented out.
Stately Greek Revival farmhouse
In the neighboring town of Claverack, NY, buyers with a bigger budget can own a true piece of local history: an elegant Greek Revival farmhouse at 24 Van Wyck Lane built in 1840 that exemplifies early Hudson Valley architecture.
Over the course of its long life, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,238-square-foot home sitting on 3 acres of meadow and gardens has been meticulously maintained and kept in tiptop shape.
With a hefty price tag of $1,185,000, the stately property has much to offer, from covered porches framed by classic columns to high ceilings and sideboard plant floors, according to the property’s description.
Interior shots showcase the home’s spacious kitchen with a gas stove and a fireplace, the living room with an onyx mantel, and a quartet of stylish upstairs bedrooms, each elegantly staged.
From spooky to spectacular
House hunters with a love for Victorian architecture—and the resources to handle a $1.88 million price tag—will find something special in Beacon, NY—a charming city best known as the home of the acclaimed Dia Beacon contemporary art museum.
Sitting at 1190 North Ave., a Victorian home from 1890 stands out from the crowd with its fairy-tale circular tower and eye-catching red hue.
Six years ago, the four-bedroom single-family home had an almost eerie feel, thanks to its dark window, roof, and porch trim, as seen in a Google Street View image from the time.
But following a striking six-month overhaul earlier this year, including a fresh coat of white paint on the exterior finishes, the once-somber house now looks bright and welcoming.
Listing agent Yves Bouzaglo, with The Corcoran Group, tells Realtor.com that a complete renovation was done to the kitchen and bathrooms, plus all new plumbing, electrical, and HVAC were installed.
The home’s owners who undertook the project operate a family-owned company that specializes in period architecture properties. They tell Realtor.com through Bouzaglo that when the home’s previous owner died, they approached her children about purchasing the impressive dwelling.
“They knew we would respect the house, which had such meaning to them, and would honor their late mother’s love for the house and her very special garden,” explain the owners.
The biggest challenge, according to them, was “preserving the integrity of the home and its history while factoring in modern comforts.”
The renovation uncovered a few surprises the century-old house was hiding, including original wainscotting under plywood in the sunroom and an arch in the second-floor hallway that was covered up by partitions that previously separated the house into two units.
Other surprises included old wallpaper that ended up inspiring new wall coverings, and original floors throughout the house featuring intricate inlaid marquetry in the main rooms.
Playful Federal-style townhouse
For those looking for something other than a traditional single-family home, a charming Federal-style townhouse from 1830 in Hudson might just be the right fit.
From the front, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 10 Union St. looks a bit careworn with its weathered-looking brick facade. But walk a few steps around, and you’ll come face-to-face with a stunning wall of glass looking into the private backyard.
While the townhouse is nearly 200 years old, the interior exudes modern elegance, complete with high-end appliances in the kitchen and soapstone countertops.
Throughout the home’s three floors, there are reminders of its history, including original brickwork and exposed beams.
“The third floor makes up the master suite. It is open with vaulted cielings, a gorgeous, unpainted brick wall and a tadelakt soaking tub,” reads the listing’s description. “Out back, a beautiful garden leads to a two-story carriage house.”
Although most of the cities in the Hudson Valley are at least two hours away from New York City, the surge in renovation projects suggests that the area is not short on interested buyers.
Jordan Vaccaro, real estate agent with Garay Michaud Team at Serhant, tells Realtor.com that since 2020, demand in the Hudson Valley has remained steady, especially for homes that are move-in-ready and well-situated near train stations and village centers.
“Inventory is still tight in many submarkets, so quality listings can see multiple offers, especially under the $800,000 mark,” he says.