Renovate, don’t relocate

HACKENSACK, N.J. David Shanks longed for a bigger house. A roomy kitchen was on the list he loved to cook and had a hard time whipping up specialties for his wife and two daughters in their old narrow one.

But his No. 1 priority was a shower stall in the bathroom large enough for him to maneuver without jamming his elbows against the tiles.

Weve always had a small house, including one small bathroom that I shared with three women, said Shanks, a retired publishing executive. I really wanted a shower where I could stretch my arms and not knock my elbows every time I moved.

After the girls moved out after college graduation, Shanks and his wife, Elizabeth, were done with tuition bills and their mortgage was paid off.

Its a time when many empty nesters downsize, or find their dream home, or both.

But the Shankses are one of the many couples who decide to keep the houses where they raised their children, remodeling them into their dream home. Many have features in their current houses that they dont want to give up, and they finally have the time and money to spend on such indulgences as walk-in closets, roomy master baths and cozy breakfast nooks.

Like many, the Shankses wanted to remain in their hometown Tenafly because, among other things, it provided an easy commute for David Shanks to his job in New York City.

Our ties are really in Tenafly and we were very content to stay where we were, Elizabeth Shanks said. Our friends thought we were crazy to do this at this time of our lives but we renovated and put everything into the house that we wanted.

The Shankses daughters didnt want any changes to their childhood home they didnt want their parents moving out of it, nor did they want any renovations.

They moved into their own places and we were left with this tiny kitchen and a shower that gave me bruises, Shanks said. They wanted a shrine to their childhood.

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Renovate, don’t relocate