Tenant Improvement and Capital Renovation Design in Raleigh-Durham

Renters tour the new product and the older product on the same afternoon. The difference is rarely the floor plan. It is the entry that feels dated, the clubhouse with worn seating and dim lighting, the fitness room that has not changed in years, the corridor carpet and the unit that still has builder-grade fixtures.

In the suburban Wake and Durham county ring, new garden-style and wrap communities set a high bar for outdoor living and daylight. An older property does not need to match every amenity. It needs a clear, believable reason to be chosen, and common areas are usually where that reason is built.

Novartis adds to that pressure. Its $771 million plan, with the state counting more than 700 new jobs, is likely to bring new rental supply alongside it, and an owner who renovates the entry and clubhouse before that supply opens keeps tours from going to the next building.

The first question is what to renew, what to replace and what to leave alone. Good bones, such as brick, tall windows and real wood details, are worth keeping and lighting well. Tired carpet, laminate and fixtures usually are not. We rank each item by what it does for a renter's impression and what it costs the operation to keep.

Tenant improvement work follows a similar logic for suites and shared space within a larger building. The scope should be tied to who will occupy the space and how they will use it.

• Entry, lobby and leasing office first, since every tour passes through them
• Clubhouse, fitness and outdoor living second
• Corridors and unit interiors by remaining budget and turnover