Downtown Luxury Short Term Rental Triplex
This 4 month, $450,000 renovation transformed a downtown Charleston run-down college rental property into a luxury short-term rental palace, consisting of 7 bedrooms, 6 baths, 3 kitchens, and a monstrous back patio. Upgrades included structural improvements, new TPO roofing, Ipe decking and stairs, job-built walk-in showers with floor-to-ceiling tile, historic heart pine floor resurfacing, new cabinetry, and countertops, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical upgrades, and a total repaint.
Downtown Luxury Triplex: A Three-Unit Historic Renovation
This 2021 renovation brought new life to a historic three-unit triplex in downtown Charleston, SC, with work spanning all three residences, the building's exterior, and its mechanical systems. O'Connor Homes completed the interior and exterior renovation for a total project cost of $514,900.
Renovating Three Units at Once
Each unit received its own scope of bathroom work: Unit A's new ensuite bathroom and remodeled jack-and-jill baths across the building, each finished with tile showers and frameless glass. New kitchen flooring and cabinet work, refinished hardwood floors, replacement entry doors, and new fixtures, hardware, and blinds carried through all three units.
Before any of that work began, a termite inspection and treatment cleared the way for subfloor and joist repairs and a full hardwood refinish throughout the building.
The Challenge:
Inside All Three Residences
- New and Remodeled BathroomsUnit A received a new ensuite bathroom, with jack-and-jill baths remodeled elsewhere in the building, all finished with tile showers and frameless glass.
- Refinished Hardwood Floors—Hardwood floors throughout the building were refinished following termite treatment and subfloor and joist repairs.
- New Kitchen Flooring and Cabinet Work—Kitchens across all three units received new flooring and cabinet updates.
- New Entry Doors, Fixtures, and HardwareEntry doors were replaced across the building, along with new fixtures, hardware, and blinds.
New Outdoor Features & Updated Systems
- An Ipe Deck and Stairs—A new Ipe deck and stairs, with a matching cocktail rail, were built to finish the exterior.
- Reworked HVAC—Roof-mounted compressors were relocated to a ground-level stand, and two new multi-zone mini-split systems were added to serve the third-floor bedrooms.
- New Roofing and Gutters—New roofing and gutters were installed as part of the exterior renovation.
Why Choose O'Connor Homes for Your Multifamily Renovation
Renovating a historic triplex requires attention to both the individual units and the building they share. O’Connor Homes approaches each historic renovation project with the full property in view, coordinating interior improvements, exterior work, and mechanical updates as part of one cohesive renovation.
Planning a Historic Multi-Unit Renovation in
the Charleston Area?
Renovating a historic multi-unit property requires balancing the needs of the individual residences with the building as a whole. If you’re considering an interior, exterior, or whole-property renovation in downtown Charleston or the surrounding Lowcountry, contact O’Connor Homes to discuss the scope of your project.
Frequently Asked Questions
The total project cost was $514,900, completed in 2021 across all three units.
All three units in the building — A, B, and C — were renovated, along with the exterior and mechanical systems.
A termite inspection and treatment were completed before subfloor and joist repairs and the full hardwood refinish to ensure the structure was sound before finish work began.
The exterior part of this renovation included a new Ipe deck and stairs with a matching cocktail rail, new roofing, and new gutters.
Roof-mounted compressors were relocated to a ground-level stand, and two new multi-zone mini-split systems were added to serve the third-floor bedrooms.