Heather Dubrow had big plans, and an even bigger vision, for her Beverly Hills dream home. The Real Housewives of Orange County star wasn’t just thinking renovation; she was going for a full-on luxury transformation: two new bedrooms, a high-end gym, a private movie theater, and a speakeasy.
“This was going to be a billionaire’s home, for sure,” her husband, Dr. Terry Dubrow, said. But that vision crashed hard.
Instead of flipping the property into an $80 million showpiece, the Dubrows walked away with a staggering $5.8 million loss.
Despite buying the 9,000-square-foot property for $16.1 million and selling it for $16.5 million, they actually needed to hit at least $19.5 million just to break even. Between guest house plans, early-stage renovations, and two different construction firms, one of which they say wasn’t transparent about budget, the costs spiraled out of control.
“We did a lot of stuff to the property,” Terry said on their Between Us podcast. Heather admitted she was ready to take the property to 10,000 square feet before they ultimately pulled the plug. “It was a gigantic fail,” Terry said bluntly. “We got killed on that house.”
In the end, the couple had what Heather called a “come to Jesus” moment. They decided to cut their losses and sell the property instead of sinking even more money into a spiraling project. “We never intended to be real estate people,” Heather said. “We’re like unwitting house flippers.”
Her biggest takeaway? Do your homework.
“You really have to vet your builders,” Heather warned. “You must get a budget up front… You have to do your own research. You have to know what lumber costs. You have to know what trees cost.”
It’s a tough lesson from a couple who had the resources and the vision, but not the right team or timing. If Heather Dubrow, with all her experience and attention to detail, can lose millions on a renovation gone sideways, it’s a reminder for the rest of us: ambition is great—but execution is everything.
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