How Tarek El Moussa turns outdated properties into luxury homes

• Tarek El Moussa spoke to BI about flipping luxury homes.
• Focusing on the details, like cabinet material and flooring, is crucial in elevating high-end homes.
• Creating a custom feel with unique elements in kitchens and bathrooms is essential, too.

Tarek El Moussa is peeling back the curtain on luxury homes.

The HGTV star started his flipping career updating modest family homes in California with his ex-wife, Christina Hall, on their series "Flip or Flop."

But today, his business has grown, and he has moved on to flipping million-dollar homes with his company, Tarek Buys Houses, and his wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, as he documents for their series "The Flipping El Moussas."

Much of the process of flipping a home is the same, no matter what kind of house it is. However, in an interview with Business Insider about his new book, "Flip Your Life," El Moussa said there are a few key differences in updating a luxury home.

The details make the difference

According to El Moussa, "details and texture" are the key to elevating high-end homes.

"To make houses stand out, you can't just have drywall everywhere," he said. "You gotta have wallpaper, you gotta have molding, you have to have paneling."

He added that going the extra mile with ceilings is important, pointing to wood paneling and other luxury materials to create a cohesive feel.

El Moussa told BI that kitchens are also essential to solidifying a home's luxury feel.

For instance, he and his team incorporate custom cabinetry and islands made of marble slabs to take their kitchens to another level.

Likewise, it's becoming more common for luxury homes to have two kitchens so people don't have to entertain in the same space where they cook and clean.

Don't forget the floor plan

El Moussa also said that open-concept floor plans remain a must-have for luxury homes, though other experts told BI they're becoming less appealing to some homeowners because the lack of defined areas can be difficult for day-to-day living.

But luxury owners still love the trend, which can lead to a lot of work during the flipping process, El Moussa said.

"The big thing is really opening up floor plans," he said, as luxury owners want the wow factor an open space creates. "A lot of times when we're going into these houses, they were developed or built years ago, and in order to modernize them, we might have to move a bathroom or move a wall or expand the master suite."

But he said it's worth it to create the one-of-a-kind feel high-end buyers are looking for.

"It's all about the details and making a home feel custom through custom closet doors, custom wooden doors, custom cabinets, and high-end shower tiles," El Moussa said.