Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck‘s split has been nothing short of complicated, but perhaps one of the trickiest aspects of their impending divorce is the $68 million shared mansion they are now desperately trying to offload.
Located in Beverly Hills, CA, the jaw-dropping property was purchased by the pair for $60.8 million back in May 2023—and they added just over $7 million to that luxury price tag when they listed it for sale one year later.
Needless to say, potential buyers with pockets deep enough to afford such a home are few and far between, and experts now predict that Lopez, 55, and Affleck, 52, stand to lose tens of millions of dollars on the hefty real estate investment.
“I think Jen and Ben will be selling at a loss, between what they paid plus their renovations and all of their carrying costs,” says Cara Ameer, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in Los Angeles.
The market has softened as well, she warns, so it’s smart they didn’t put the place on the market with a purely aspirational nine-digit price tag.
“They want to unload it quickly, so they didn’t dramatically increase the asking to try to recapture all that they spent,” Ameer adds.
A dwelling this immense also costs a pretty penny to own and maintain, as Realtor.com® calculated. In fact, the estranged couple is likely forking over $283,666 a month for their mortgage, taxes, security, HOA fees, maintenance, and utility bills.
In other words, the eventual buyer won’t just be paying an enormous upfront cost; they’ll also have to shell out a significant amount of dough just to keep the megamansion running smoothly.
Tyler Drew, CEO of Anubis Properties in Los Angeles, is more optimistic about a future buyer.
“A hilltop home in L.A., surrounded by privacy fences, trees, and gates has a completely different clientele not found in most other cities,” he notes. “For any rich actor or actress who doesn’t want the paparazzi in their bedroom windows 24/7, $68 million is a steal.”
So is there anything that Ben and Jen can do to sweeten the deal—and salvage their overall investment?
According to one interior design expert, a renovation could work wonders in terms of making the home more appealing to prospective buyers.
“It’s a lovely property and in a beautiful setting, but perhaps the decor could benefit from a little rearranging,” says Pamela O’Brien, of Pamela Hope Designs, who explains that the home’s many conflicting design styles could be detrimental.
“You don’t get the feeling of a flow,” she continues. “Overall, the home seems traditional; but a few rooms look more modern, and others are cottagelike.”
Let’s zhuzh the place up
Luckily, a smart and cohesive renovation can hide a few flaws. To help, we fed a few pictures of the mansion (kitchen, the back exterior, and a bathroom) into the new Realtor.com AI-based home makeover tool to offer up some new ideas for how the home could be made over.
The result: six fresh looks for each setting that revamp the decor so it’s streamlined and sensible. And who knows—one of these concepts could help land a buyer.
Ben and Jen’s modern meets farmhouse kitchen
Original kitchen
Let’s start with six takes on their kitchen space. It currently offers a sedate, gray-and-white palette with wide-plank wood flooring, two islands, and overhead storage.
“The kitchen has a very sleek, contemporary feel, which could be left as is, depending on the buyer; but it really doesn’t mesh with the more classic and traditional influences in the home,” says Ameer.
Coastal kitchen
Glass-front cabinets, powder blue paint, upholstered stools, and warmer wood on one of the islands add up to a casual and welcoming vibe.
Contemporary kitchen
The best improvement here is the removal of the dried weeds and baskets hanging overhead. In their place, a contemporary light fixture commands attention.
Traditional kitchen
Lovely wood underfoot, traditional cabinets, and an attractive pot holder on the ceiling add charm and utility in this version.
Midcentury kitchen
Channel those wild decades of the 1960s and ’70s in your cook space with rust-toned chairs and mint-green walls. But the flower-inspired light fixture is way too whimsical for a multimillion-dollar mansion.
Farmhouse kitchen
Natural materials now appear, alongside a textured backsplash, darker countertops, and a heavy-duty pot rack.
Mediterranean kitchen
The creamy yellow paint and counters feel light and bright, evoking the sunny climes of Greece, Italy, and Spain. Limoncello, anyone?
An outdoor oasis
Original backyard with pool
One source from a recent NY Post article was more than a bit harsh regarding the home’s exterior appearance: “It was built in 2001 by a mediocre developer with just bad taste in architecture … it’s a mish-mosh of styles with a faux French roof.”
Meanwhile, Drew’s take is a bit more generous.
“It’s certainly overbuilt, but it’s not out of the ordinary for a house of that size,” he says. And it’s perfectly normal for Beverly Crest, which is “the elite of the elite in Beverly Hills—you don’t live there unless you rake in a high eight figures a year,” he adds.
With that kind of dough lying around, an upgrade like the following will be easy breezy.
Coastal exterior
Truth: we all want to live in Nantucket like Nicole Kidman in “The Perfect Couple.” And with this coastal facade and white trim, you can imagine Massachusetts merging with 90210.
Contemporary exterior
A dramatic, black roof and clear half-walls on the second level transform this mansion into a modern gem.
Traditional exterior
While the size says “Beverly Hills,” the very beige exterior screams McMansion.
Midcentury exterior
A clean look without embellishments plus brick, stone, and stucco siding are typical of a midcentury modern home.
Farmhouse exterior
Simple planks on the outside and a shingled roof make this L.A. home into a cozy retreat. The minty-green color scheme probably won’t fly, though.
Mediterranean exterior
Red Spanish tile on the roof signals a Mediterranean home and is popular due to its shape and durability. It also fits in with the classic Southern California look imported from the Old World.
Seeking sanctuary and a spa-worthy experience?
Original bathroom
With the shiny glass, sparkling chandelier, golden tiered table, and thick white carpet, the current bathroom configuration is quite fitting for the elite Hollywood owners.
However, potential buyers might desire something else—similar the upgrades below, perhaps.
Coastal bathroom
Pretty teal touches on the rug and curtains and a wicker tub cover are all you need for a coastal vibe. But ignore the water right outside the slider, as there are no bodies of water in Beverly Hills.
Contemporary bathroom
Gorgeous, sleek fixtures in the shower, plus simple white tile and mod chairs, transform a cluttered space into a serene oasis.
Traditional bathroom
This look skews old-fashioned traditional, thanks to the intricate rug and the matte gold-tone faucets and shower head. Points deducted for the lake outside.
Midcentury bathroom
Why settle for a blah bath when the space can be awash in sleek lines and a fun, retro palette?
Farmhouse bathroom
Blond wood overhead evokes a sauna, while the nubby carpet and woven storage offer a homespun spirit.
The palest blue overhead and classic marble turn this elegant bathroom into a Greek-inspired retreat.