‘White Lotus' star is considering ditching her New York retreat — due to soaring renovation costs

New York Post

09-06-2025

For nearly two decades, actress Parker Posey has cultivated an off-screen identity as a self-described 'lady of the land' in New York's affluent Hudson Valley, retreating from New York City to a 16-acre spread along the Hudson River.
But rising renovation costs may soon put an end to her upstate experiment.
Posey, 56, revealed on the 'Smartless' podcast — hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett — that she's contemplating selling the farmhouse she bought in 2007 for $650,000 and heading back to Los Angeles.
6 Actress Parker Posey is considering selling her rustic farmhouse in New York's Hudson Valley and returning to Los Angeles due to ballooning renovation costs.
HBO
'I don't know if I should say bye to the renovation, because it's so expensive, and if I should just sell it and move somewhere else,' she told the hosts.
The property, which includes a barn, a resort-style pool, a pond and a gazebo was meant to be a private, pastoral escape.
But its charm has come with a steep price tag.
Posey described her home as 'really crunchy granola' and said she's been overwhelmed by the costs and complexity of upgrading it.
'I am trying to renovate and get a new kitchen because there's the insulation, you know the pipes freeze and all that; and I love a project, but I don't look at my house and think it's mine,' she said.
6 Posey, 56, bought the 16-acre property in 2007 for $650,000 as a serene escape from city life.
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The actress, known for her roles in 'Dazed and Confused,' 'The Daytrippers' and 'Party Girl,' noted that while she cherishes the rural setting, maintaining the home without the support of a city base has been difficult.
'I couldn't carry both the city and the country, so I got rid of the city and now I'm putting bird seed in the feeders,' she quipped.
Her current renovation dilemma has sparked some creative brainstorming. Posey floated the idea of filming her contractors for a television series.
6 In a recent interview on the 'Smartless' podcast, she described the home as 'crunchy granola' and revealed that necessary upgrades — like insulation and a new kitchen — have become financially overwhelming.
Instagram/itsparkerposey
'I would love to do a home improvement show,' she said, adding that she asked her contractors if she could film them on her phone.
Beyond her real estate concerns, Posey used the podcast to reflect on the arc of her acting career and how she struggled to transition from indie darling to mainstream star.
'I felt like right when I got exposed, and the whole indie movement got exposed, it also got co-opted by the studio system, and then it became this other thing,' she said.
6 Joking about her life feeding birds and stewarding the land, Posey admitted she no longer feels fully connected to the home and has even thought about turning the project into an HGTV-style reality show to help fund it.
Instagram/itsparkerposey
'All of a sudden, I wasn't viable to get a movie financed, and it was such a head trip because I would have to audition for Hollywood movies when I'd carried the lead in independent movies that were shot in 23 days.'
Posey said she often felt boxed in by perceptions of her as 'too indie' for major studio films.
'I felt like I was called a name, in a way,' she added.
Despite those challenges, 'The White Lotus' star continued working with acclaimed directors — often at the expense of larger paychecks.
6 The indie film icon also opened up about her early struggles in Hollywood, saying she felt 'gaslit' into thinking she wasn't fit for major studio roles after her breakout in 'The Daytrippers.'
HBO
6 In recent years, she's sold off several Manhattan properties, including apartments in the East Village, Greenwich Village and Chelsea, possibly signaling a broader shift in lifestyle.
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'Not getting paid a lot, but being able to work and fulfill my creativity,' she said.
In recent years, Posey has steadily divested from New York City real estate.
She sold her East Village loft in 2017 for $2.3 million, followed by a Greenwich Village apartment in 2016 for $1.45 million, and most recently, a Chelsea triplex in 2023 for $1.7 million.
Now, as she weighs whether to remain rooted in her upstate retreat or head back to Hollywood, Posey says she's still searching for her place — both in the community and in her own home.
'I just want to give it so much because it's an old farmhouse,' she said. 'So I guess what I am saying is I am trying to figure out where I land in the community.'