If you’re thinking about renovating your condo, you’ll want to know how to plan for the various line items in your budget. Most homeowners want to spend responsibly when revitalizing and refreshing their homes; they want a great finished product but they don’t want to overpay along the way. Here we share information on where to splurge and where to save on your condo reno.
Splurge: The Kitchen
Kitchen renovations are often said to give you the best return on investment compared to any other room in your home. The biggest elements to splurge on in a kitchen include: adding a kitchen island, building new cabinets, and installing a high-quality, expensive-looking countertop. Other nice-to-haves include a stylish backsplash that complements the space, additional shelving or pantry storage, updated hardware for your cabinets, and a sleek new faucet. A condo with a modern, well-designed kitchen is especially appealing to buyers.
Splurge: Bathrooms
After kitchens, bathroom renos give you the biggest bang for your buck. Part of the reason is that a bathroom renovation is a project that takes time, money, and expertise—as well as vision. Cosmetic updates can only do so much; the biggest transformations require a true overhaul and skilled labour. How can you make your bathroom stand out? Invest in custom storage cabinets, a glass shower, new flooring tiles, a modern-looking mirror, and update your light fixtures.
Splurge: Flooring
Updating your flooring can completely change the look of your home. When budgeting for your condo reno, plan to install new floors throughout; it instantly updates and refreshes the space. With modern flooring, your condo will stand out from the crowd as being move-in ready.
Save: Use Inexpensive Materials Creatively
When selecting your finishes, there’s no shortage of beautiful tiles, flooring, cabinetry, and fixtures to choose from. That said, you can save a lot of money by using standard items in a creative way. For example, take a modest material like the classic white subway tile and use a different layout to create a unique look: you can stack them, use a herringbone pattern, or go geometric. You might also choose a different size than the typical offering, which is unexpected and plays with scale, resulting in a custom look.
Be thoughtful about your choices when planning your condo reno so that you’re guaranteed to love the result. A successful home reno project is one that delivers even more than you could have ever hoped for. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to follow the Gemterra blog for more great information about refreshing your space.