How to Prioritize Renovation Projects

Sometimes the biggest challenge in starting a renovation project is deciding where to begin first. If your home was built more than 25 years ago, odds are it is beginning to show its age — particularly in the bathrooms and kitchen.

So the first question homeowners have to decide is which project to prioritize. Kitchens generally are more visible so if you want to get the biggest bang for your buck while showing off your new upgrade, you may want to put your budget behind replacing your kitchen.

But bathrooms are generally the most-used room in any home. So if you want better functionality for your family, you might consider modernizing your bathroom first.

Kitchen Renovation

Kitchen renovations tend to be more involved than upgrades to other rooms. That’s because there are more working parts. In addition to flooring, ceilings, lighting fixtures, and electrical outlets, there also is plumbing, gas or electricity for stoves and ovens, and countertops and cabinets to consider — not to mention replacing some or all of your kitchen appliances like refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, and dishwashers.

More than any other room, kitchen upgrades tend to have the most transformative effect on a home. It’s a room that not only you and your family use every day, but that visitors are likely to see and admire once your rehab project is finished.

Bathroom Upgrades

Updating your bathroom probably has the most immediate positive effect on the lives of you and your family. Everybody uses the bathroom every day. So replacing things like sinks and toilets and changing out traditional tubs for all glass walk-in showers will make starting the new day more pleasurable and luxurious.

Bathroom upgrades also have a positive influence on the value of your home. Even if you aren’t planning on selling anytime soon, updating your bathroom instantly increases the potential resale value of your property. An old, outdated bathroom can drag down the resale price of any home.