Ask LH: Where Should I Splurge On A Home Renovation?

Dear Lifehacker, Im getting ready to renovate my home. While my options for hardware finishes and cabinet styles are seemingly infinite, my budget is not. Where should I spend more and where should I cut back to get the biggest bang for my buck? Thanks, Resourceful Renovator

Photos by kio, Armchairbuilder.com Becky Striepe, tubedogg

Dear Resourceful,

Regardless of your budget, renovating is definitely a balancing act. Whatever part of the house youre revamping, youll face a lot of choices and will have to make tradeoffs. You want to make all your choices really count, not just for your lifestyle, but also they will affect the resale value of your home. No pressure, right? Dont worry, heres what you should keep in mind for just about any renovating project.

Very few renovations will return 100 per cent of your investment, so the decision to renovate should primarily be about your enjoyment of your home and getting more out of it. For any space, think about your familys lifestyle, and spend more on the areas that support those priorities. Take the kitchen as an example. If youre a gourmet cook, a professional range will probably be worth the investment to you. For busy families, a large kitchen island or breakfast nook might be more important.

In the lounge room, sound, lighting and Ethernet wiring might be important in an entertainment-focused space. If you use that room for relaxing or other hobbies, you might make different decisions a skylight or more built-in storage.

Remember to keep in mind how long youre planning to live in your home and enjoy these upgrades to make sure theyre worth it. If youre in your first apartment but plan to move when you have kids, dont over-invest.

Your renovating choices should always take future homebuyers into account and how much youll be able to recoup your investment. You dont want to overspend and price your home way out of proportion to the rest of the neighbourhood.

Lean towards neutral options: Redesigns that are too customised or unusual can turn off buyers. Purple wall-to-wall carpet or a walk-in-shower bathroom might sound great to you, but wouldnt fit the majority of most homeowners needs or wants.

Avoid non-standard sizes or finishes: Custom, non-stock choices in cabinets, countertops, exterior finishes, and more will also add (painfully) to your renovating cost. This isnt always necessary. If your cabinets are structurally fine, refacing or staining the doors will be cheaper than replacing them altogether, and still give you that brand new look. The same goes for other areas of the home.

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Ask LH: Where Should I Splurge On A Home Renovation?