A new home is usually perfect for the first few years. After that, the shine begins to disappear, the paint starts to fade, rooms lose their luster, and everything turns ordinary to the point of boredom. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with all that because you can easily breathe new life into your home by doing some remodeling. But where do you begin? As commonly used places in the home, kitchens and bathrooms are good places to start.
How to Prioritize Home Remodeling Projects
Always remember that before you begin building that dream kitchen or working on those luxury upgrades, you should first work on repairing everything that needs to be fixed. Check the pipes for any leaks, check for broken taps, and go around the home looking for things that could use an update. It’s no use working on luxury upgrades for a part of the home when other parts need repairs badly.
Once you have everything in working order, you should also have an idea of the areas of the home that require an upgrade really bad. It would be a good idea to list those areas down and review them according to their importance. When setting your priorities, keep in mind that you should prioritize upgrades according to their functionality. For instance, a brand new patio would look great, but if your kitchen is seriously outdated, then it would be a better idea to focus on the latter first.
Once you feel that a remodeling project is fully justified, start creating a budget. By this time, you would already have a list of all the other projects you have in mind, so set aside certain amounts for each project. It’s important that you allocate amounts to projects else your home ends up having uncompleted projects due to lack of funds.
Basic Tips for Choosing Remodeling Projects
Once you have a list of all the remodeling projects you want to tackle and the reasons why you should spend a good amount of your savings on them, you may want to sit down and think things over one more time.
Keep in mind that remodeling projects don’t just require money. Even if you plan on hiring a contractor, making sure that the project proceeds smoothly will take up a lot of your time and effort as well.
So, when choosing your remodeling projects, take into account the money the project requires, the energy you need to spend on the project, and the necessity of the project.
Why Prioritize Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling?
With so many rooms in the home that require remodeling, why would you begin with the kitchen and bath? If you think of it, those two places are the most functional rooms of the home. The kitchen is where you prepare meals and eat them as well. It’s also a great place to relax while munching on some comfort food you prepared. The bath, on the other hand, is where you can go to be alone, shut out the world, and wash away all the worries of the day. Add some candle light here and there and you’re ready to reach zen. Therefore, it only makes sense to develop these areas into something even more better.
More specifically, you should prioritize kitchen and bathroom remodeling for the following reasons:
- Cost Efficiency and Return on Investment (ROI)
In today’s economy, it’s only right to think about the money that you’ll be spending and the return on your investment. You may be upgrading the home to increase space for a larger family, or to make it more comfortable, but you’ll also want to make sure that you have monetary returns as well when the time comes you decide to sell. According to studies, kitchens and bathrooms have the best ROI’s, meaning you’ll be able to recoup larger amounts when you upgrade those rooms.
- Updated Look and Design
In addition to a high ROI, remodeling the kitchen and bathroom enables your home to keep up with the trends.
- Advanced Appliances and Fixtures
It’s amazing how technology quickly develops during these times. It would even be more amazing if your home can take advantage of those cutting-edge technologies. If there are places in your home that could benefit from advanced appliances and fixtures, they would be your newly remodeled kitchen and bathroom.
- Improved Storage and Reduced Clutter
Two areas of the home that seem to hog all the clutter are kitchens and bathrooms. Sure you can relocate all that clutter to the garage once in a while, but most of the time, you’ll find all the unused items stored in kitchen cabinets or bathroom closets. By remodeling those areas, you’ll not only be removing all your clutter but will also be reorganizing space you have to ensure they won’t accumulate again.
- Enhanced Energy and Utility Efficiency
Last, but certainly not the least, remodeling the kitchen and bathroom improves your home’s energy efficiency. The kitchen uses multiple appliances requiring a significant amount of energy. The same is true for the bathroom, especially if you’re particularly fond of hot baths. Through remodeling, you’ll be able to put in energy-efficient appliances and fixtures, allowing you to greatly reduce your home’s utility consumption and cut back on your energy bills for the years to come.
Once you’re convinced that your home is in need of remodeling, make sure to plan things out carefully. Begin by deciding which areas of the home need an upgrade then set the amount of money you’re willing to spend on upgrading those rooms.
If you plan your home remodeling projects carefully, you’ll have a greater chance of completing those projects without breaking the bank or losing all your energy. And to help you make the most out of your investment, make sure that you hire the right contractor to work with.
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Author Bio:
Crayton Coan believes that committed people and effective communications are the two things that make great companies great.He enjoys sharing the story behind Case Design/Remodeling because he knows how passionate and committed his team is in helping homeowners achieve their goals. For updates from Crayton, check out the company blog!
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