Congratulations, you just bought your own home! It’s exactly the way you imagined it, except…the bathroom has seen better days, and the kitchen looks like the set of a 1960’s sitcom. Now you’re thinking: it’s renovation time. That may not be what you had planned to do shortly after moving in, but it is your home now, so it’s best to have it suit your needs and really be uniquely yours!
Where to start? Renovations are a great way to add personal flare, modernize the look, and add lasting value to your home. Three of the most popular rooms to get a facelift are the basement, the bathroom, and the kitchen. Each of these rooms are common spaces in the home, shared by your family and friends, so it’s important to make sure they really shine!
The Basement
Oh, the basement. A dwelling place for old boxes, exercise equipment, pretty much everything except people. Chances are when you bought your home the basement was unfinished, leaving concrete walls and floors with not much warmth and invitation to them. Often basements are overlooked for gatherings, but they can really be a great place to unwind and bring people together! All it takes is a little work. Renovating your basement can add an immense amount of value to your property, especially if you deck it out with everything needed to be a rental space.
If you add a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, just post an ad on a rental website, and in no time, you’re going to reap the financial benefits of your renovation! If you decide to spruce up the basement and not make it a rental apartment, it’s still going to be worthwhile. Think of the rising trend of man caves and home theatre spaces, your basement could be transformed into the space you’ve always dreamed of!
The Bathroom
The bathroom is another popular space when looking to do renovations. And while it is most likely the smallest area in the house to consider, that doesn’t mean a revamp will be cheap. You’ll need to consider the costs for plumbing, tiles, new countertops, a new tub and shower, and so on. Being such a small space, it’s important to make sure that all the tiny details are spot on.
The reason why the bathroom is such a common choice for renovations is because it’s a part of the home that is used daily, out of necessity, and because it is another space that can be used for relaxation. Just imagine how wonderful it’ll feel to soak in your brand-new tub once all that work is done!
The Kitchen
The third and final popular room in the house to be renovated, the kitchen is a space that is held dear to families all over the world. It’s where we join for meals, learn to cook, bake cookies with mom, and where we escape to in the middle of the night to bask in the glow of the refrigerator light. The kitchen is at the heart of many television shows, reality and soap operas, and again, it’s a space that is used daily out of necessity.
Important parts to consider are cabinets, countertops, faucets and appliances. Thankfully due to the wide range of options available, it’s easier than ever to personalize your kitchen right down to the colour of your toaster. Having a modern kitchen space is another great way to add value to your home when the time comes to put it on the market. But for the time being, you should enjoy your revamped space as much as you can!
Renovations are no easy task, and there are a lot of things to consider before you dive head first. But it is also important to remember that this is your space you are renovating, and you need to keep it in line with your personal style and desires! Sure, renovations will help add value to your home, and with vacancy rates at an all-time low in Toronto, you could turn a quick profit in a basement rental while also giving someone an opportunity to call your basement their home. But, most of the time, homeowners renovate their spaces for their own fulfilment.
Have fun and make your space your own!
