How you upgrade depends on how long you plan to live in your new home. If you hope to move in a few years, choose upgrades that are visual and important for resale, such as fancy faucets in your kitchen versus underpadding for your carpets.
short-term
- “I encourage people to look for things of value that will set their homes apart,” says Kelly. “So, if you’re going with granite, it may be a worthwhile investment to select a higher quality of granite.”
- “Add things people can see, like an attractive backsplash in the kitchen or tile on the stair risers – things you notice right away,” says Heather.
- “If your home comes with black appliances, upgrade to stainless steel,” says Kelly. “And go for an over-the-stove microwave.” Since the space would be taken up with a range hood anyway, putting the microwave there will give you more room elsewhere for cabinets.
long-term
- Do things that are harder to change later, such as putting in pot lights, adding hardwood throughout, upgrading to a fully tiled bathroom, or switching to a more durable carpet.
- Look for items of convenience or choose something you’ve always wanted, like six burners on your stove versus a four-burner range if you love to cook.
- Choose things that fit your lifestyle, like soft-close drawers. “I have them because I have a hot-headed 14-year-old – when she slams a drawer, it slowly closes by itself,” says Heather.
best overall value
- “We chose functional things that will help streamline our life – like a pullout garbage with two bins in the kitchen,” says Julie.
- Add those things you may regret not having later, such as drawers in the bathroom instead of open shelving or cabinets with doors.
- “Built-in closet organizers are a really good place to spend your money,” says Kimberly. “And they can take some of the pressure off having to buy a stand-alone dresser for the bedroom.”
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