How to Create the Best Bathroom

For most Australian homeowners, kitchens represent the heart of the home both figuratively and in a practical sense. Historically, kitchens have been the hub of family activities and interactions, and this is even truer in contemporary times with the rising popularity of open plan living and eat-in kitchen and dining spaces. For this reason, the kitchen is usually on the top of the list when it comes to home renovation projects.

If you're renovating your home with the view to sell it in the near future or a few years down the track, your kitchen renovations should reflect this. Remodelling for resale is very different to remodelling when you are planning to stay in your home for a long period of time. Here are three important things to consider when planning your project.

1. Avoid fashion trends

Like the clothing industry, interior design has its seasonal and annual trends that change regularly. What is considered the height of style this year may become outdated and passé by the time you're ready to sell your home. Instead of creating a new kitchen that focuses on these trends, aim to create a kitchen that has a modern yet timeless look.

Stick to materials such as timber, stone and tile that look beautiful and transcend passing fashion crazes. A neutral palette is also recommended to avoid bright colours that may be in current fashion but will be replaced by next season's trend very quickly.

2. Avoid catering entirely to your own tastes

One of the primary differences between renovating your long-term residence and renovating for resale is that one is for you entirely, while the other is for someone else. While you may adore a bright orange wall coupled with a bright resin benchtop, your potential future buyers may not. Renovating with your own preferences as a guide may alienate future buyers and lose you sales.

As discussed in the point above, creating a contemporary yet classic look will have the broadest appeal to the biggest demographic of buyers. A neutral base palette gives buyers a chance to see the kitchen as a blank canvas which they can inject their personality into with fabrics, accessories and simple changes.

3. Avoid over-capitalising

As well as making your kitchen more attractive and appealing to potential buyers, a successful renovation should increase the value of your property. Over-capitalising, or spending too much money, on the project means you're unlikely to get a high return on investment (ROI) when you sell your home.

Decide on a budget that is both affordable and in keeping with the size and location of your home. Spending tens of thousands of dollars on a kitchen in a small flat is unlikely to see a high ROI at sale time. Conversely, putting a budget kitchen into a large family home in a sought-after suburb is likely to turn off buyers who expect a higher-quality kitchen.