How much do I do?

Last night on my way home from a "marathon" day of open houses I ran into a buyer who had just closed on a studio a few months back. She now is in the stage of renovating her apartment for her ideal use. Although it is a studio, she is undertaking a lot in the cozy space.

the list includes, a new kitchen, laying new wood floors, changing the doors, moving the closets adding lighting, a new AC configuration in the window to name a few. The dilemma now is how much should she spend and how much should she do?

She hopes not to be there forever and will want to sell in the next 3-5 years. This raises the ever important question how do I get the most out of the renovation? My answer is always the following, Keep it clean and versatile. Kitchens, bathrooms and floors are always a positive and costly improvement, but if done right you will recoup the expense you put in. Lighting, painting techniques, window treatments and decor are usually for your benefit and quality of life in the apartment.

So to sum it up. Do the basics and do them well! Everyone appreciates function and flow especially in the task areas like the kitchen and the bathroom. Closets are key and make the space user friendly through out.

One more word of advice, get a designer or architect to help push through all these decisions and get multiple references for the contractor you choose. Money and time always seem to be on a sliding scale.

Things to avoid: Trendy fixtures, expensive paint techniques, cheap appliances and "shotty" work.