words Al Woods
Are you someone who is considering a major home renovation in the near future? If you have grown weary of a dated home or are simply looking to revamp an investment property, you’ve landed on the perfect article. Knowing what to spend and save on when renovating a home can often be a confusing and frustrating experience. You want to make the best choices, not just for your lifestyle, but also for the resale value of your home. No pressure, right?
To make things a little easier on you, we’ve collated a list of 7 home fixtures and fittings you don’t want to skimp on. By investing in these essentials, you are guaranteed a home that is built with longevity, lifestyle and resale value in mind. Read on to find out more.
Bathroom Fixtures & Fittings
We can all agree that the bathroom is one of the most used rooms in the home, meaning it needs to be able to withstand frequent traffic, wear and tear. On top of that, elements such as steam, humidity and water play a big role in the bathroom and can quickly degrade low quality or cheaper fixtures, fittings and hardware within a matter of months. At the end of the day, even the most beautifully designed bathroom will deteriorate fast if not designed with longevity in mind.
Low quality shower screens will quickly cause issues such as mould build-up, discolouration and leakages among others. Similarly, cheap fittings, basins and hardware can lead to premature wear and tear and substandard performance. This is why we advise against skimping on your bathroom fixtures and fittings, and instead, we suggest investing in high-quality shower enclosures, luxury bathroom basins, bathtubs, toilets, tapware, and more. If there is one room to splurge on, it is definitely the bathroom.
Kitchen Countertops
A lot of things happen on the kitchen countertop – cooking, cutting, food preparation, conversations over wine and so much more. For these reasons alone, it is vital that you choose a durable, high quality kitchen countertop that you will be able to rely on for many years to come. Durable materials that are able to withstand heat, scratching, chipping, denting, peeling, and other kinds of damage should be top of your list.
Some of our favourite options include granite, laminate, quarts, concrete and terrazzo. Find out more about the most durable kitchen counter materials here.
Sealing, Insulation & Glazing
If you’re thinking of skimping on your sealing, insulation or glazing, we urge you to reconsider. This is because the aforementioned are the 3 key elements that can make a massive difference in your monthly utility bills, noise pollution, dust, humidity control and more.
Insulation: Everyone knows that proper insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow and is essential for keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer. A well insulated home will help to significantly reduce heating/cooling bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Sealing: Sealing is equally important as insulation as it prevents excess air movement from inside to outside your home. Air that leaks through your windows, doors, outer walls, and other openings wastes a ton of energy and increases your utility costs.
Glazing: Glazing your windows, balcony doors and skylights will have a significant effect on home’s thermal performance. Thus, improving the performance of your glazing will help to reduce both energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
High Quality Flooring
Flooring is a huge component of a quality home renovation, and choosing the right type for your individual needs will make all the difference (and hopefully save you the hassle of making costly changes in the future). High quality flooring can vastly improve the interior design of your home while seamlessly tying various elements such as well decors and furniture together. If you have kids or pets in the home, we highly recommend choosing heavy-duty flooring that will be able to withstand wear and tear.
Some popular options include concrete, laminate, engineered wood, bamboo, ceramic or porcelain. Head to this page to find out more about the 8 most durable flooring options in 2022.
Natural & Artificial Lighting Options
Whenever possible, we always recommend prioritising access to natural light when renovating or building your home. Some of the benefits of natural light include reduced stress levels, higher productivity, lower electricity bills and an increase in your home’s resale value. Ideally, your home’s design should factor in how the sun moves across your property, with window locations and glazing to suit the location and climate.
When it comes to artificial lighting, we always recommend opting for a variety of different lighting types in each room. As a general rule, a great lighting plan will include ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. The more light you have in a room, the bigger it will feel and vice versa. This is definitely something you don’t want to skimp on as it will have a huge impact on the overall look, feel and mood of your home.
Integrated Appliances
One of the biggest home renovation trends that is here to stay has got to be integrated appliances. For those who are unaware, integrated appliances are appliances that can be housed inside the cupboards and panels of your kitchen. Some examples include a built-in oven, dishwasher, washing machine and fridge. Some of the benefits of an integrated kitchen include maximum space efficiency and a sleeker, more modern feel. Investing in high end integrated appliances will also increase the resale value of your home, which is never a bad thing!
Smart Storage Solutions
Last but not least, one can never have enough storage space. This rings especially true if you have plans of expanding your family, so taking care of this aspect in the planning stages of your renovation will make all the difference in the future. One of the biggest home renovation trends in recent years that also happens to be a smart storage solution is none other than the butler’s pantry. This handy addition to the home is the perfect way to hide unsightly kitchen paraphernalia, dishes, cutlery and pantry items that would otherwise take up an ungodly amount of cupboard space.
Other smart storage solutions that you can include and implement during the renovation stage include under stairs storage, built-in cabinets, a pull-out pantry and more.
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And there you have it – 7 home fixtures and fittings that you definitely don’t want to skimp on during your next home renovation. Spending a little more money, time and effort on these elements is a great way to invest in your future and prevent costly repairs in the future.
What are some of your own personal non-negotiables when it comes to home renovation? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
