Tips for an Attractive Apartment Renovation
In this post I will share some tips I have learnt and applied over the years, to create beautiful appealing apartment spaces that create superior first impressions, receive great comments from all those that view them, & probably most important of all, bring joy to the owners.
To really make an apartment “attractive”, you want to dial in that emotional appeal, by that I mean to create an emotional attachment where the viewer can really imagine themselves living joyfully in that space.
Let’s start from the top, leading away with one of my most important tests – first impressions!
Tips for an Attractive Apartment Renovation
TIP #1 First Impressions.
Here’s my “go to“ litmus test – simply open the front door and look in – what do you see? Are you inspired? You have probably heard the old saying “The first impression is the lasting one”. This is a truism I believe, especially when it comes to property. The moment you open the door, it must feel welcoming, there has to be something positive & appealing that has immediate impact & that draws you in. You may say “I can’t make the entrance appealing, I just have a small windowless bathroom immediately to the left, and then a dark narrow hall leading to the living room”. Are you sure? Well, let’s ensure that the bathroom is a beautiful, sparkling, light space (more on that later) and that the entrance flooring material flows seamlessly from the entrance, right throughout the bathroom & on down the hall creating an illusion of one large, inter-connected, light floor space, enhanced by lovely bright LED down lights in the hall and bathroom.
Now in terms of what we see down the hall, let’s make sure that we see something positioned out beyond the end of that hall that draws us toward it with the promise of “stylish, relaxed living”, a side table next to the couch perhaps, with a plant & a book in view, there may be a feature lamp that immediately appeals to the eye, in my experience, there is always something you can do.
Feel free to contact me if you would like me to cast an expert eye over your place!
TIP #2 Could you live there?
Similar to the first tip, but different. As you walk throughout the apartment, can you see yourself enjoying living in this space? That is key. If not, why not? Can we address any objections? In my experience, most objections can be mitigated. If storage is a problem, let’s come up with some creative solutions, if the kitchen is not modern & functional, let’s address that, if there is not room for separate dining, can we include a breakfast bar? If light is an issue, lets upgrade to LED. If you can’t see yourself relaxing in front of your favourite movie with a glass of wine, let’s be sure to create a space where you can do just that!
TIP #3 Kitchens – Modern and Functional
Kitchens are a critical element to any home at the best of times, and due to the compact nature of apartments, even more so, as the kitchen often dominates the living area. I think it is really important to have a modern, functional, stylish kitchen in an apartment. It is truly transformational to the overall look and functionality of the apartment, and let’s face it, the kitchen may be your first impression as you look down that hall we spoke about earlier! I really don’t see the point in hanging on to old worn out greasy kitchens. Yes, they can be upgraded if in reasonable condition, & this is something we can look at, and do so for rental situations, but honestly even then it is not going to cost incrementally that much more to replace cabinetry and tops, and often this is well worth it, because it pays for itself in increased market value, longevity, rental return, and even in the ease of resale when it comes to moving on.
Often LED strip lighting & good down lights help the kitchen sparkle, along with a nice splash back and new appliances which are surprisingly affordable these days if you know where to go.
We specialise in coming up with great kitchen designs and solutions including appliances. Contact us here.
Tip #4 Sparkling bathroom/s
Similar to Kitchens, the quality fit out of bathrooms I believe can have a significant impact on the emotional appeal of your apartment, & are well worth investing in. Apartment bathrooms are most often windowless boxes due to the living areas & bedrooms getting priority in terms of outward facing rooms. The lack of natural light in bathrooms makes it essential to have crisp bright lighting features that highlight the sparkle we are looking for.
Tiles should be large & light colours (more on that later).
Toilets must look clean of course! For those who have porcelain cisterns, a relatively cheap replacement seat can create a virtually new toilet!
Auckland has very hard (high mineral) water, this creates clouded shower doors often crusted in mineral deposits, these are not a good look. Once again it is not that expensive to replace the glass or the entire shower. I have found that most older shower doors are far to etched to be restored simply by the glass polishing methods – far better to replace.
A floating vanity is a real plus as it creates the illusion of space.
Don’t forget you can always go whole hog with a high spec full reno including stunning wall tiles, frameless glass shower, new vanity and toilet – people do love an apartment with a beautiful bathroom! Once again this will add value to your asset.
Let us know if you want to discuss great bathroom ideas with us.
Tip #5 Bedrooms are a sanctuary
Bedrooms must have privacy for that appeal we are talking about, & feel like a space you can retreat to for quiet time and for rest, but also serve the practicality of getting ready for the day ahead or a night out on the town. For studio layouts a nicely designed screen may serve as an enhancement to your space. To address a lack of wardrobe or storage space, installing open robes on the walls (very space friendly) can resolve this (see great example here) or if you have the space, freestanding wardrobes could be an option too. A nicely turned out bed with a throw and cushions certainly adds appeal with a sense of comfort & luxury.
Tip #6 Floors – big is better
A beautiful floor certainly adds appeal and helps create an attractive apartment, and along with paint, is one of the things that has maximum impact on the overall look.
Here’s a hot tip for you – large tiles make a small space look large. So if you are tiling, ditch the small tiles, go for 600 x 600 in a Light colour, but not with white grout, as this is hard to clean, go for a neutral light grey or tan dependant on the shade of tile. Polished tiles reflect the light and create a sparkle, so that could be an option too, especially for walls.
In terms of carpet, my rule of thumb is to go light in apartments, especially where there is a lack of natural lighting, however for rentals I would go mid tone as this is more practical for cleaning. Remember, as any good carpet layer will tell you, carpet always looks several shades lighter once down on the floor, versus the small sample in the store!
There are some great composite or laminate flooring options out there now, in some stylish wood-look options, so keep those in mind too.
We can talk to you about all the flooring options for your place. Contact us here.
Tip #7 White is light
Let’s talk about paint. If you had to choose 1 colour that always works in apartments, it would most definitely be a shade of white. White reflects the light, & is modern & crisp. White also serves as a great backdrop for your other design features, and for art work. Many of the apartments built 15 – 20 years ago have darker shades of tea or lichen green. If you have one of those, you will be stunned by the transformation simply by modernising to a shade of white. It can often take a number of coats to properly cover those old colours, but the result is amazing. There will be light you didn’t know you had!
We can have your place painted in a jiffy, contact us to have a look at your place.
Tip #8 Staging
I could not complete this list without mentioning staging. If you are looking to sell an apartment, staging has an enormous impact on the “attractiveness” of the apartment to a potential buyer. Do not overdo this however, you definitely don’t want clutter!
Staging really sets up each area to demonstrate how that space can be enjoyed, and also how good it can look. Staging is really about inspiring, and creating vignettes. “This is where I enjoy cooking wonderful meals”, “this is where I put my feet up with a good book and a glass of wine”, “this is where we relax and entertain” etc. It also goes without saying that a few items of stylish furniture & nice artwork really do add to the overall appeal & impression of the apartment, despite the fact that these are removable items, they sell it! The also show that each space works, and the apartment as a whole works.
I have staged many apartments over the years, and it always strikes me how practical staging actually is, and how good it looks – we should all be doing this in our own homes!
I hope you enjoyed Tips for an Attractive Apartment Renovation.
If you want to chat to us about any of the ideas in this post, contact us here.