For those who are considering doing a New York City apartment renovation, you may find yourself needing to do one because there are critical needs to address from both a safety and functional perspective. But if you are finding yourself undergoing a hefty renovation project to begin with, it doesn’t hurt to tack on a little extra money to add on some discretionary items that you might find joy in installing with your new product. So here are the top 10 wish list items you should consider.
1) Central Air
If your NYC apartment resides in an older building, odds are it may be using radiant or baseboard heat and does not have any ductwork. If you own the entire building and you are doing a full apartment remodel, consider changing over to forced air HVAC that can spit out both warm and cold air for a four-season HVAC system. If you do not anticipate a full gut of your dwelling, you can also consider ductless models, which have become increasingly popular for dwellings that don’t have duct space.
2) Walk-in Closets
In many NYC dwellings today, the number of bedrooms has become less important than the quality of the bedrooms due to smaller families. So, you should consider if you have a master bedroom with inadequate closet space creating a walk-in closet. Clothing storage is critical to every household, and if you find yourself able to sacrifice space in certain spaces to gain more closet space, this could be a great return for living. Keep in mind though that resale may not be favorable to this approach, if you see a benefit in having extra closet space, it is worth pursuing.
3) Smart Home Features
Whether you go for the full smart home experience or just a few basic technology installations, an apartment renovation is always a great time to introduce your home to some new technology, especially if it requires concealing wiring or upgrading existing electrical features of the house. If you buy the technology yourself, it should not draw down a lot of labor costs to have your apartment renovation contractor install them throughout your house. You should always consider basic technology such as smart bulbs or smart switches that can be controlled through your phone. Home security is always a no-brainer as well and a place worth putting some discretionary capital with technology.
4) Separate Laundry Room
If your current laundry room is either a shared bathroom space or other multi-function room, you could consider making a separate laundry room if you think there is sufficient space in your place to do so. While a separate laundry room may not always be ideal based on what space you must give up, there is no downside to carving out a separate room just for laundry. You could consider just converting a wide double door closet space for laundry or take an extra bathroom and build up extra storage with a sink.
5) Wall Oven and Surface Stove
Most standard kitchens today come with a Stove Top Oven Combination that is considered desirable from a cost and efficiency perspective. But for anyone who wants that top-end professional kitchen space, it may be worth exploring having a wall oven and surface stove if space allows it. An open kitchen with appliances spread out a bit can really enhance the cooking experience and does give that high end feel to a kitchen space. Work with a design build to see if your existing apartment layout can support adding kitchen space, and if so a wall oven with a stove-top on a kitchen island can go a long way.
6) Kitchen Islands
Speaking of kitchen islands, along the lines of opening for more kitchen space, a large enough space that cannot support an island is always a fantastic idea. An island is great because it allows to really maximize countertop space as well as storage and is a fantastic accent piece for entertaining. Islands can be basic as simple cabinets and counter-tops or have built-in appliances such as sinks, stoves, or even garbage disposals. Your design build firm you bring in should have some excellent ideas about how to truly capture this space.
7) Steam Shower
While bathtubs are a preferred type of washing area, if you do decide to invest in a shower, consider going all in and getting a steam shower. This is especially great if you have a large kitchen space to really spread yourself out. Work with your apartment renovation contractor to consider space requirements and see what they can build for you.
8) Built-in Speaker Systems
If your apartment remodels touches a living room or entertainment center, then you should consider looking into a built-in entertainment center. While standalone speakers pack a fairly good punch, nothing can beat taking advantage of a room’s acoustics and building out an entertainment center with built-in speakers. This little add-on can really bring a level of authenticity to your entertainment space.
9) Smart Controlled HVAC
Along the lines of smart technology, consider along with an upgrade to HVAC using a smart thermometer to control your housing temperature. Smart thermometers are cheap and when installed can sync to your smartphone, enabling you to control your thermostat anyplace, including when you are not home. Your apartment remodels contractor should have no issues getting one of these devices installed.
10) Heated Bathroom Floors
While a bit more expensive, one great feature you could install in your New York City apartment bathroom is heated floors. These are great additions for creating luxury in an apartment, and your apartment remodels contractor should be able to put these in for you if your existing plumbing system can support it. These systems work by running hot water underneath your tile to create a nice source of heat when you get out of a shower or bath.
