An assets manager may say it’s best to save your tax return (Pad that 401(k)! Put it in an MMA!), but investing it in your home may be an equally smart money decision. Updated kitchens and bathrooms produce the best ROI when you sell your home. Think of those kitchen and bath updates as investments in your future, so splurge on specialties or necessities for the rooms that will make the value of your home (and your enjoyment of it) grow, like your home’s equity.
For the Kitchen:
Allentown Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet (above); Contemporary Wall Mount Pot Fillerand Trinsic Single Handle Pull-Down Spring Spout Kitchen Faucet with Touch2O Technology
On the Range (Hood)
The right hood over your range will give your kitchen a gorgeous focal point and pull the room together faster than you can say, “Thanks, Uncle Sam.” Range hoods whisk away the grease, smoke, fumes and moisture produced while cooking on your stove, pulling it away from the workspace to keep your kitchen from overheating. A hood will also keep your air conditioner from having to work as hard to cool the room, which will save you money on the AC in the long run.
Trinsic Pro Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet With Spring Spout
Faucet Fancy
Easily and instantly upgrade a tired kitchen by installing a snazzy new spout. The streamlined Trinsic Pro faucet in Black Stainless brings any sink into the 21st century with its modern finish and innovations, like Touch2O Technology, which activates the flow of water by tapping anywhere on the spout, and MagnaTite Docking, which snaps the spray wand back into place like magic.
Pilar Single Handle Kitchen Faucet with Spray
Luxurious Lighting
Get your lighting game right in the kitchen. From under cabinet and toe kick to pendant or recessed, all types of lighting have a place in the kitchen. You’ll want a different light source depending on the activity—the bright light you need while chopping veggies is not the same one you want late at night when you get a glass of water. Surely no one’s ever said their kitchen was “too bright” and meant it in a bad way. To add additional light sources to your space, hang a favorite fixture (or three) over the kitchen island for a design statement that doubles as task lighting.
Contemporary Wall Mount Pot Filler
The Perfect Pot Filler
Stop carting water between your kitchen sink and your stove. A wall-mounted, fold-away pot filler near the stove will make your kitchen feel delightfully customized. Fetching water for tea or cooking pasta and everything in between will be a breeze. Bonus: All Delta pot fillers have a 2-foot reach and dual water shut-offs at the wall and spout so there’s no need to move pots around once you set them on the stove.
Fuse Single Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet
Artful Appliances
Want an expensive glass-front fridge that looks best with your cooktop and dishwasher? Now’s your chance. New appliances, like the double ovens you’ve been hoping for, are a big lure for potential buyers and a welcome upgrade for homeowners. Either way you split it, someone wins.
For the Bathroom:
Trinsic Single Handle Bathroom Faucet, Prelude Round Front Toilet and Trinsic TempAssure 17T Series H2Okinetic Tub & Shower
Tidy Toilet
Dated toilet seats can look like bacteria nurseries. A modern toilet seat will make prospective buyers think the bathroom (and its plumbing) are in tiptop shape. A new toilet seat will allow you to select the shape you and your family find most comfortable to use, while also upping the style ante in a well-traveled space.
Trinsic Two Handle Widespread Bathroom Faucetand Contemporary Floor Mount Tub Filler
Sublime Sinks and Vanities
If you’re tired of sharing a sink in the morning, now may be the time to install that double vanity you’ve been adoring from afar. A larger double vanity may also provide the additional storage you’ve been needing. Pick a sink in a stylishly thought-provoking shape (maybe go square) or material (concrete is always interesting) and get your bathroom closer to looking like the space you’ve been dreaming of.
Trinsic Monitor 17 Series H2Okinetic Shower, Trinsic Roman Tub and Trinsic Single Handle Bathroom Faucet
Floor Show
Have you been wishing for heated floors every time you step into the bathroom? Maybe your floor just looks a bit dingy. Now is the chance to have it updated. Improved flooring is an important step toward making your bathroom a showpiece. Spend that tax return having your floor tiles regrouted, or maybe replace the floor altogether with a moisture-friendly material like sealed concrete.
Tesla Single Handle Vessel Bathroom Faucet with Touch2O.xt Technology
Shower Power
Everyone notices the quality of a shower stall, so incorporating a raincan shower head and a hand shower are additions that will make your bathroom feel like a modern spa. Use that tax refund to make it happen. Install a barrier-free shower to open up the pool of potential buyers for your home or to simply make the area easier for your family to access.
Trinsic Single Handle High-Arc Bathroom Faucet, Compel Premium Single-Setting Adjustable Wall Mount Hand Shower, TempAssure 17T Series H2Okinetic Tub & Showerand Contemporary Floor Mount Tub Filler
Spa Glow
Whether you add a fanciful chandelier or minimalist pendants, bathroom lighting changes the design and energy of the space, so pick a style that makes you happy. If there is any room in the house that begs for a dimmer, it is definitely the bathroom—bright light may be stellar in the morning, but long soaks in a hot bath call for low lighting.
