What are some easy non-renovation upgrades I can do to a new home?

October 25, 2021 11:39 AM

I got a deal on my new condo because it is not renovated. I’m not allowed to do the renovations until I get board approval. That might take a while. What can I do to spruce things up in the meantime?

Condo is two bedroom, two bathroom and has good bones. My planned renovations include a complete redo of the kitchen, and replacement of carpets in the bedroom with vinyl flooring. I have been told that the next board meeting is at the end of November, and I have to wait until then to get approval. I’m confident the approval will eventually come because other people in the building have done similar renovations. But in the meanwhile, I’m going to move in. I’m planning to have my contractor go in for a first pass, do some painting, fix any small things that he can fix, and basically just not as much off the to do list as possible while we wait for the big approval. What are some simple things that I might consider? On the list so far, we have replacing some broken door knobs, recalking the bathtub, and painting some built-in shelving (and the walls). What else can I do which might not require board approval? New showerheads? Closet organizers? What else?

posted by ficbot to Home & Garden (18 answers total)

Swapping out incandescent bulbs for LEDs.

Pick out appliances now, because they may be hard to get when the approval comes through.

Maybe jump on window treatments, if you're going to do those anyway.
posted by wenestvedt at 11:43 AM on October 25, 2021

If you have grody old light switches and outlets, I find it makes a huge difference in making a place feel 'new' to switch them out.
posted by another zebra at 12:22 PM on October 25, 2021 [10 favorites]

Do you need approval for the flooring? It's nice to get floors done before you have furniture on them, if at all possible.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 12:25 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

Window treatments can make a big difference, especially in rooms that you are not remodeling.
Bathroom fixtures: light fixtures, fans, faucets, shower heads
I iike your suggestions of closet organizers - not as a visible but makes a big difference
posted by metahawk at 12:26 PM on October 25, 2021

HVAC cleaning and system checkup. Just like appliances, if it turns out you need to upgrade or replace the AC this would be the time to get in the queue.
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:31 PM on October 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

Wire for... whatever you are going to want to wire for. Sonos or fiber or a Ring system or whatever. Update the light fixtures while you're at it, and the switches. You may also want to replace the bathroom cabinetry and fixtures.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:32 PM on October 25, 2021

I would imagine that replacing flooring and painting are cosmetic changes can be done with no approvals as they require no permits and don't involve major demolition and construction. Even if you can't install new flooring yet (which would surprise me), getting old carpet and pad up and out would make the place feel so much cleaner to me. Living with other people's carpet isn't my favorite as there's really no way to get it all the way clean again. Get the carpet out to the subfloor and then either live with it that way for a month or get some cheap rugs to cover the subfloor.

In the meantime, I find that updating lighting fixtures makes a big difference. While you're doing those replacements, upgrade the switches to more modern toggles with dimming capability (make sure you buy dimable fixtures/bulbs, too). New outlets with USB plug capability are also very handy.

New bathroom fixtures (faucets/showerhead) and lighting also go a long way toward freshening things up. You may also want to consider replacing the toilet depending on whether the one in place is updated or not.
posted by quince at 12:53 PM on October 25, 2021 [3 favorites]

I would imagine that replacing flooring ... [is a] ... cosmetic change

Side remark: depending on the HOA, this may be incorrect. In my last condo occupants were specifically forbidden from replacing any carpeted area with a hard surface; only new wall-to-wall carpeting was allowed. The reason given was noise, FWIW. People did occasionally do it, but then after a couple of months they'd be found out and required to replace with new carpet instead.

...so OP should check quite carefully before replacing any soft flooring with something hard.
posted by aramaic at 12:56 PM on October 25, 2021 [3 favorites]

Pay the contractor to take the measurements of every room (L x W x H) while the place is empty. Or rent one of those laser tape measures and do it yourself.
posted by cocoagirl at 12:58 PM on October 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

If you can do hardwood flooring I would get that priced out. I did carpet and vinyl floor and regretted it - both started to look worn in five years and ended up in a landfill. The red oak we put in will last a hundred years if properly cared for.
posted by sol at 1:02 PM on October 25, 2021 [7 favorites]

I'd err on the side of delaying the small things: First, for many repairs it's going to be easier to coordinate them with the larger work. Most obviously, it would be easier to rewire when cabinets are removed, but there might be other less obvious issues. Just ask your contractor: "Would it be cheaper and easier to wait and do X when you are also doing Y, or should we get that done now?" Second, you may have a better idea of what you want once you've lived there for a few months - where you want light switches, shelves, or lighting, and whether you like certain colors or trim that's already there, or if you want to change them. You might also be able to see your neighbors' units to get ideas. It's great that you're excited to make changes, but waiting a month or two doesn't seem like a long wait for something you'll live with for years.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:07 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

paint, as you already said. and lighting - like if you have ceiling fixtures, you can change them out. And add good accent lighting (lamps etc.)

and it's good you're waiting -- I've found that waiting to see how we actually use a space and where the workflow can be optimized, plus researching neighbors' units to get ideas, is always worthwhile.
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:15 PM on October 25, 2021

If there are popcorn / stucco ceilings, now's a great time to test them for asbestos (unlikely in a newer building but still worth testing) and scrape off the popcorn if desired.

Anything you want to do to the walls, ceilings, and especially floors - now's the time.

Reglazing the tub too, the fumes are intense.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 2:30 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

I find it makes a huge difference in making a place feel 'new' to switch them out.

Also depending if you live in a place with real winter, I've found that it was really useful to put insulating pads (example) behind switches and outlets to keep drafts out. Same with nice window treatments depending on what you want in your windows.
posted by jessamyn at 2:44 PM on October 25, 2021 [4 favorites]

Bidet attachments for your toilets. A clean butthole is always in style.
posted by phunniemee at 3:15 PM on October 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

Count me in as surprised you need board approval for interior improvements like flooring. That's...different. I'd really want to get the painting and flooring done before moving furniture in, if you can find a way to accelerate that process at all.

Replacing light fixtures is a good step, and I'd definitely agree that in 2021 you should be going all-LED. Especially in difficult-to-reach places!

I've found that I really like having a ceiling fan in the bedroom, and miss it where I'm currently living now. That's not a terrible job to do after move-in, but it's certainly easier when there's nothing under you (like a bed) to stand wobbily on or get dirty. If you only have 8ft ceilings, you might want to look for a "flush mount" ceiling fan. One with dimmable LEDs is a plus.

If you or your inspector hasn't done it already, I'd walk around to every single outlet and both verify they're working, and see that the plugs fit tightly and aren't loose. If they're loose, you should replace the outlets. It's a very simple sub-$5 job, but you do need to turn the power off and it's easier to do without furniture in front of the outlets. Outlets in bedrooms should be upgraded to AFCI (not GFCI, but Arc Fault) outlets while you're doing it—they can save your life. (And you are already planning on installing new smoke detectors, right? … Right?)

Any wall-mounted TVs in your future? If so, you can add an additional outlet high up on the wall, or add a cable-cleanup kit like this one. If you're not going to mount a TV there immediately, a piece of wall art can hide the outlet in the interim.

Also, if you have old-style multiple-turn shutoff valves in your bathroom (for the hot/cold under the sink, the cold on the toilet, etc.), replacing them with good quarter-turn valves is a worthwhile project. The old ones tend to leak and fail just when you don't want them to, and require the water be turned off to your whole unit (or, in my case, the entire freaking building) to replace. Schedule one shut-off, do all of them in your unit, and never have to worry about them again.
posted by Kadin2048 at 4:01 PM on October 25, 2021 [4 favorites]

With supply chains the way they are, perhaps there are some things you can order now...
posted by oceano at 5:04 PM on October 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

Nthing swapping our your switches and outlets. Screwless wall plates and Decora switches are one of those small touches that make everything look a bit more polished. Also a good time to install dimmer switches as well.

Another often-overlooked upgrade is to put a timer switch or humidity sensor on your bathroom exhaust fans.
posted by blerghamot at 9:52 PM on October 25, 2021 [1 favorite]