Dream Home=Dream Kitchen

Even if your idea of cooking involves little more than a microwave or a trusty air-fryer, it’s always worth investing in a well-designed, high-quality kitchen. While obvious details include high quality finishes and adding additional storage space wherever possible, there’s a few more things to consider if you want to truly maximize the value of your home. 

Today’s kitchens require more than just nice cabinetry or a marble countertop. The flow is just as important as the materials, which means it’s important to incorporate multiple gathering spaces throughout the room, from breakfast nooks for casual meals to larger dining spaces for gatherings and events. And while open-concept homes are still popular, homeowner’s should prioritize a layout that allows occupants to move freely between common spaces, even when the layout includes a little more structure than a completely open floor plan.

And because the kitchen remains the heart of the home—whether it’s the hub for family dinners and homework at the counter or gourmet-style dinner parties and entertaining—this is one room where the help of a specialist might be worth the investment. An interior designer who specializes in kitchen and dining can work with both your architect and contractor to ensure you create a space that works for both you and potential buyers in the future. 

Bathrooms=Spas (Or as close to one as possible)

When it comes to remodeling, most realtors and home designers will tell you that the kitchen and bathrooms are the rooms with the highest return on investment, and they’re right—the ROI on a kitchen remodel is up to 85.7%, with bathrooms in second place at 66.7%. 

For people building an entirely new home, that means the decisions they make during construction could greatly impact their home’s value later on, and be the difference between spending money on a remodel later versus getting it right the first time around.

The key to a good bathroom? Finding the right blend of luxury and functionality. Should you invest in a state-of-the-art sauna if it means sacrificing the space for a shower or tub? Probably not. But you should try to make your everyday shower space as spa-like as possible. Whether that’s adding steamer showerheads or stretching the budget a bit for a deeper immersion-style tub. 

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Rules

There are plenty of smaller details that can increase the value of your new build: walk-in closets, en suite bathrooms, and flex rooms perfect for an in-home office or gym. But at the end of the day, homeowners are looking for properties that incorporate both the latest tech and the best in energy efficiency features. This includes more than just a thermostat that can be monitored from an app on your phone (although that’s a great start.)

Homeowners are looking for sustainable home designs, which include things like geothermal heating and cooling systems, which use the earth’s underground temperature to heat and cool buildings. Energy-efficient HVAC systems and appliances throughout the home are also important, as well as additional features like solar panels and smart-lighting systems. 

Construction features like energy-efficient insulation, as well as windows and doors, can help keep energy bills at a minimum while improving the value of your property. 

Find the Right Team

Because advancements in both residential construction and sustainable design are constantly changing, finding the right team to build your dream home and maximize your investment is a key part of the process. Contact us today for help finding the best designers, architects, and contractors on Oahu—we’re here to make the first step in building your next home as easy and stress-free as possible.