If you've renovated a home recently, you know just how quickly the wish list can outgrow the budget.
Maybe you splurge on the countertops but stick with the existing cabinets. Or you spring for the gorgeous tile you've been eyeing but decide the perfectly functional bathtub can stay. Unless your renovation budget is unlimited, there's almost always some picking and choosing involved.
About our expert: Bobby Berk, a member of 2026 National Kitchen & Bath Association Design Council, is an interior designer and TV personality who served as the design guru for eight seasons of Netflix's Queer Eye. He now hosts Junk or Jackpot?, a six-episode HGTV series executive produced by John Cena that helps collectors determine what their unusual possessions are worth and sell select pieces to help fund home renovations.
And if you think you might sell your home someday, there's another question to consider: Which upgrades will actually stand out to future buyers?
Interior designer and TV personality Bobby Berk says some relatively small design decisions can make kitchens and bathrooms in particular feel more thoughtful, functional and luxurious. Berk, who is a member of the 2026 National Kitchen & Bath Association Design Council, shared five kitchen and bathroom upgrades that can help catch a buyer's eye.
Here's what he recommends considering before your next renovation.
Beautiful countertops don't have quite the same effect when they're buried beneath the toaster, coffee maker, air fryer and everything else we use on a daily basis.
That's why Berk puts smart storage high on his list.
"Counter clutter is the enemy of a great kitchen," Berk says.
If you're undertaking a major renovation, he recommends considering a butler's pantry hidden behind a door or dedicating an entire wall to floor-to-ceiling cabinetry.
Integrated pull-outs, deep drawers and appliance garages can also give everything a designated home and leave more of your countertops visible.
"It lets the main kitchen breathe and look pristine while hiding all the chaos of real life," Berk says.
And unlike some highly personalized design choices, storage is a feature with broad appeal. After all, it's hard to imagine many prospective buyers walking into a kitchen and thinking, There's simply too much storage in here.
If your bathroom still has a single strip of builder-grade lights hovering above the mirror, Berk says changing the fixture can make a surprisingly big difference.
"That single strip of builder-grade lighting above the mirror is aging your bathroom by 15 years," Berk says.
Instead, he recommends installing two statement sconces at face height on either side of the mirror.
The symmetrical lighting is useful when you're getting ready in the morning, but it can also make an otherwise basic bathroom look more elevated.
"[It] makes the whole room feel intentional, designed, and expensive," Berk says.
Read more: I asked home stagers what they buy at thrift stores. Their answers surprised me.
You don't necessarily need a giant bathroom or freestanding soaking tub to create a spa-like feel.
Instead, consider putting some of the renovation budget toward the shower itself.
Berk recommends pairing an overhead rain showerhead with a handheld showerhead or body spray on the wall.
"A rain showerhead overhead plus a handheld or body spray on the side wall isn't just an upgrade, it's a signal that this shower was designed for real life," he says.
If you have the space and budget, Berk suggests taking it one step further with dual showerheads, a feature that could be especially appealing to couples.
Read more: The bathroom paint color that could knock thousands off your home's value
Range hoods are practical necessities, but they can also become one of the biggest design moments in a kitchen.
Instead of trying to make yours disappear, Berk recommends leaning into it with a sculptural hood made from a material such as plaster, custom wood or unlacquered brass.
"Nobody talks about this enough, but a sculptural range hood ... is the first thing every buyer's eyes land on in a kitchen," Berk says.
It's one of those design tricks that can give a kitchen a custom look without necessarily replacing every cabinet or appliance.
"It reads as a custom kitchen even when nothing else is," Berk says. "Buyers perceive it as a high-cost renovation when it might've cost you only a couple thousand dollars installed."
If you're already tearing up the bathroom floor, Berk says there's one luxury worth considering before the new tile goes down: radiant floor heating.
"Once a buyer steps on a warm floor in your bath, it's over," Berk says.
Unlike a new light fixture or a fresh coat of paint, heated flooring is considerably harder to retrofit once a bathroom renovation is complete. That's part of what can make it feel like such a thoughtful feature.
"It costs relatively little to install during a renovation and is almost impossible to add later, which is exactly why buyers place enormous value on it," Berk says. "It's a feature that says: They really thought of everything!"
And even if selling isn't in your immediate plans, there's something to be said for choosing upgrades you'll get to enjoy in the meantime. Stepping onto a warm bathroom floor on a cold morning certainly qualifies.