Kitchen or Bathroom First? How to Prioritise Your Renovation

When it comes to home renovations, two rooms almost always rise to the top of the priority list: the kitchen and the bathroom. Both are high-use areas, both impact the way you live every day, and both add significant value to your home. But if you can only tackle one at a time, which should come first?

At TMG Connect, we’ve helped countless South Canterbury homeowners transform kitchens, bathrooms, and entire homes. Here’s our advice on how to decide where to start.

The Case for Kitchen Renovations

The kitchen is often called the heart of the home — and for good reason. It’s where meals are made, conversations happen, and families connect. Renovating your kitchen can:

• Dramatically improve daily living with better flow and functionality.

• Create an open-plan hub perfect for entertaining.

• Add resale value, as buyers consistently rank kitchens as one of the most important features of a home.

Take our recent Pleasant Point project as an example. By removing walls, adding a larger island, and extending new flooring into the dining and lounge, we turned a cramped kitchen into a spacious, modern hub that ties the whole living area together.

In our Hadlow Road extension, the kitchen became the defining feature of the new living space. With warm timber tones, a generous butler’s pantry, and abundant natural light, it not only functions beautifully but also anchors the entire open-plan design.

The Case for Bathroom Renovations

Bathrooms may be smaller, but their impact is just as significant. A dated bathroom can make a whole home feel tired, while a modern bathroom brings comfort, efficiency, and style. Renovating your bathroom can:

• Increase functionality with smarter layouts and storage.

• Enhance everyday comfort with modern fixtures and finishes.

• Boost value, as buyers see bathrooms as a key indicator of a home’s condition.

Our Marchwiel bathroom project showed how quickly a transformation can take place. In just a few weeks, a dated room with cork flooring and wallpaper became a sleek, modern bathroom with crisp finishes, black accents, and upgraded flooring.

In Claremont, we reworked a three-part ensuite into one open, light-filled space. The result was a modern, functional room with a fully tiled shower, wall-hung vanity, and finishes that tied seamlessly into the home’s main bathroom.

Even compact spaces can shine. Our Timaru Central bathroom used floor-to-ceiling tiles and a custom joinery vanity to maximise every inch, turning a small unit bathroom into a stylish haven.

Which Should Come First?

The answer depends on your priorities:

• Lifestyle: If you spend more time in the kitchen, cooking, entertaining, or connecting with family, it may make sense to start there.

• Urgency: If your bathroom is no longer functional, has leaks, or is causing daily frustration, it should take priority.

• Budget: Kitchens often require a larger investment but deliver significant lifestyle and resale benefits. Bathrooms can be more affordable while still adding strong value.

• Whole-Home Plans: If you’re considering a bigger renovation, sequencing matters. Sometimes tackling a kitchen first creates better flow for adjoining spaces, while other times addressing plumbing-heavy bathrooms makes more sense.

How We Make the Choice EasyAt TMG Connect, our role is to guide you through decisions like these. We sit down with you in a Project Dream Session to explore your vision, discuss priorities, and create a plan that works for your lifestyle, budget, and timeline. Most importantly, we manage the entire process — from design and consents to trades and finishes — so whichever project you start with, it’s simple and stress-free.

Ready to Plan Your Next Renovation?Whether it’s a kitchen, bathroom, or full-home transformation, we’ll help you decide the best place to begin and deliver results you’ll love.

Book your free Project Dream Session today. Call us on 0800 10 60 73 or email hub@tmgconnect.co.nz — and let’s make your renovation easy.