Kitchens, guest bathrooms, and primary bathrooms lead the post-move renovation list, with system upgrades and exterior work close behind. Here is what those patterns say about how new builds are finished and where buyers can push back before closing.
Kitchens top the list of rooms homeowners renovate after moving in, with guest bathrooms and primary bathrooms close behind. New-build buyers can use that pattern as a checklist: assume the kitchen and baths may not match how you actually live, plan for system upgrades (especially plumbing and electrical), and use the builder's design center to customize the spaces you would otherwise redo.
The rooms homeowners most often tear into after move-in are interior ones. In 2025, interior rooms were the most commonly renovated category overall, with kitchens and guest bathrooms tied near the top of the list and primary bathrooms just behind. Home system upgrades were the second-most-common category, followed by exterior projects and outdoor improvements. That order is the single most useful clue for someone buying a new build: the spaces the builder finishes for you are often the spaces people later change.
The 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study breaks the data down further. Kitchens led at 26% of renovating homeowners, guest bathrooms at 25%, and primary bathrooms at 23%. Beyond the big three, spending climbed year over year in living rooms, laundry rooms, dining rooms, and home offices, while median spend actually fell in primary bedrooms and closets. The takeaway: the rooms people touch are the high-use, plumbing-heavy, family-shared spaces, not the private retreats.
The same study shows that for nearly every room type, planning takes longer than the actual build. Kitchens average 9.5 months of planning and 5.8 months of construction. Primary bathrooms average 8.4 months of planning and 4.8 months of work. Even closets run 6.6 months of planning before 4.3 months of construction. For new-build buyers, this argues for making the design-center decisions during the build, when you still have planning time on the clock instead of paying for it later.
Followed by 5.8 months of construction.
Followed by 4.8 months of construction.
Followed by 4.8 months of construction.
Followed by 4.3 months of construction.
Followed by 3.4 months of construction.
Treat the builder's standard kitchen and baths as a starting point, not a finish line. If those rooms are on the post-move renovation list for one in four buyers, they are exactly the rooms worth customizing up front, even if it costs more at signing. A $5,000 cabinet and countertop upgrade now is usually cheaper than a $24,000 kitchen remodel three years after closing.
Cabinet run, island size, pantry placement, and appliance package drive most kitchen rebuilds. Settle these before the slab is poured.
Moving a shower or tub after move-in is the single most expensive change in the bathroom. Even small layout shifts are cheaper during construction.
Electrical is one of the most common system upgrades. Pre-wiring for future loads is far cheaper than opening finished walls later.
Faucets and shower heads are among the most-purchased renovation products. Choosing the look you want now avoids a round of gut-and-replace.
Windows are 20% of exterior renovation work. Upgrading during the build beats replacing installed units later.
Closet renovations average $1,000, but the bigger cost is lost time. Built-ins at design center are inexpensive to add before drywall.
| Space | 2024 median | 2025 median | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | $22,000 | $24,000 | Up |
| Primary bathroom | $13,000 | $15,000 | Up |
| Guest bathroom | $6,000 | $7,000 | Up |
| Living room | $4,000 | $5,000 | Up |
| Laundry room | $2,500 | $3,000 | Up |
| Home office | $1,300 | $2,000 | Up |
| Dining room | $2,100 | $2,500 | Up |
| Primary bedroom | $2,100 | $1,700 | Down |
| Closet | $1,250 | $1,000 | Down |
Most median spends rose in 2025, but the largest dollar jumps were in the rooms people use most. The fact that primary bedrooms and closets actually trended down tells you that when homeowners have a finite budget, they put it into the shared, hard-serviced rooms first. A new-build buyer should plan in the same order: kitchen, primary bath, guest bath, then everything else.
Kitchen, guest bath, primary bath, laundry, home office. Prioritize upgrades in that order during design selection.
Most projects cluster around the median. Aim for the middle of the range and you cover the cases most homeowners actually face.
Plumbing and electrical lead the system-upgrade list. Rough-in extras during construction are a fraction of opening walls later.
Primary bedrooms and closets are falling in median spend. Resist the urge to over-customize those before higher-impact rooms.
Keep the builder's spec sheet. If you do renovate later, the contractor will start from a known baseline instead of discovery.
SUMMARY
Kitchens, guest bathrooms, and primary bathrooms are the rooms homeowners most often renovate after moving in, and system upgrades follow close behind. New-build buyers who treat those rooms as customization opportunities during design selection, rather than projects to tackle after closing, save both the planning months and the median $7,000 to $24,000 per room that other owners end up paying. If you are moving in-state, remember that federal interstate carrier protections do not apply; check your state regulator for the rules that do.
Common questions
Kitchens, with about 26% of renovating homeowners tackling them in 2025. Guest bathrooms and primary bathrooms follow closely, at 25% and 23%.
Median spend was $24,000 in 2025, up from $22,000 the year before. Major remodels that replace all cabinets and appliances averaged $35,000 for smaller kitchens and $55,000 for larger ones.
Yes. The 2026 Houzz & Home Study shows planning outpaces construction in nearly every category, from kitchens (9.5 months planning vs. 5.8 months building) down to closets (6.6 vs. 4.3 months).
Generally no. Federal FMCSA household goods protections apply when a shipment crosses state lines. In-state moves are regulated by your state public utilities commission or transportation division, and the required disclosures, arbitration options, and dispute process come from that agency.