You might have heard the trope about there only being two seasons in Chicago – winter and construction. Indeed, Chicagoans tend to think that summer is the perfect time to get started on the long-awaited condo upgrade projects.

With that in mind, here is a list of the 3 condo improvement projects that offer the highest return on investment:

1. Basic Maintenance

Bigger improvements usually fail to impress in a condo whose interior is falling apart. For that reason, and because it usually doesn’t require a large investment, basic maintenance of the interior (a new coat of paint, fixture upgrades, fixing anything broken) tends to offer the highest ROI of any improvement projects.

2. The Flooring

If your wood floors are worn, you can likely get them sanded and refinished more cheaply than you expect. This also gives you the chance to go radically lighter or darker, giving your condo a drastically different look.

3. The Kitchen

The kitchen is the first thing people think of when they hear the word “remodeling”. But the prices some owners spend on a new kitchen can be astronomical, so remember to keep your kitchen design in proportion to the rest of your condo.

Of course, it goes without saying that any major renovation projects should be cleared with your association to avoid breaking any building policies.