What's worth spending on in a renovation?

Perit Matthew James MerciecaArchitect & Civil Engineer

Building & DesignReviewed: 7 October 2026

The short answer

Elements with a long life and a long return are usually the best investment — especially ones that are conscious of energy use, such as how the building is heated and cooled, which bring a hidden return over time. Shorter-lived, more superficial items are less optimal, but they aren't wasted: they can add a great deal to the experience of living there.

Long life, long return

Perit Matthew James Mercieca from MJM|DA starts with a general rule: "investing in elements that are going to give a long life and a long return is the best investment." By contrast, prioritising "secondary items whose obsolescence, meaning the lifetime, is very short, could possibly be less optimal."

The hidden return of energy

The long-term investments he points to are the ones that are "conscious of energy use. How do we heat the building? How do we cool the building? Will it consume energy in such a way to make it unsustainable long term? Those investments are going to have a hidden return."

Not wasted — just weighed differently

Matthew won't write off the rest: "I wouldn't say wasted, because everybody has their preferences." Elements that seem frivolous can be "core to their wants and needs and wishes," and the more superficial things, while "questionable in terms of the value they give," can "add a massive experience to the place. So, it's not to be discounted."

Putting it into the plan

Which of these matters most depends on what you need from the property, and what you can afford depends on how much contingency your budget still carries.

Sources

Perit Matthew James Mercieca — Yitaku Asks video (Architect Series, Cluster 4: long-life elements as the best investment; energy-conscious choices carry a hidden return; superficial items are not wasted)