What to renovate....

Frankly, you aren't going to be likely to recover 100% of the renovation costs in a resale. Reno may make the apartment easier to sell, but won't necessarily increase the sales price enough to make the reno financially worth it on its own.

If the kitchen is serviceable now, and the bathroom is in worse shape, fix up the bathroom. A shtunky bathroom is a HUGE turnoff to buyers. More importantly though, this is your life. If you have the funds to spend, I believe it is quite valuable to create a living environment that makes you feel good to be in.

So fix up that bathroom--solid, classic taste--nothing too taste specific or too cheap. Avoid yellow scallop shell shaped sinks and those ridiculous glass bowl sinks that sit atop a vanity. Don't squash ultra modern into a deco building. Just be smart and tasteful about it.

If you want to do other upgrades and the cabinets are good but the counters are laminate, then yes, put in some nice counters. I think caesarstone is a lot nicer than most granite, but that's just me. I'd avoid strong colors and stick to whites, greys, or lighter colors. Some people love black flecked granite--to me I can never tell if it is clean of crumbs and think it looks suburban.

Light fixtures are also a nice upgrade. Not too much money for some quite nice ones. Look at Lighting By Gregory or online at www.lumens.com www.lightinguniverse.com or www.ylighting.com

Do the floors if they aren't just redone. That makes a big difference. As does painting. And for God's sake, leave the ceilings white--no insprirational colors up there. No one wants to buy a place with green ceilings and repainting the ceilings to sell is a drag.