Whether it’s creating the bedroom of your dreams or transforming your master bathroom into a spa, there are certain projects that are bound to be on the list of home improvements you have in store for your house. They are the home improvements on everyone’s list. They include:
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Family room
- Patio
No matter how much you pay for your house, and no matter how much of a dream it turns out to be, after a long enough period of time, you are going to want to make certain major home improvements that are common to almost everyone who owns a home. But houses are large and complicated affairs that are not easily summed up by the number of rooms they have, or the amount of square footage. Houses are sometimes said to have personalities, even moods. Two identical row houses standing side by side are completely different in ways that are hard to quantify. They are more than bathrooms and bedrooms and kitchens. And there is more that can be improved. Here are a few such improvements you might not have considered:
Add an Elevator or Stair Lift
Stairs are hard on the knees. You only have so much cartilage. And when it wears out, you are going to need major knee surgery. Having stairs in your home means that someone will be trotting up and down those stairs every day. Over the course of a lifetime, that’s a lot of unnecessary knee bends. Consider the utility of EasyClimber residential elevators in the homes of those with limited mobility. These streamlined personal lifts can fit in just about any residence and provide occupants with an alternative means to a second floor when needed. Furthermore, these home elevators can serve as a means to more easily move full laundry baskets and other heavy handheld items between floors. Just make sure to abide by the weight limit and other restrictions put forth by the manufacturer.
Smart Speakers
One of the easiest home improvements you can do yourself is to make it a little bit smarter by adding smart speakers to every room in the house. If you are an Apple fan, they have just released the HomePod smart speaker. It delivers audiophile sound quality and allows you to control it, and other HomeKit devices with Siri. At $349, it is the most expensive iPhone accessory Apple sells. For a more capable digital assistant that is much worse on the ears but much easier on the budget, there is the Amazon Echo. It can tie into a lot more devices and services. But you will have a fussier time getting all of it to work together. That said, these smart speakers are all the rage. And they are not going away. They are only going to get better with each new generation of devices.
There is something almost magical about being able to ask the air how to spell a word, and actually get an answer. You can just tell it to play a song that comes into your head through whatever music subscription you use. You can have it set timers, turn down the lights, close the blinds, and lock the doors. You can do it all with your voice. It takes a little more setup than using the Star Trek computer. But even now, it is a nice upgrade to have.
Smarter Lights
Even if you do not upgrade to those smart lights from Philips that change colors and that you control with your phone and voice, you still need to upgrade to smarter lights. That is because your incandescent lights are bad for your electric bill and bad for the planet. Good LED lights are the best as they last the longest and cost the least in energy. But they are also the most expensive to buy. Mini fluorescents are also very good but don’t last as long. Almost anything is an upgrade compared to the incandescence that came with your home.
Deck Touch-Up
Don’t forget to spruce up the outside! After years of weather exposure, wear and tear, and family get-togethers outside, it would be no wonder your deck needs a little TLC. So check on all those creaky floorboards, and cover screw fasteners with deck plugs to give it a clean and polished look. Touching up your deck not only displays a great curb appeal but also is a great ROI if you plan on putting your home up in the future.
Everyone does kitchens and bathrooms. Why not take the road less traveled? Add an elevator. Put smart speakers in every room. And upgrade your lights. Bring your home into the 21st century with modern upgrades that make a difference. When you’re ready to showcase your upgraded space, consider employing the power of 3D rendering naturally to visualize your home’s potential before committing to any major changes.
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