Guest Post: 18 Simple Home Upgrades to Give You a New Lease On Life

 Disclosure: I have not been compensated for this post.

Author: Andy Andersen

Looking for a change of pace? A break from the norm? A new spring in your step? Sometimes the best way to evoke change in your life is to start with your immediate surroundings. Installing a few simple, useful, attractive home upgrades can be a great way to change the course of your day to day routine and give you a new lease on life. Here are 18 suggestions to start with:

1. Convert a Dormant Room

If you’ve got a dormant bedroom in your house that currently serves no particular purpose, there’s no better time than now to convert it into something useful. In no time at all an empty room can become an arts and crafts area, a gaming room, a home office, or space for any other type of hobby you may have. Regardless of what you choose to do with a spare room, giving it a purpose can direct your time toward something that makes you happy.

2. Electronic Locks

Electronic locks can be a great alternative to your traditional home lock system for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, electronic locks offer a keyless, hassle free security option for your home. Whether you choose a keycode, touchscreen, or other style of electronic lock, the advantages detailed here will become apparent immediately.

3. Motion-Sensor Lights

Installing motion-sensitive lighting on the outside or inside of your home can be a great way to revolutionize your day-to-day. Most motion-sensor lights on the market today are pretty affordable, and they will save you a fortune on electricity bills in the long run.

4. Knock Down Some Walls

The open concept is all the rage these days—and with good reason. If you’re looking for more light and open space in your home, chances are it’s something you can achieve simply by taking out a few walls and combining separate spaces.  Knock down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, or open up the space between your front room and family room for a more welcoming, airy atmosphere.

5. Tinted Windows

Residential window tinting has a wide variety of benefits. Tinting your windows will prevent fading damage to your furniture and improve your home’s energy efficiency by minimizing heat and cooling loss through your windows. You’ll also have the added benefit of extra privacy.

6. Soft-Close Drawer Slides

Improve the functionality of your drawers and cabinets by installing soft-close slides. You’d be surprised at the difference such a small upgrade can make. Soft-close slides will equip your drawers and cabinets with the latest advances in household technology while ensuring greater safety in your home.

7. Soap Dispenser

A new, high-tech automatic soap dispenser probably won’t revolutionize your life, but it will streamline your washing habits and give you an affordable, fun gadget to breathe life into your kitchen or bathroom.

8. Recessed Vanity

Installing a new vanity that recesses into the wall will not only save space in your bathroom, but give it the contemporary elegance and style it deserves.

9. Ceiling Fans

If you’re looking for a way to save on cooling costs in the summer, install some ceiling fans in your home. Though not every climate will allow for cutting back on the AC, using a ceiling fan in place of your home’s cooling system every so often will take you to new heights of energy efficiency.

10. Re-evaluate Your Sprinkler System

Have you found that your sprinkling system isn’t functioning as well as it used to be? Over time, even the best sprinkling systems tend to not perform as well if they go uninspected for too long. Maybe now is the time to have your irrigation system looked at and corrected so your lawn can look its best again.  

11. Replace Old Carpet With Wood Floors

If you’ve got old carpet that’s got to go, consider replacing it with a hardwood floor. This will increase the value of your home and give it the contemporary look and style that everyone is after.

12. Bathroom Tile

Have a bathroom with a laminate floor—or worse, outdated carpet? There’s no better time than the present to install quality bathroom tile. Though it may be a tad expensive upfront, bathroom tile will pay off in the long run. Make it extra affordable and learn how to install it yourself.

13. Replace Ornate Lighting

Chandeliers and other forms of ornate lighting are truly a thing of the past. Not only have they become impractical for modern homes, but there are far too many affordable, elegant, contemporary lighting fixtures available to keep an outdated ornate fixture. Take the time to research fixtures that will suit your home’s design and make your lighting something to be proud of.

14. Temperature Control Sheets

Another great way to save on heating and cooling costs. Temperature control sheets absorb and release heat in accordance with body temperature, making sure you sleep comfortably no matter  the conditions of your room or the weather outside.

15. Matching Kitchen Appliances

Sick of the eyesore that your inherited or mismatched kitchen appliances are creating? Replace them with a matching set. You’ll be surprised at how you can make your kitchen shine by having the appliances to match your style.

16. New Paint Job

Painting the walls of your home a new color or shade can give you a whole new lease on life. A room that’s become drab or boring can become a whole new, vibrant place in your house merely with a new coat of paint.

17. Rearrange Your Furniture

It won’t take more than an hour or two of rolled-up sleeves to make a room in your home a completely new and exciting place. Take a few minutes to strategize and see where you can rearrange your furniture to improve the flow of each room. This can make all the difference in making your home a more inviting place.

18. Window Shutters

Ready to be rid of your old blinds? Replacing them with quality shutters is the way to go. Shutters are so popular for today’s homes, in fact, that they’ve become quite affordable, with a wide variety of aesthetic choices to make your windows look great even when they’re closed.

So the next time you are ready for a change, look no further than the room you are in and consider installing some of these great upgrades in your home.