With these renovations, you can feel good about investing in your home and, ultimately, your quality of life, whether you just bought a new home or are planning a long-awaited makeover. Your home will be more efficient and safer thanks to a combination of practical changes, which will also give you the chance to modify it to suit your preferences.
Although some of these suggestions require significant expenditure, the end result will be a home that is more fashionable, cozy, and practical. These interior and exterior improvements enhance your quality of life, and many are excellent for increasing resale value.
To guarantee the highest level of safety and compliance, review local building code standards before starting any house modifications.
1. Enhance Decks with Lighting
Although installing low-voltage lighting systems may appear like a difficult DIY undertaking, even a novice can do it. Additionally, if your deck is the main attraction, the increased visibility will raise the overall degree of safety.
Due to the system’s reliance on a transformer connected to a typical GFCI outlet, low-voltage systems are far less hazardous than ordinary domestic wire. This reduces the voltage from 120 to 12 volts, and the current then passes through outside lines to power the fixtures.
2. Cool Roofing
According to Matt Power, editor of Green Builder magazine, the issue that everyone is currently interested in solving is heated. Power advises investing in cool roofs for peace of mind and energy bill savings since they reflect more sunshine and absorb less heat than conventional roofs, boosting indoor comfort and using less electricity to cool the house.
In addition to metal roofing, cool roofing materials include reflective coatings, sheet coverings, tiles, and shingles. While replacing your roof gives you the greatest options, you may also update an existing roof to get some of the advantages of a cool roof by adding reflecting coatings or retrofitting reflective material.
3. Automatic Bathroom Vent Fans
You’d be shocked at how many houses still use out-of-date bathroom ventilation fans or ones that are too large for the room. After a shower, an exhaust fan should immediately remove humidity and clean a misty mirror.
Look for a model with a humidity sensor that turns on the fan automatically; this feature is ideal for people who forget to switch it on before taking a bath and keeps you from wasting electricity if you do.
Some older houses have no ventilation at all or just vent their exhaust into the attic or another room. In these properties, installing new ventilation will be a greater undertaking, but you can feel secure about spending money on a system that, once installed, eliminates mold and mildew with minimum physical labor.
4. Tankless Water Heater
Wilson advises switching to a space- and energy-efficient tankless water heater in place of a conventional water heater. A tankless water heater offers on-demand hot water, which means it uses energy only when and to the temperature that is required, as opposed to continually heating a big tank of water.
Wilson explains that they are compact, wall-mountable, and take up significantly less space. They also have a lifespan that is almost double that of a typical unit. The fact that your hot water supply is not constrained by how much water the tank can contain is another advantage of a tankless unit.
Due to the purchase price as well as installation fees, which often call for rerouting gas lines, tankless water heaters do have greater upfront costs than conventional water heaters.
5. Solar Energy
Solar power has become a more affordable choice for households as a result of falling material costs combined with tax rebates and incentives. Despite the fact that solar still requires a large financial commitment, the demand for renewable energy is pushing it closer to consumers. According to Electricity, adding solar power to your house may lower your energy costs and carbon impact while also attracting homebuyers.
6. Upgrade Kitchen Lighting
The new multipurpose space is the kitchen. They must have space for the cook as well as be used as a workstation for children and adults, a gathering place for family meals and dinner parties, and so on.
It’s simple to create a unique solution to fit your family’s needs and the limitations of the existing wiring, even though kitchen lighting plays a significant role in creating the right atmosphere for these tasks.
7. Invisible Charging
This one is for those who are concerned about clutter or perhaps just someone who frequently misplaces items. With the advent of charging pads, you can now charge your phone, smartwatch, or tablet by simply placing it on the surface without any additional cabling. In order to covertly charge your phone, charging pads can now be found incorporated into furniture items like side tables and desk lights.
8. Touchless Taps
Have you ever thought about installing touchless taps in your home? You may have seen them in public places. A sensor-operated faucet has many advantages, including preventing the spread of germs and regulating the amount of water used.
You’ll never forget to turn the tap off again! The majority of units are programmable, allowing you to set both the temperature and run-time of the water.
9. Under-Cabinet /Skirtboard LED Lighting
skirt board and/or under-cabinet For many applications, LED lights may be a terrific way to give your kitchen a soothing glow. While you are preparing supper, lights from high cabinets might be useful, while lights from low cabinets can cast a cozy glow on the kitchen floor. You can obtain just enough light from skateboard illumination to walk along the corridor for a late-night snack.
10. Smart Thermostats
Although programmable thermostats are fantastic, they feel a little dated. Thermostats now come equipped with motion sensors that detect when someone is home and when they are not, turning on the thermostat accordingly.
What’s even cooler is that the thermostat will eventually learn the rhythms of everyone in the house and develop the ability to anticipate when people will return home so that the house is kept at a comfortable temperature.
11. Smart Locks
Smart locks may be installed to an existing door and incorporated into your home security system. Using a passcode, you may lock or open your house using the lock’s touchscreen functionality, just like you would with your phone. You can program the device to only give specific codes to specific people at specific times. For example, you could just give your cleaner a specific code for Tuesday at 8 a.m.
12. Smart Home Systems
The ultimate in electrical improvements, smart home systems may combine all of the electronics in a home, including lighting, locking, heating, and even music. When these systems are combined with automation, you could feel as though you are living in a futuristic home.
By using voice commands, certain hubs that are even artificially intelligent will give you the forecast for tomorrow, start a movie for you, or even set an alarm.
13. Electrical Upgrades For Your Kitchen
One of the most utilized rooms in your home may be entirely refreshed with a kitchen redesign, an exciting improvement. Your house might feel and look better overall if you add new cabinets, white goods, appliances, and benches. What about electricals, though?
Switching and lighting updates are examples of electrical improvements that may enhance your kitchen’s functionality as well as its appearance.
Improved electrical systems are a terrific way to improve the appearance and use of your kitchen. Here are some excellent additions to think about.
14. USB Outlets
Everyone has had those mornings when you need to use the juicer, put bread on, and boil a kettle all at once. But what if you require a phone charge? Installing a panel of USB ports in your kitchen is one option as no one has time to reposition power outlets.
With so many USB-compatible devices in modern homes, charging is simple with a dedicated outlet. You won’t require an adaptor ever again if you simply put it next to your bench area.
15. Concealed Outlets
Traditional businesses are so, so conventional. There are various possibilities for your power outlets if you want to take it a step further and enhance the visual appeal of your kitchen.
For those who care about clutter, pop-up outlets are an excellent option. When you need an extra appliance, they remain concealed on the bench and are ready at the push of a button.
If you don’t have much space on your bench, recessed outlets are fantastic. Dangling cables may be quite ugly and the additional few centimeters that plug at the rear of the appliance take up can be a genuine annoyance. With recessed outlets, you may flush-mount them by tucking them into the wall.
You may offer yourself quick access to appliances without any unsecured cables by using under-cabinet outlets, which can also help your walls seem less cluttered.
16. Pantry Lights
Pantry lights may be configured to automatically turn on when the door is opened and turn off after you’re finished, which makes them ideal for finding that hard-to-find spice right at the back of the shelf. Motion sensors may even be installed in walk-in pantries!
17. Baseboard Lights
Cooking under overhead lights is nice, but what if you need a late-night snack? Baseboard lighting illuminates the skirting or baseboard that is immediately above your floor, providing just enough light to get to the refrigerator via the hallway.
18. Stylized Light Switches
Few people are aware that light switches may be found in a variety of sizes and forms. They don’t have to have the typical white-on-white finish found in the majority of homes. Any kitchen’s style may be complemented with designer light switches. You require blue to match your splash-backs. No issue. What about using stone or stainless steel to match your finishes? Count it finished.
19. Outlets
Older homes almost certainly contain a large number of outdated outlets without the proper ground wire. This is especially true for homeowners who live in older homes. During a remodeling phase, updating these “vintage” two-prong outlets may help prevent electrical shocks, power surges, and even electrical fires.
20. Electrical Panel Updates
According to some estimates, the typical household uses 30% to 50% more energy than it did in the past. Your home’s electrical panels must be upgraded as a result to handle the increased demand. You invest in both your present and your future when you install a new electrical panel and breaker box.
Conclusions
Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any queries concerning the electronics in your house or would like to learn more about installation and maintenance. With more than 9 years of expertise, we take great pleasure in offering the best electrical and air conditioning services. Contact us right away.
I, Mike K. was born on August 25, 1992, in Abingdon Virginia. Our family relocated to Santa Monica, California after middle school.
I received an electrical engineering degree from U.C. San Francisco. While looking for work, he was guided by an engineering position at the company where he is working for. Besides working, David and I are started blogging about the latest developments of electrical stuff and enjoy sharing my thoughts with readers.