The good thing about owning a home is there are so many ways you can improve it. Whether you need more bathroom space or want to make your home more energy efficient, you have several options. If you don’t know where to start, this useful guide can help you. Here are some of the top renovations home upgrade pros love to see and do.
1. Inground Pool
Swimming is a pastime that has not lost popularity. It’s no surprise as this low-impact aerobic activity is a great way to burn calories and keep your muscles limber. When you call local pool companies to add an inground pool to your space, these are enhancements home upgrade pros love to see because most people enjoy a water feature. Depending on the area of the country, your pool can have more value, particularly in areas like Florida or the Southwest. Pools can come in a range of styles and sizes suitable to your landscape. You can customize your pools with diving boards and volleyball nets. Many people love having a swimming pool because it adds to their outdoor entertainment, as it’s the perfect highlight of any patio space.
You can kick your pool upgrade up a notch by adding spas and hot tubs. Hot tubs provide additional hydrotherapy as they perform massage-like therapy on your muscles. According to Healthline, soaking in a hot tub for about 15 minutes can help reduce the effects of inflammation and hypertension. Therefore, anyone dealing with lower back pain problems, or arthritis can benefit from this home addition.
2. New Water Heater
Hot water is essential for a sanitary and comfortable home. You need hot water to bathe and effectively wash your linens. After all, water needs to be at a certain temperature to kill various bacteria on your clothes, linens, and hands. You need an effective water heater that can last long enough and efficiently heat your water. That’s why home upgrade pros love to see the only new water heaters but tankless ones. Tankless water heaters have gained popularity because they take up much less space than traditional ones. They’re energy efficient as they don’t store hot water but only heat it as you need it. As a result, you’ll quickly have hot water and you won’t have to stand in your shower waiting 10 minutes for it to heat up on a cold winter morning. This type of water heater can save as much as 15% on energy bills. Take advantage of the space you save because you’ll no longer have to use a whole pantry closet or a good chunk of your basement to store it. A tankless water heater is small enough to go under your sink or other small corner.
3. EV Chargers
Home upgrade pros that want homeowners to conserve energy and be with modern times love seeing EV chargers. When a home has an EV charger installed, it makes it easier to upgrade your vehicle fleet. Cars are one of the main reasons for air pollution. After all, car exhaust goes into the air and has affected the ozone layer over the past decades. That’s why the push for more electric or hybrid vehicles has been very successful with homeowners and businesses. Thanks to electric cars, the environment can become cleaner as fewer carbon emissions are harmful to all forms of life.
Thanks to an EV charger network, you can drive an electric or hybrid car easily and do your part to create a green environment. Plus, if your home already has this charger, it’s one less modern edition you’ll have to make if you sell your home in the future. After all, EV chargers are already standard in countries like Norway and other environmentally conscious places. The United States has signed initiatives for homeowners to take advantage of energy-efficient updates. Therefore, EV chargers can help you save on your taxes for the year you installed them.
4. Updated HVAC
Home upgrade pros understand the value of a good HVAC system. According to Bob Vila, a standard HVAC unit may last about 10 to 15 years with good maintenance. Of course, it would last much less time without regular maintenance and annual inspections. If your HVAC unit is no longer working efficiently or is near the end of its life cycle, it’s time to call your local HVAC installers for an upgrade. When you get an HVAC unit from the Energy Star brand, you may save as much as 15% on your energy bills. It’s no surprise, as your AC usage can often be one of the biggest expenses on your energy bills. As summer approaches, now is the right time to call an HVAC pro for the most modern and efficient model. After all, the planet is continuously getting hotter, so it’s hard to predict whether summer will be standard or hotter than ever. Either way, you want an HVAC system that can protect you and your family from heat-related illnesses and excessive humidity.
5. Home Heating
In addition to keeping your home cool in summer, you need to heat it in the colder months. There are different home heating networks to consider such as a heat pump. Home upgrade pros love to see heat pumps because of their energy efficiency. These heat pumps rely on the natural heat from the earth and channel it through your home.
Another way to heat your home effectively is with solar panel upgrades. Thanks to solar panels, your home can be heated by the harnessed energy of the sun. When solar panels are properly installed, they can last for about 20 years and are low maintenance. Your home will get a tax rebate due to this energy-efficient upgrade. Solar panels can greatly reduce or eliminate your need for an electric bill, as they rely on the power grid. If you want reliable energy that’s not reliant upon your municipal city or can survive a natural disaster, solar energy is the way to go.
6. Exterior Fencing
Exterior fencing is beloved by home upgrade pros because it provides an additional layer of security. Matter of fact, a security fence is often your first line of defense from human and animal invaders. Legally, you can build a fence as high as 7 feet tall. Intruders are much less likely to approach a home that has a fence compared to one that doesn’t. If you live in a rural area, you may worry about wildlife approaching your home, especially if they’re looking for food and trash cans. Building a high fence can reduce the likelihood of such invasions.
A fence can come in a range of materials like wood, vinyl, and metal. A wood fence is ecological, as it’s easy to recycle and is sustainable. You can always paint your fence and customize it with your home design. Vinyl is even more durable than wood as it won’t be destroyed by weathering or insects. This material is easy to paint and can last a couple of decades with care. However, if you want a quality security fence that can add extra value to your home, consider a cast iron gate or fence. Iron is one of the most durable materials on the planet and a custom-designed cast iron fence can give your home an air of class and luxury that can be impressive from the first view.
7. Home Office
When you add a designated home office space to your house, home upgrade pros are impressed as it’s a feature that benefits your lifestyle and is attractive to a potential buyer. After all, more people than ever are working from home for themselves or do a hybrid position at a company. Therefore, you must have a designated home space so you can effectively work without distractions. Having your own home office is tax-deductible, so you can benefit at the end of the year by making this upgrade. As long as you utilize a designated home office space, you continue to get that text deduction annually.
In addition, home upgrade pros love to help home office owners customize their spaces with the right local office furniture. When you’re at a company, you must put up with the furniture they use. When you have your own home office, you can create the most comfortable and ergonomic space available. Have standing desks that convert to a sitting one. Invest in an ergonomic chair to prevent back pain or carpal tunnel syndrome. Install beautiful floors that are hardwood, carpeting, or filled with beautiful rugs. Install a loveseat and wooden table, so you can take a reprieve and have coffee in peace without leaving your office. Don’t forget quality windows that allow natural light to come in and give you energy throughout the day.
8. Reliable Insurance
A reliable insurance policy is a must for any serious homeowner. Like any other type of insurance, a policy can help you in case you have an unexpected event or accident in your home. A home can deal with destruction due to theft, fire, or natural disasters. Many homeowners have to pay to repair the damage because of a flood, fire, mold, remediation, or damage from a thief breaking down a door or window. In addition to damage to the structure, you may need to replace personal items damaged or taken. Luckily, a quality home insurance policy can help you get reimbursed or pay for those repairs upfront. The right home insurance policy can also cover you in terms of liability if somebody hurts themselves on your property. The policy may help you pay for viable home upgrades, such as a new roof or flooring that has become outdated and is now unsafe.
9. Home Cleaning
Home upgrade pros love to see homeowners take the initiative to hire a house cleanout service. After all, it can take forever to clean out a house on your own. If you have a single-family home, especially with an attic or basement, it can take weeks for you to thoroughly clean it out efficiently without help. When you hire a professional home cleaning service, you have professionals to work efficiently and on a schedule. Once the home clean out is complete, it leaves room for you and home upgrade pros to get a good look at what you’re working with. You can now effectively and seriously start working on re-design efforts. Visualize new furniture, and floors, or paint colors once the clutter is gone.
10. Outdoor Patio
Outdoor patios continue to increase in popularity among American homeowners. Most new homebuyers expect to have a patio or a deck or will build one if they find a home that they like otherwise. Your outdoor patio is the ultimate way to enjoy nature. According to Healthline, being in nature creates a sense of wellness and happiness in people. After COVID-19, more Americans wanted to invest in their outdoor spaces so they could enjoy their homes more and not rely on the public. With an outdoor patio, you can host birthday parties, barbecues, swimming pool competitions, relax in a hot tub, or cook in an outdoor kitchen. The sky’s the limit to how much you can enjoy the outdoors when you have a functional patio or deck. Because this home feature is so popular, it adds major value to your home and can help you sell it faster.
As you can see, your home upgrade pros love some pretty cool features. You can upgrade your home with a new patio, better heating options, a more energy-efficient HVAC and water heater, as well as a new roof. These are just some of the ways you can upgrade your home as there are even more things to consider. Home upgrade pros want your home to look beautiful and be as comfortable as possible. Use this list as a guide for how you can improve your property in 2024 and beyond. This upgrade advice can help you relax more, enjoy the outdoors, save money, and create a private space you may never want to leave.
