3 home upgrades to change your home
Even if you are someone who likes to have a daily routine with just about everything, sometimes change is needed. That is part of the reason why people change jobs on average every 4.2 years. A need for change is very normal and is even healthy to avoid redundant actions and lack of progression in our lives.
This same theory is true about homes as well. Not surprisingly, changing or moving to a new home is a very difficult and expensive process. Unlike jobs that change quite often, people tend to live in only 11.7 homes in their lives, with nearly all of those happening in the first 30 years of life with frequent moves happening in college.
How do people balance the need for change and the reality of not being able to move? The answer is home improvements.
Fireplace
One way to completely change a home is to add a fireplace. A fireplace is one of the few home additions that can bring a family together. Whether it is roasting marshmallows or just talking around the fire, there is something instinctively that draws us to fire and makes a home feel more inviting.
A fireplace can also become a centerpiece in a room that can change the focus of the entire house, especially if there is a professional mantel installed that can help to give the room color, a theme, and add some personality. Mantels also open up space for decorations, pictures, and other additions.
Outdoor Area
Whether it is a deck, grilling area, garden, changing up the back or front yard area, or even planting trees, updating a yard can be a great change to your home. People may not spend as much outside as they once did, but yards still provide a great escape and are often the only part of a home that outsiders get to see.
The greatest part of updating a yard, or adding to it, is the practical use that users get from it. In the case of planting a garden, not only is there a needed change, but there is also a great actual benefit to it with the fruits and vegetables harvested. If a grilling area is built, family and friend get-togethers become much easier and appealing to have.
The Power of Paint and Lights
Painting a room and changing lights is a great way to change the feel in a room for a very low cost.
A gallon of paint can cost as little as $15 for a gallon and it can be done without a professional painter. With the paint and brushes, a room can be painted with two to three gallons for a total of about $60. Adding additional rooms costs even less since the painting materials are unlikely to need any change.
The lighting in a room goes a long way in setting a mood. Aside from changing lighting fixtures (more expensive), the actual lighting that is used can change everything. Typically there are three kinds of lights for inside a home; LEDs, fluorescent, and halogens. Each style gives off a different shade of light which affects how everything else looks.
Reorganize or Change Rooms
A potential issue with home projects is the cost involved, and sometimes the cash simply isn’t there for home renovations. When this happens, an option is to reorganize or even change rooms around.
If a house has a kid’s bedroom and an office, switching the two rooms can add just enough change to satisfy the desire for something new.
Another option is to reorganize a room. Moving a couch, tv, or dining room table can completely change up the space ratios in a room. These small changes can make a room feel completely different. If you’ve ever been in two apartments with the same layouts but a completely different feel, you know what I’m talking about. The way that space is used can completely change how the room feels.