Remodeling your home gives you an opportunity to make it stand out. However, with so many projects to choose from, how do you know which one to spend your hard-earned money on? The last thing you want is to take on a renovation only to regret it once you see the results and the general contractors hit you with the bill. That’s where this read comes in. Here are six unique ideas that home upgrade pros recommend for you.
1. Add Home Automation
Do you enjoy the idea of having a smart home? One where you can control virtually everything regardless of where you are? If so, one of the projects you should undertake during your home upgrade is installing home automation systems.
Home automation has taken off over the past few years. Some of the things that were just concepts we only saw in sci-fi movies are now a reality. That said, this isn’t just some new, cool tech. It offers some great and valid benefits that make it a must-have for homeowners.
For example, home upgrade pros say that automating your security systems can make your home much safer. The things that a motion detector can do these days are nothing short of amazing. From turning on outdoor lights to setting off the alarm on an intruder to recording video. However, home automation takes things to a whole new level by allowing you to program a chain of events from one action.
Say someone approaches your porch and sets off the motion detection on your doorbell camera. A smart home security system will record the visitor through the doorbell camera and then turn on the living room and hallway lights to create the illusion that someone is home. If you have a smart speaker, you can even have it start playing dog barking sounds.
Besides that, home automation is convenient. You can control all the smart devices in your residence from the comfort of your smartphone. So whether you’re just having a lazy day and don’t feel like getting up from the couch or you’re hours from home, the power is always in your hands.
Some niche products can also add convenience to parenting or aging in place. Most smart home devices integrate with voice assistants like Google Home or Amazon Alexa. You don’t even need to have your phone close at hand if you have a connected smart home hub. Just shout the command. When integrating home automation systems, avoid using general contracting services and use specialists instead.
2. Take on a Bathroom Remodel
Home upgrade pros are always talking about how a bathroom remodel is one of the best investments a homeowner can make in their home, and they’re not lying. There’s a long list of benefits that you stand to enjoy if you decide to remodel your bathroom. One of the most notable is an increase in your home’s value. According to HGTV, the average ROI for a minor bathroom remodel is 102%. Besides that, this project will also make your home more appealing to potential buyers if you plan to sell.
If you plan to stay in your current home for the long term, you’ll enjoy benefits such as a safer, more energy-efficient, and functional bathroom with great aesthetic appeal. As bathroom remodelers will tell you, your overall satisfaction with your new bathroom will depend on how you execute the project. Lucky for you, here are some great tips.
When it comes to the floors, you want to pick something that can withstand the rigors of daily use. While every bone in your body may be telling you to go for solid wood floors because of the character they’ll add to the room, they’re not the ideal flooring material for bathrooms when you look at it from a practical standpoint. Instead, go for vinyl tiles, luxury vinyl plank, or porcelain and ceramic tiles.
Sheet vinyl flooring particularly stands out for its waterproofing capabilities. A single-width sheet vinyl is enough to floor a small bathroom, doing away with seams entirely. If you’re confused about what flooring material to go for, you can always seek the advice of home upgrade pros.
For the walls and overall color scheme, base your choices on the room size you’re working with. For example, if your bathroom is relatively small and you want to make it look and feel larger, stick to a color palette in the white-or-light spectrum. Dark hues will give the space a cramped, smaller feel. Make use of light-colored or white fixtures (such as the bathtub and toilet). If you want to paint your bathroom ceiling anything other than white or off-white, you may want to think twice, as this will make the space appear even smaller.
3. Take on a Basement Remodel
If you’ve been feeling like you need to create more space in your current home, you may have thought of pushing outward and building an addition as part of your home renovations. However, if you’re among the homeowners who are lucky enough to have a basement, you might just be able to avoid taking on such an expensive project. Instead of viewing your basement as a place where you store away all the things you’re not using, look at it as available space.
Unless you completely don’t have a choice, there’s no reason why you can’t get rid of the junk and build whatever you’d like. Be it a family room, gym, auxiliary bedroom, or media room. However, before proceeding with any project, you must prep the space.
The key to finishing a basement is moisture. If you can manage to keep the moisture under control, you can build almost anything. It’s even possible to install elements like wall-to-wall carpeting that are generally not recommended for basements.
If there’s a lot of moisture in your basement, finishing it may be more trouble than it’s worth, even if you enlist the help of home upgrade pros. However, water-lock paint may be all you need for minor moisture issues. You can seal any present cracks with special caulking. As a preventative measure, consider investing in a dehumidifier, which will pull in moisture-laden air and collect most of that moisture before it condenses on the basement ceiling and walls. If you live in a part of the country where most homes have basements, you can probably find local basement remodelers that’ll perform this work for you.
4. Install a Deck
As you look for unique ideas for remodeling your home, don’t forget about the outdoor living spaces. One of the best ways of adding beauty and function to your backyard, as most home upgrade pros will agree, is by building a deck. This outdoor addition offers great benefits that can make life in your home much more satisfying.
For example, if you love hosting parties but feel like having guests indoors cramps up the space, a deck will open up your outdoors for effective entertaining. Whether it’s birthday celebrations or barbecues with friends, you can comfortably host your friends and family and as a bonus, you get to keep all the mess outside. You’ll have an easy time cleaning up the morning after.
Having a backyard deck will also allow you to enjoy the outdoors more. Even if you’re not necessarily an outdoorsy person, one look at your deck will inspire you or at least guilt trip you into getting out of the house and spending time in nature. This will prove to be beneficial for your health as spending time outdoors is known to help decrease stress levels.
Decks come in a range of styles, finishes, and materials. If you find yourself confused when navigating your options, consult a reputable local deck builder. They’ll know what type of deck is ideal for your home
The good thing with a deck is it doesn’t just have to be flat. You have some customization options that will allow you to make it unique and more functional. For example, you can have your deck builder add a built-in firepit. This way, even chilly evenings won’t stop you from spending time outdoors with your loved ones.
If you’re the type of host who loves to cook for their guests while still talking and entertaining them, consider transforming your deck into an outdoor kitchen. You can have it fitted with an awesome grill and outdoor fridge to keep drinks nice and cold as you cook. For more customization ideas, consult a home remodeling company as part of your list of home upgrade pros.
5. Get New Window Treatments
Replacing your window treatments with something new is a terrific approach for switching up the energy of your space. You can introduce new fabrics, textures, and colors that subtly tie the space together. Think of window treatments as women’s manicures. They can add a classy touch or make a bold statement. With the help of home upgrade pros, play with textures and materials to achieve a trendy, rustic, glam, or classic look.
That said, window treatments don’t come in a one-size-fits-all solution. As you shop and explore the different options available on the market, you’ll realize that the different rooms in your home work better with different types of window treatments. So, ask yourself a few questions before you head out and start shopping.
Consider what you want in terms of privacy. It requires skill to strike a balance between your needs for privacy and light. For example, natural light makes a bathroom feel more airy, but visual privacy is still quite important. The bathroom window’s primary function is to let light in, not to offer an unhindered view of the outside world.
Here, adhesive patterned frosted glass treatment films offer a creative option. The transparent glass pieces in between let light through while the frosted areas’ pattern preserves your visual privacy. If you desire greater flexibility while maintaining an unhindered view, consider the traditional tier-on-tier shutters, which provide maximum control over the light-to-privacy ratio. Open the upper set of shutters to let in sunshine but keep the bottom set closed so nosy neighbors can’t peep in.
In some spaces, window coverings may fulfill a significant practical function. Although we typically associate windows with letting in light, there are cases when keeping light out is equally important. For example, if you’re a night-shift worker who needs to sleep during the day, you may find value in a blackout curtain.
On the other hand, if you work from home and your computer screen gets blinding glares from the midday sun streaming into your home office, you may want to invest in a solar shade. Corporate offices should be your inspiration. To better navigate your options, consult home upgrade pros such as interior designer firms in your area.
6. Take on a Kitchen Remodel
Your kitchen is more than just a room; it’s the heart of your home. So, as you plan your remodel project, include the kitchen. When it comes to the cabinets, you have two options. You can either repaint or install new ones with the help of kitchen remodeling contractors.
According to ThisOldHouse, The cost of new cabinets may make up to 30% to 40% of the total cost of your kitchen makeover. Therefore, unless you want to change their location or aren’t happy with their functionality, consider repainting them to restore their visual appeal rather than replacing them. Hiring a painting professional to handle the job will only cost you a fraction of what it would cost you to install new cabinets.
The faucet, which is the hardest worker in your kitchen, is another area you want to focus on. If the current installation is outdated or faulty, consider getting a quality replacement. Think a premium brand, single-handle operation model.
You’ll also want to consider getting new countertops. The National Kitchen & Bath Association reports that quartz has surpassed granite as the most popular countertop option, and for good reason. With quartz, you never have to worry about sealing as it’s scratch, stain, and chip-proof. It’s available in a range of styles, many of which accurately replicate the organic variation found in marble and limestone, the real versions that require a great deal of upkeep.
As you take on your remodeling project, enlist the help of home upgrade pros. They have years of experience handling such projects, so they’ll ensure you make the right decisions at every stage. Give your local home improvement contractor a call and request an in-home consultation.
Remodeling your home gives you an opportunity to make it stand out. However, with so many projects to choose from, how do you know which one to spend your hard-earned money on? The last thing you want is to take on a renovation only to regret it once you see the results and the general contractors hit you with the bill. That’s where this read comes in. Here are six unique ideas that home upgrade pros recommend for you.
1. Add Home Automation
Do you enjoy the idea of having a smart home? One where you can control virtually everything regardless of where you are? If so, one of the projects you should undertake during your home upgrade is installing home automation systems.
Home automation has taken off over the past few years. Some of the things that were just concepts we only saw in sci-fi movies are now a reality. That said, this isn’t just some new, cool tech. It offers some great and valid benefits that make it a must-have for homeowners.
For example, home upgrade pros say that automating your security systems can make your home much safer. The things that a motion detector can do these days are nothing short of amazing. From turning on outdoor lights to setting off the alarm on an intruder to recording video. However, home automation takes things to a whole new level by allowing you to program a chain of events from one action.
Say someone approaches your porch and sets off the motion detection on your doorbell camera. A smart home security system will record the visitor through the doorbell camera and then turn on the living room and hallway lights to create the illusion that someone is home. If you have a smart speaker, you can even have it start playing dog barking sounds.
Besides that, home automation is convenient. You can control all the smart devices in your residence from the comfort of your smartphone. So whether you’re just having a lazy day and don’t feel like getting up from the couch or you’re hours from home, the power is always in your hands.
Some niche products can also add convenience to parenting or aging in place. Most smart home devices integrate with voice assistants like Google Home or Amazon Alexa. You don’t even need to have your phone close at hand if you have a connected smart home hub. Just shout the command. When integrating home automation systems, avoid using general contracting services and use specialists instead.
2. Take on a Bathroom Remodel
Home upgrade pros are always talking about how a bathroom remodel is one of the best investments a homeowner can make in their home, and they’re not lying. There’s a long list of benefits that you stand to enjoy if you decide to remodel your bathroom. One of the most notable is an increase in your home’s value. According to HGTV, the average ROI for a minor bathroom remodel is 102%. Besides that, this project will also make your home more appealing to potential buyers if you plan to sell.
If you plan to stay in your current home for the long term, you’ll enjoy benefits such as a safer, more energy-efficient, and functional bathroom with great aesthetic appeal. As bathroom remodelers will tell you, your overall satisfaction with your new bathroom will depend on how you execute the project. Lucky for you, here are some great tips.
When it comes to the floors, you want to pick something that can withstand the rigors of daily use. While every bone in your body may be telling you to go for solid wood floors because of the character they’ll add to the room, they’re not the ideal flooring material for bathrooms when you look at it from a practical standpoint. Instead, go for vinyl tiles, luxury vinyl plank, or porcelain and ceramic tiles.
Sheet vinyl flooring particularly stands out for its waterproofing capabilities. A single-width sheet vinyl is enough to floor a small bathroom, doing away with seams entirely. If you’re confused about what flooring material to go for, you can always seek the advice of home upgrade pros.
For the walls and overall color scheme, base your choices on the room size you’re working with. For example, if your bathroom is relatively small and you want to make it look and feel larger, stick to a color palette in the white-or-light spectrum. Dark hues will give the space a cramped, smaller feel. Make use of light-colored or white fixtures (such as the bathtub and toilet). If you want to paint your bathroom ceiling anything other than white or off-white, you may want to think twice, as this will make the space appear even smaller.
3. Take on a Basement Remodel
If you’ve been feeling like you need to create more space in your current home, you may have thought of pushing outward and building an addition as part of your home renovations. However, if you’re among the homeowners who are lucky enough to have a basement, you might just be able to avoid taking on such an expensive project. Instead of viewing your basement as a place where you store away all the things you’re not using, look at it as available space.
Unless you completely don’t have a choice, there’s no reason why you can’t get rid of the junk and build whatever you’d like. Be it a family room, gym, auxiliary bedroom, or media room. However, before proceeding with any project, you must prep the space.
The key to finishing a basement is moisture. If you can manage to keep the moisture under control, you can build almost anything. It’s even possible to install elements like wall-to-wall carpeting that are generally not recommended for basements.
If there’s a lot of moisture in your basement, finishing it may be more trouble than it’s worth, even if you enlist the help of home upgrade pros. However, water-lock paint may be all you need for minor moisture issues. You can seal any present cracks with special caulking. As a preventative measure, consider investing in a dehumidifier, which will pull in moisture-laden air and collect most of that moisture before it condenses on the basement ceiling and walls. If you live in a part of the country where most homes have basements, you can probably find local basement remodelers that’ll perform this work for you.
4. Install a Deck
As you look for unique ideas for remodeling your home, don’t forget about the outdoor living spaces. One of the best ways of adding beauty and function to your backyard, as most home upgrade pros will agree, is by building a deck. This outdoor addition offers great benefits that can make life in your home much more satisfying.
For example, if you love hosting parties but feel like having guests indoors cramps up the space, a deck will open up your outdoors for effective entertaining. Whether it’s birthday celebrations or barbecues with friends, you can comfortably host your friends and family and as a bonus, you get to keep all the mess outside. You’ll have an easy time cleaning up the morning after.
Having a backyard deck will also allow you to enjoy the outdoors more. Even if you’re not necessarily an outdoorsy person, one look at your deck will inspire you or at least guilt trip you into getting out of the house and spending time in nature. This will prove to be beneficial for your health as spending time outdoors is known to help decrease stress levels.
Decks come in a range of styles, finishes, and materials. If you find yourself confused when navigating your options, consult a reputable local deck builder. They’ll know what type of deck is ideal for your home
The good thing with a deck is it doesn’t just have to be flat. You have some customization options that will allow you to make it unique and more functional. For example, you can have your deck builder add a built-in firepit. This way, even chilly evenings won’t stop you from spending time outdoors with your loved ones.
If you’re the type of host who loves to cook for their guests while still talking and entertaining them, consider transforming your deck into an outdoor kitchen. You can have it fitted with an awesome grill and outdoor fridge to keep drinks nice and cold as you cook. For more customization ideas, consult a home remodeling company as part of your list of home upgrade pros.
5. Get New Window Treatments
Replacing your window treatments with something new is a terrific approach for switching up the energy of your space. You can introduce new fabrics, textures, and colors that subtly tie the space together. Think of window treatments as women’s manicures. They can add a classy touch or make a bold statement. With the help of home upgrade pros, play with textures and materials to achieve a trendy, rustic, glam, or classic look.
That said, window treatments don’t come in a one-size-fits-all solution. As you shop and explore the different options available on the market, you’ll realize that the different rooms in your home work better with different types of window treatments. So, ask yourself a few questions before you head out and start shopping.
Consider what you want in terms of privacy. It requires skill to strike a balance between your needs for privacy and light. For example, natural light makes a bathroom feel more airy, but visual privacy is still quite important. The bathroom window’s primary function is to let light in, not to offer an unhindered view of the outside world.
Here, adhesive patterned frosted glass treatment films offer a creative option. The transparent glass pieces in between let light through while the frosted areas’ pattern preserves your visual privacy. If you desire greater flexibility while maintaining an unhindered view, consider the traditional tier-on-tier shutters, which provide maximum control over the light-to-privacy ratio. Open the upper set of shutters to let in sunshine but keep the bottom set closed so nosy neighbors can’t peep in.
In some spaces, window coverings may fulfill a significant practical function. Although we typically associate windows with letting in light, there are cases when keeping light out is equally important. For example, if you’re a night-shift worker who needs to sleep during the day, you may find value in a blackout curtain.
On the other hand, if you work from home and your computer screen gets blinding glares from the midday sun streaming into your home office, you may want to invest in a solar shade. Corporate offices should be your inspiration. To better navigate your options, consult home upgrade pros such as interior designer firms in your area.
6. Take on a Kitchen Remodel
Your kitchen is more than just a room; it’s the heart of your home. So, as you plan your remodel project, include the kitchen. When it comes to the cabinets, you have two options. You can either repaint or install new ones with the help of kitchen remodeling contractors.
According to ThisOldHouse, The cost of new cabinets may make up to 30% to 40% of the total cost of your kitchen makeover. Therefore, unless you want to change their location or aren’t happy with their functionality, consider repainting them to restore their visual appeal rather than replacing them. Hiring a painting professional to handle the job will only cost you a fraction of what it would cost you to install new cabinets.
The faucet, which is the hardest worker in your kitchen, is another area you want to focus on. If the current installation is outdated or faulty, consider getting a quality replacement. Think a premium brand, single-handle operation model.
You’ll also want to consider getting new countertops. The National Kitchen & Bath Association reports that quartz has surpassed granite as the most popular countertop option, and for good reason. With quartz, you never have to worry about sealing as it’s scratch, stain, and chip-proof. It’s available in a range of styles, many of which accurately replicate the organic variation found in marble and limestone, the real versions that require a great deal of upkeep.
As you take on your remodeling project, enlist the help of home upgrade pros. They have years of experience handling such projects, so they’ll ensure you make the right decisions at every stage. Give your local home improvement contractor a call and request an in-home consultation.
