Looking to make some updates to your home this year?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve compiled a handful of small indoor home renovation projects that can be done relatively quickly to help make your home more enjoyable and bring about a good return on your investment.
Here are a few simple ideas for improving your home this year:
1. Make Aging-Friendly Updates
A high number of Baby Boomers are choosing to age in place in their current home, rather than moving into a different home or retirement facility. For those in that category, or for younger generations planning to have parents or grandparents move in with you, making your home more aging-friendly is a worthwhile investment.
One common area of the home that often needs updating for safety as we age is the bathroom. But that doesn’t mean you need to completely overhaul your bathroom.
Rather than doing a full bathroom remodel, walk-in installations like a walk-in tub or shower can typically fit into the space a traditional bathtub takes up. Replacing your traditional tub with a walk-in version provides increased accessibility and safety. This can be one of the most economical and efficient ways to update your bathroom.
In addition, if you’re considering having parents or other older family members move in with you, you might consider upgrading your basement with an extra bath or kitchen, adding a separate entrance, or closing off an open floor plan to create more privacy.
Updates like these can provide you and your loved ones with the freedom to continue living in your home well into old age.
2. Add Smart Home Integrations
Another simple way to upgrade your home is with smart home devices. Devices like smart thermostats or smart switches and outlets are quickly becoming household staples. Smart devices can not only make your home more convenient to live in now, they will appeal to potential buyers if you decide to sell.
Smart devices help make your home more energy efficient, saving you money on utility bills. They’re also convenient — in many cases, they allow you to manage the systems of your home (including your HVAC system and lighting) remotely via your smartphone.
You can add these devices individually, or, if you’re already planning other remodeling projects, consider incorporating smart technology into those projects.
3. Make Sustainability Upgrades
Sustainability has been on the minds of many homeowners in recent years, as they look to make their homes more energy efficient, resistant to extreme weather, and environmentally friendly.
Smart devices are only one way to make your home more energy efficient. Other sustainability upgrades like low-flow fixtures, energy-efficient appliances, and tankless hot water heaters can also save you money and increase the value of your home.
Renovations that protect your home from extreme weather — such as stronger windows with better insulation — are also a good investment. Some homeowners are also opting for whole-house generators and solar-power systems with energy storage to keep their home up and running in the case of a long-term power outage from storms.
And if you’re looking to do a remodel with sustainability in mind, you might consider incorporating eco-friendly materials like reclaimed wood, cork, recycled plastic, and glass into your design.
4. Add Extra Storage Solutions
Make the most of the space you have by adding more storage! Whether it’s built-in shelving, cabinets, or walk-in closets, creating extra storage space not only makes your home more functional now, it makes it more attractive to a future buyer.
For example, you might consider doing one or more of the following:
- Add built-in bookshelves to your office
- Turn the space under the stairs into a storage cabinet
- Upgrade your entryway, hallway, or mudroom with additional storage
- Build cabinets into the kids’ rooms for better toy storage
- Add a butler’s pantry off of the kitchen
- Add built-in shelving or cabinets to the basement
However you decide to do it, creating more storage in your home is a great investment and a relatively quick project for your friendly neighborhood contractor. 😉
5. Make Spaces Multi-Functional
Another way to make the most of the space you have is to create versatile spaces that can serve multiple purposes — home offices, gyms, entertainment areas, and so on.
For example: adding a home office area to your guest room; a kids’ play area that doubles as a workout space in the basement; or a good old-fashioned family room that can be used for entertainment, play space, or guest accommodation. Or, give your mudroom multiple purposes by adding more storage options for easier access to cleaning supplies as well as a utility sink.
Get creative with this concept — it can apply to any room in your home that could double as something else!
The Team at Outdoor Solutions Is Ready To Help With Your Home Renovation Projects!
In general, if you want to invest in small indoor home renovation projects that make your home more livable and give you great ROI, think about making enhancements to your current space, rather than doing an addition or bigger renovation.
Not sure where to start in your home? First, create a list of wants as well as rooms or areas in your home that could use a refresh. Then, prioritize those projects based on need (and your budget).
Then, contact the pros at Outdoor Solutions to get started!