If you want a real upgrade for the New Year, why not improve your home? It’s a tangible, doable resolution. Here are some of the best home upgrades to try in the New Year.
Related: Home Improvement Calculator | Home Improvements of 2020 | Home Improvement Credit Cards | Alternatives to Angie’s List | Free Home Improvement Resources | How to Pay for Home Improvement
Best Home Upgrades for Resale
Some people upgrade their homes with the mindset of increasing its value. There are also those who upgrade homes and flip them for a profit, so they’re looking for the best home upgrades for resale, prioritizing a quick return of their investments.
Simply put, for-profit projects like these require the best home upgrades for the money. They need a perfect balance of cost and attractiveness to future buyers. This means they don’t need to splurge for big-ticket upgrades that usually cost a lot and are terrible financially. But getting the best home upgrades for the money doesn’t mean you should go cheap—discerning buyers would definitely pass on something that they think could cheapen the look of their homes, including fake wood accents, fake stone, and other cosmetic upgrades that can look out of place.
Best New Home Upgrades
Of course, there are those who’ve just moved into their new home and would want to change things immediately. They’ve probably bought the property at an affordable price point, and are looking at its potential for customization so that they can add their own touch to the property, without necessarily tearing down the whole house. The best new home upgrades give the homeowners a feeling of stamping their own mark at their new home, even though it was built years or even decades ago.
For new homeowners, the best new home upgrades are the ones that fit your budget. Purchasing a new house is already a huge financial commitment. You’ve splurged for the home of your dreams, and whatever’s left in your bank account would be used to improving it and making it match your taste and your style preferences. It’s hard to go all out and spend a lot of upgrades if you’re still reeling from your property splurge. So for many, the best new home upgrades are the ones that won’t really put them in the red for a pretty long time.
Best Home Efficiency Upgrades
Even if you’re buying a property that has been around for quite some time now, there are projects that you can do to modernize it and make it more efficient. Some of the best home efficiency upgrades only require replacing outdated equipment with modern ones, and won’t really need a lot of elbow grease. Most of these are possible for DIY, but would most definitely require a bit of financial investment. Here are some of the best energy-efficient home upgrades you can do:
Getting Energy-Efficient Appliances – Older appliances are mostly high-energy devices, meaning, they require and consume more electricity for operation. If left unchecked, your monthly power bill could balloon, canceling off the savings that you made from buying the property with existing appliances. What you can do is to replace these appliances one by one, making sure to get the most energy-efficient versions for good.
One of the best energy-efficient home upgrades you can purchase is a new central air conditioning and heating system from an established company like American Home and Water. You can find them at the following address: 22047 N Black Canyon Hwy, Phoenix, AZ 85027, United States. For more information, give them a call at (602) 993-0083.
Since these systems are used all year round, it pays to ensure that you have an efficient system installed. Up next, you can replace and outdated refrigerator with an efficient model since these appliances are running all the time.
Install New Doors and Windows – Getting more energy-efficient appliances would be useless if your home itself is the problem. You’d need more than the best home efficiency upgrades if your living space is not properly sealed off. A leak means heat couldn’t be contained and would make your HVAC work harder and consume more power.
To address this problem, you can install new doors and windows so that they’re weather-proofed. You can also sell your current ones if you think they’re still serviceable. To do so, you can add weather stripping or caulking around windows. The result would be better interior temperature regulation and a lower energy bill.
Get a More Efficient Water System – A list of the best upgrades for your home won’t be complete without an efficient water system. It’s because this simple project can potentially save you hundreds of dollars per month depending on your consumption. Essentially, it’s a home upgrade that pays for itself in the long run.
As a new homeowner, you only want the best upgrades for your home. These small tweaks or even big renovation projects can improve your quality of life, or bring big savings. Consequently, these are also the best home upgrades for resale, because other potential homeowners would be looking for them when shopping around for a property.